A company’s email address is easy to overlook until an important Companies House notice goes to an inbox nobody checks. For UK companies, keeping the registered email address up to date is now a formal corporate responsibility. Companies House uses it to communicate with the company, and the registered email address is not displayed on the public register.

If your company has changed accountants, replaced an administrator, moved to a new corporate email system, or simply lost access to its old inbox, updating the registered email address should be treated as a routine compliance task rather than something to postpone. This guide explains exactly what a registered company email address is, how to change it, what information you need, how long the process takes, and what to do if you no longer have access to your Companies House account or authentication code.

What Is a Company's Registered Email Address?

A registered email address is the email address a company provides to Companies House for official communications. Unlike a company's registered office address, it is not publicly displayed on the Companies House register. Companies House can use it to contact the company about matters relating to its registration and compliance.

The email address must be an appropriate email address. In practical terms, this means emails sent by the Registrar should reasonably be expected to reach someone acting on behalf of the company. For example, an appropriate address might be:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• A dedicated company compliance inbox
• An address monitored by an authorised accountant or company administrator

The key issue is not the domain name. It is whether the company actually monitors the address and can receive Companies House communications.

Why Does the Registered Email Address Matter?

A registered email address is more than a contact detail. Companies House requires companies to maintain an appropriate registered email address, and failing to comply without reasonable excuse can constitute an offence. That makes email management part of the company's wider compliance process. Consider a simple example.

Example: A founder incorporates a company using [email protected]. Two years later, John stops using that inbox and the company's accountant takes over administration. The company continues filing its accounts correctly, but nobody changes the registered email address.

The company may still be meeting some of its filing obligations, but its official Companies House communication channel is no longer being properly monitored. A better approach is to use an address controlled by the business and make sure someone responsible for compliance checks it regularly.

Can You Change a Company's Registered Email Address?

Yes. A UK company can change its registered email address with Companies House. Companies House provides a dedicated online service for this purpose. The current process requires you to sign in or create a Companies House account and provide the company's:

1. Company number
2. Companies House authentication code
3. New registered email address

Companies House states that the online process takes approximately five minutes. The change is made by giving notice to the Registrar, and under the Companies Act 2006 the change takes effect once the notice has been registered.

What You Need Before Starting

Have the following information ready:

1. Your company number

This is the unique number assigned to the company when it was incorporated. You can normally find it on the Companies House public register, incorporation documents, previous filings and company correspondence.

2. Your Companies House authentication code

The authentication code is used to prove that you are authorised to file information for the company. It is different from your personal Companies House identity-verification code. If you have lost the authentication code, you will generally need to request a replacement before completing filings that require it.

3. The new email address

Choose an address that the company will continue to monitor. Avoid using an employee's personal email account where possible. Staff leave organisations, roles change and passwords get lost. A controlled business inbox creates much less risk.

How to Change Your Company's Email Address

The process is straightforward.

Step 1: Choose the new registered email address

Before making the change, confirm that the new inbox is active and accessible. Ideally, at least two appropriate people should have access to it, subject to your company's internal security policies. A dedicated compliance address can be particularly useful for companies with multiple directors, external accountants or overseas owners.

Step 2: Go to the Companies House registered email service

Companies House has a specific online service for updating a company's registered email address. You will need to sign in to your Companies House account.

Step 3: Enter your company details

Provide the requested company number and authentication information. Make sure you are updating the correct company. This is particularly important for accountants, formation agents and entrepreneurs who manage several companies.

Step 4: Enter the new email address

Enter the new registered email address carefully. Check the spelling before submitting. A single misplaced character can send official correspondence to an inbox that does not exist.

Step 5: Confirm the change

Submit the update through the Companies House service. The new address becomes effective once the notice has been registered by Companies House. Companies House currently indicates that the online update itself takes around five minutes.

What If You Are Changing Your Companies House Account Email?

This is an important distinction. A Companies House account email and a company's registered email address are not necessarily the same thing. Your Companies House account is used to access online services. The company's registered email address is the official email address supplied to Companies House for communications with the company. Changing one does not automatically mean you have changed the other. For example, an accountant could have a Companies House account registered using: [email protected] while the company's registered email address is: [email protected]

These serve different purposes. If you are trying to change the email address associated with your Companies House user account, that is a separate account-management process. Companies House confirms that when a user changes their account email, confirmation messages are sent to the old and new addresses. Always identify which email address you actually need to change before starting the process.

What If You Have Lost Access to the Old Email Address?

You do not necessarily need access to the old registered email address to update it. The important question is whether you can still authenticate yourself and access the relevant Companies House service. If you have the company number and authentication code, you can use the Companies House service to change the registered email address. If you have also lost the authentication code, that becomes a separate issue.

Lost your authentication code?

The authentication code is an important security credential for online company filings. Companies House guidance explains that companies using its online filing service need their authentication code, and a new user registering for the service will receive an authentication code by post to the company's registered office address.

Do not confuse this with identity verification. Companies House is increasingly using identity verification and personal codes for individuals, particularly as reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act take effect. A personal verification code identifies an individual; the company authentication code is associated with the company and its online filing authority.

Can You Change the Registered Email Address by Post?

The online service is the simplest route for changing a registered email address. Companies House has also introduced the statutory mechanism for changing a registered email address under section 88B of the Companies Act 2006. The relevant filing is associated with form EM01 in Companies House filing rules.

For most straightforward situations, however, using the Companies House online service is more convenient. If your company's circumstances prevent you from using the standard online process, check the current Companies House guidance before submitting an alternative filing.

How Often Should You Check Your Registered Email Address?

