6.1 How to choose to keep directors’ usual residential addresses on the public register at Companies House («election»)
You can elect whether to keep the company’s directors’ usual residential address information on the public register either: i) on incorporation, in which case the subscribers wishing to form the company must elect with the application to incorporate the company; or ii) an incorporated company can apply itself.
6.2 When the election takes effect
The election takes effect when it is registered by the registrar. An election remains in force until either a company ceases to be a private company or withdraws the election. During the period when an election is in force, a company does not have to keep a register of directors’ usual residential addresses.
6.3 When an election is in force for the register of directors’ usual residential addresses
The company has to deliver information about its directors’ usual residential addresses to the registrar at Companies House, including any changes to the registered information. The usual residential address isn’t available to the public to inspect, in the same way as it’s not available to the public if the company is keeping its own statutory register of directors’ usual residential addresses.
The information to be delivered is:
The usual residential address of each of the company’s directors.
If a director’s usual residential address is the same as his service address (as stated in the company’s register of directors), the register of directors’ usual residential addresses need only contain an entry to that effect. This does not apply if his service address is stated to be «the company’s registered office».
When a company decides it wants to start keeping its own register of directors’ usual residential addresses once more («withdrawal»)
A company must give notice of withdrawal of the election to the registrar. The withdrawal is effective on registration by the registrar. On withdrawal, the company will need to maintain a register of directors’ usual residential addresses from that point onwards and notify the registrar of any changes to it.
6.4 Directors’ usual residential address information on withdrawing the election
On withdrawal of an election, a company must enter in its register of directors’ usual residential addresses all the information relating to matters that are current that are required to be contained in that register. The company is not required to enter information relating to the period when an election was in force that is no longer current (eg the usual residential address details of a person who has ceased to be a director during the election period).
6.5 The directors’ usual residential address information registered during the period of the election
Usual residential address information delivered to the registrar will not be available for public inspection. This is in line with the inspection requirements for the register of directors’ usual residential addresses if kept by a company. Usual residential address information will be made available by the registrar to the following bodies: i) credit reference agencies, unless a successful application has been made to prevent disclosure to credit reference agencies under section 243 of the Companies Act 2006, and ii) specified public authorities eg the police.