Companies Act 2006

Service addresses U.K.

1139 Service of documents on company U.K.

(1) A document may be served on a company registered under this Act by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, the company's registered office.

[F1 (2) A document may be served on an overseas company whose particulars are registered under section 1046—

(a) by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, the registered address of any person resident in the United Kingdom who is authorised to accept service of documents on the company's behalf, or

(b) if there is no such person, or if any such person refuses service or service cannot for any other reason be effected, by leaving it at or sending by post to any place of business of the company in the United Kingdom.

(3) For the purposes of this section a person's “registered address” means any address for the time being shown as a current address in relation to that person in the part of the register available for public inspection.]

[F1 (2) A document may be served on an overseas company whose particulars are registered under section 1046—

(a) by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, the company’s registered address, or

(b) by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, the registered address of any person resident in the United Kingdom who is authorised to accept service of documents on the company’s behalf.

(3) In subsection (2) “registered address”—

(a) in relation to the overseas company, means the address for the time being registered for the company under regulations under section 1048A(1)(a);

(b) in relation to a person other than the overseas company, means any address for the time being shown as a current address in relation to that person in the part of the register available for public inspection.]

(4) Where a company registered in Scotland or Northern Ireland carries on business in England and Wales, the process of any court in England and Wales may be served on the company by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, the company's principal place of business in England and Wales, addressed to the manager or other head officer in England and Wales of the company.

Where process is served on a company under this subsection, the person issuing out the process must send a copy of it by post to the company's registered office.

(5) Further provision as to service and other matters is made in the company communications provisions (see section 1143).

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 1139(2)(3) substituted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), ss. 100(3), 219(1)(2)(b)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 1139 modified (21.2.2009) by The Banking Act 2009 (Parts 2 and 3 Consequential Amendments) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/317), art. 6(1)(4)

C2 Ss. 1139-1142 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1804), regs. 2, 75

C3 S. 1139 applied (with modifications) (8.2.2011) by The Investment Bank Special Administration Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/245), reg. 27, Sch. 6 Pt. 2 para. 5(4)

C4 S. 1139 modified (8.7.2021) by The Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/716), reg. 2, Sch. 3 para. 5(c) (with reg. 5) (as amended (4.1.2024) by S.I. 2023/1399, regs. 1(2), 4, 21(7)(b))

C5 S. 1139(1)(4) applied (6.4.2007) by The Companies Acts (Unregistered Companies) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/318), reg. 3, Sch. (with reg. 6)

C6 S. 1139(2) applied (E.W.) (6.4.2017) by The Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 (S.I. 2016/1024), rule 1, Sch. 4 para. 1(4) (with rule 3(3), Sch. 2)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 1139 wholly in force at 1.10.2009; s. 1139 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 1300; s. 1139 in force for specified purposes at 6.4.2007 by S.I. 2007/1093, art. 2(2)(e) (with art. 11(1) and subject to transitional adaptations in Sch. 1 para. 5); s. 1139 in force for further specified purposes at 6.4.2008 by S.I. 2007/3495, art. 3(3)(h) (with savings in arts. 7, 12); s. 1139 in force otherwise at 1.10.2009 by S.I. 2008/2860, art. 3(t) (with arts. 5, 7, 8, Sch. 2) (as amended by S.I. 2009/1802, art. 18)

1140 Service of documents on directors, secretaries and others U.K.

(1) A document may be served on a person to whom this section applies by leaving it at, or sending it by post to, the person's registered address.

(2) This section applies to—

(a) a director or secretary of a company;

[F2 (aa) a person who is a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to a company (within the meanings given by section 790C);]

(b) in the case of an overseas company whose particulars are registered under section 1046, a person holding any such position as may be specified for the purposes of this section by regulations under that section;

(c) a person appointed in relation to a company as—

(i) a judicial factor (in Scotland),

(ii) [F3 an interim manager] appointed under [F4 section 76 of the Charities Act 2011][F5 or section 33 of Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008] , or

(iii) a manager appointed under section 47 of the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 (c. 27).

(3) This section applies whatever the purpose of the document in question.

It is not restricted to service for purposes arising out of or in connection with the appointment or position mentioned in subsection (2) or in connection with the company concerned.

