Exemptions from sharing residential addresses (section 243 and 790ZF)
What addresses are publicly available from Companies House? Whilst Companies House requires all officers and PSCs to provide residential and service addresses when being appointed or editing details, only the service address is made publicly available on the Companies House register. Residential addresses are stored privately and only accessible by individuals who have filing permission for that entity (including access to the authentication code). When you use Kudocs, you will need to enter the authentication code so that you can access that private information in order to create complete & accurate registers.
Residential addresses are also shared by Companies House for credit reference purposes (and some other agencies).
Can I protect my residential address from being shared by Companies House? Yes you can. This is available under the Companies Act 2006.
- Section 243 provides exemptions for directors regarding the disclosure of their usual residential addresses by Companies House.
- Section 790ZF provides exemptions for Persons with Significant Control (PSC) regarding the disclosure of their usual residential addresses by Companies House.
These section allows directors & PSCs to apply for their residential address to be protected from public disclosure and is intended to protect their personal safety and privacy.
How do I get protection under s.243? To obtain either a s.243 or s.790ZF exemption, the director or PSC must apply to the Companies House, demonstrating that including their residential address in the public register would expose them or their family to a serious risk of violence or intimidation. The application should include evidence supporting the claim, such as police reports, court orders, or other relevant documentation. If granted, the residential address is replaced with a service address in the public register, which can be the entity’s registered office or another address where legal documents can be served. This ensures privacy while maintaining their legal obligations and contactability for official purposes.
To obtain a Section 243 exemption, a director must apply to the Companies House, demonstrating that including their residential address in the public register would expose them or their family to a serious risk of violence or intimidation. The application should include evidence supporting the claim, such as police reports, court orders, or other relevant documentation.
If granted, the director’s residential address is replaced with a service address in the public register, which can be the company’s registered office or another address where legal documents can be served. This ensures the director’s privacy while maintaining their legal obligations and contactability for official purposes.