Keeping Directors' Home Addresses Off The Public Record

Update: The new regime came into effect on 26 April 2018 when The Companies (Disclosure of Address) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 came into force.

New regulations are being introduced to make it easier for directors to suppress their home address on Companies House records.

At the moment, directors whose home address appears on Companies House's public records can apply for the address to be suppressed.

But they have to show a serious risk of violence or intimidation as a result of their company's activities.

Even if they can do that, it's not possible to get the home address removed from any forms filed before 1 January 2003.

The new regulations will remove these restrictions.

According to the government announcement, the aim is to reduce identity theft and fraud from which directors are twice as likely to suffer as most people.

The new regime is expected to be in effect by the end of summer 2018.

The problem

If an individual became a director before 1 October 2009, there are likely to be documents filed with Companies House that:

contain their home address; and are publicly available to search online and download for free. The UK government has received an increasing number of complaints from individuals about the current regime for suppressing the home address in these situations. For example:

The "serious risk of violence or intimidation" test only relates to the activities of the company. This does not cover the situation where a person may find themselves at serious risk of harm from, for example, their domestic situation or wider activities not associated with the company. Individuals who may be at risk from identity theft and fraud cannot apply to have their home address suppressed. What is changing?

The two key changes are:

individual directors will be able to apply to get their home address removed without having to show risk of violence or intimidation; and the 1 January 2003 restriction will be removed. Someone who is required to maintain a current address in the register (such as a current director of a live company) will have to provide a service address.

A person who is not subject to this requirement (e.g. a former director of a live company) will not need to provide a service address. Instead, their home address will be partially suppressed to show the first half of the postcode.

What will the application to suppress have to...