(4) For the purposes of this section a person's “registered address” means any address for the time being shown as a current address in relation to that person in the part of the register available for public inspection.

(5) If notice of a change of that address is given to the registrar, a person may validly serve a document at the address previously registered until the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the date on which notice of the change is registered.

(6) Service may not be effected by virtue of this section at an address—

(a) if notice has been registered of the termination of the appointment in relation to which the address was registered and the address is not a registered address of the person concerned in relation to any other appointment;

(b) in the case of a person holding any such position as is mentioned in subsection (2)(b), if the overseas company has ceased to have any connection with the United Kingdom by virtue of which it is required to register particulars under section 1046.

(7) Further provision as to service and other matters is made in the company communications provisions (see section 1143).

(8) Nothing in this section shall be read as affecting any enactment or rule of law under which permission is required for service out of the jurisdiction.

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 1140(2)(aa) inserted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes, 4.3.2024 in so far as not already in force) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), ss. 108, 219(1)(2)(b); S.I. 2024/269, reg. 2(z45)

F3 Words in s. 1140(2)(c)(ii) substituted (1.10.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1941), art. 2(1), Sch. 1 para. 260(7)(a) (with art. 10)

F4 Words in s. 1140(2) substituted (14.3.2012) by Charities Act 2011 (c. 25), ss. 354, 355, Sch. 7 para. 115(a) (with s. 20(2), Sch. 8)

F5 Words in s. 1140(2)(c)(ii) inserted (N.I) (18.2.2011) by Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 12) , ss. 183, 185, {Sch. 8 para. 13(3)}; S.R. 2011/11, art. 2, Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C7 S. 1140 applied (6.4.2007) by The Companies Acts (Unregistered Companies) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/318), reg. 3, Sch. (with reg. 6)

C8 S. 1140 modified (21.2.2009) by The Banking Act 2009 (Parts 2 and 3 Consequential Amendments) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/317), art. 6(1)(4)

C9 S. 1140 applied (with modifications) (8.2.2011) by The Investment Bank Special Administration Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/245), reg. 27, Sch. 6 Pt. 2 para. 5(4)

C10 S. 1140 modified (8.7.2021) by The Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/716), reg. 2, Sch. 3 para. 5(c) (with reg. 5) (as amended (4.1.2024) by S.I. 2023/1399, regs. 1(2), 4, 21(7)(b))

C11 Ss. 1139-1142 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1804), regs. 2, 75 (as amended (4.3.2024) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Company Law) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/234), regs. 1(2), 44; S.I. 2024/269, reg. 2(a))

Commencement Information

I2 S. 1140 wholly in force at 1.10.2009; s. 1140 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 1300; s. 1140 in force for specified purposes at 6.4.2007 by S.I. 2007/1093, art. 2(2)(f) (with art. 11(1)); s. 1140 in force for further specified purposes at 6.4.2008 by S.I. 2007/3495, art. 3(3)(h) (with savings in arts. 7, 12); s. 1140 otherwise in force at 1.10.2009 by S.I. 2008/2860, art. 3(t)

1141 Service addresses U.K.

(1) In the Companies Acts a “service address”, in relation to a person, means an address at which documents may be effectively served on that person.

(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations specify conditions with which a service address must comply.

(3) Regulations under this section are subject to negative resolution procedure.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C12 Ss. 1139-1142 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1804), regs. 2, 75

C13 S. 1141 applied (with modifications) (4.3.2024) by S.I. 2009/1804, reg. 75A (as inserted by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Company Law) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/234), regs. 1(2), 45; S.I. 2024/269, reg. 2(a))

Commencement Information

I3 S. 1141 wholly in force at 1.10.2009; s. 1141 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 1300; s. 1141in force for specified purposes at 20.1.2007 by S.I. 2006/3428, art. 3(3) (subject to art. 5, Sch. 1 and with arts. 6, 8, Sch. 5); s. 1141 otherwise in force at 1.10.2009 by S.I. 2008/2860, art. 3(t) (with arts. 5, 7, 8, Sch. 2) (as amended by S.I. 2009/1802, art. 18)

1142 Requirement to give service address U.K.

Any obligation under the Companies Acts to give a person's address is, unless otherwise expressly provided, to give a service address for that person.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C14 Ss. 1139-1142 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1804), regs. 2, 75