There is no benefit in treating the registered email address as a "set it and forget it" field. Companies change. People leave. Accountants are replaced. Domains expire. Businesses are acquired. Email systems are migrated. A good compliance routine should therefore include a periodic review of:

• Registered office address
• Registered email address
• Directors
• Company secretary, where applicable
• People with significant control (PSCs)
• Share structure
• SIC codes
• Accounting reference date
• Filing deadlines
• Companies House authentication arrangements

Companies House requires companies to report various changes, including changes involving directors, PSCs, registered office addresses and share structures. For businesses using accountants or company secretarial services, it is sensible to establish who is responsible for monitoring Companies House correspondence.

What Should a Company Use as Its Registered Email?

There is no universal "best" email address. The better question is: Will the right person reliably see Companies House messages? A small company might use: [email protected] A growing company might create:[email protected] A company managed by an accountant could use an address monitored by the professional adviser, provided the arrangement is appropriate and remains reliable.

A useful rule

Choose an email address based on continuity, not convenience. An individual employee's mailbox may work today but become problematic when that employee resigns. A dedicated company-controlled inbox is usually easier to maintain over the long term.

Registered Email Address vs Registered Office Address

These two terms are often confused.

The registered office has additional requirements. It must be a physical address in the same UK jurisdiction in which the company is registered and must be an appropriate address. The registered email address does not appear on the public register. This distinction matters for founders who want to keep their personal contact details private while still maintaining a compliant company record.

What About HMRC?

Changing your Companies House registered email address should not be treated as a universal update to every government record. Companies House and HM Revenue & Customs are separate organisations with different responsibilities.

For example, a company may need to update its contact information with HMRC separately where its tax records or business contact details have changed. GOV.UK specifically notes that businesses must tell HMRC when relevant business contact details change. So, after changing your Companies House email address, review your HMRC records, banking arrangements, accounting software and other i mportant business accounts as well.

What Overseas Company Owners Should Know

A UK company does not need its founders or directors to live in the UK simply because it is incorporated in the UK. For overseas founders, the registered email address can be especially important because it provides a direct communication channel with Companies House without relying on physical post.

Suppose a founder based in Nigeria owns a UK company and uses a UK formation agent for its registered office. The company could maintain a dedicated business email monitored by the founder and their UK-based professional adviser. This creates a clearer division between:

• The company's registered office
• The company's registered email
• The founder's personal email
• The accountant's Companies House account

For global founders using a UK company formation and management platform such as IncorpUK, keeping these details clearly separated can make ongoing administration considerably easier.

Common Mistakes When Changing a Company Email Address

1. Confusing the registered email with the account email

They are not necessarily the same.

2. Using an inbox nobody monitors

A registered email address is only useful if someone acting for the company can actually receive and read the messages.

3. Using a departing employee's email

This creates unnecessary continuity and security risks.

4. Assuming Companies House updates HMRC automatically

Some information may need to be updated separately with HMRC.

5. Forgetting other business systems

Changing the Companies House address does not automatically update your:

• Bank
• Accountant
• Payroll provider
• Payment processors
• Insurance provider
• Suppliers
• Customers
• Business software

6. Sharing the authentication code casually

Treat the company authentication code as sensitive information. It should only be provided to people who genuinely need authority to file information for the company.

A Practical Email-Change Checklist

Before finishing the process, work through this checklist:

Before the change

• Confirm the correct company number
• Identify the existing registered email
• Create or select the new business email
• Confirm the new inbox is accessible
• Locate the company authentication code
• Confirm who is responsible for monitoring the inbox

After the change

• Confirm the update has been registered
• Test access to the new inbox
• Update internal compliance records
• Review HMRC contact details
• Update accountant or company secretary records
• Update banking and other business accounts where appropriate
• Add appropriate reminders for future Companies House deadlines

This simple process prevents an administrative change from becoming a compliance problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my company's email address at Companies House?

Yes. Companies House provides an online service specifically for changing a company's registered email address. You generally need the company number, authentication code and new email address.

Does the company's registered email appear publicly?

No. Companies House states that a company's registered email address is not published on the public register.

How long does it take to change a registered email address?

Companies House currently states that the online process takes about five minutes. The legal change takes effect when the Registrar registers the notice.

Do I need my old email address to change the registered email?

Not necessarily. The key requirements are access to the relevant Companies House service and the information needed to authenticate the company. If you have also lost your authentication code, you will need to resolve that issue separately.

Is the registered email the same as my Companies House login email?

No. They can be different. Your Companies House user account email is used to access the service, while the registered company email is the official communication address provided for the company.

Can I use a Gmail address?

The important requirement is that the address is appropriate and that emails from Companies House would reasonably be expected to reach someone acting for the company. Companies House does not require the registered email to use the company's own domain.

Does changing the Companies House email update HMRC?

Not necessarily. Companies House and HMRC maintain separate records, so review whether your HMRC business contact information also needs updating.

Can my accountant manage the company's registered email?

An accountant or other professional adviser can help manage company administration, but the company remains responsible for ensuring its registered email is appropriate and monitored. The arrangement should be clear, secure and maintained when advisers change.

Conclusion

Changing a company's registered email address at Companies House is a relatively simple administrative task, but it has an important compliance purpose. The right email address gives Companies House a reliable way to communicate with the company. It should therefore be accessible, actively monitored and controlled by people responsible for the company's affairs.

For most companies, the practical process is straightforward: have your company number, authentication code and new email address ready, use the Companies House online service, and confirm that the change has been registered. The bigger lesson is to treat company information as something that needs ongoing maintenance. A registered email that belonged to a former employee, accountant or founder can become a surprisingly serious weak point if official communications are missed.

For UK companies, particularly those managed remotely or by overseas founders keeping Companies House information accurate is one of the simplest ways to reduce avoidable compliance problems and keep the business administration under control.