The public register shows a director's service address, not their home: how to find where a director actually lives

What the public register shows, and what it holds back

For each director the register displays a service address, which can be anywhere post can be received, and the month and year of birth. The residential address is filed but protected from public view. Correspondence sent to a service address is usually passed on, sometimes slowly, sometimes not at all if the company has stopped trading or the accountant has been changed. A dissolved company's addresses go stale the moment it is struck off. So the register tells you a director exists and where the company's post goes; it does not tell you where the director sleeps.

When you need the home address

Personal service of court documents on the director as an individual. A personal guarantee given for a company's debt. A claim against the person rather than the company, for example where a business was never incorporated or the director dealt with you personally. Enforcement of a judgment against personal assets. An estate, a family matter or a tenancy in which the director happens to be the other party. In each of these the company's registered office is the wrong door, and time spent writing to it is time lost.

What you cannot do

You cannot obtain the protected residential address from the registrar by asking. Disclosure of protected information is limited to specified public authorities and certain regulated bodies, and in some circumstances a court can order disclosure, which needs a solicitor and takes time. Nor can you rely on a service address as a home address for personal service: if the director does not live there, service at it may be ineffective and any judgment that follows may be set aside.

What a professional trace does

Trace Bureau finds the director's current registered residential address the same way it finds anyone's: more than 150 sources, registers and records cross-referenced, a person reading the instruction and checking the result. You receive a dated PDF report with the address and a confidence rating, Confirmed, Probable or Possible, and on the professional list your matter reference, a signed statement on request and a free re-check within 60 days. A director's full name, the company name and a rough age are usually enough to start; a date of birth or any previous address makes it quicker.

Whoever instructs, Standard is £100 within 3 to 5 working days, Express £150 within 48 hours and Priority £195 within 24 hours. Nothing is charged on a no-find.

Serving the director

Keep the company and the person apart. Documents for the company go to its registered office and that remains valid whatever the director's home address is. Documents for the director personally go to the address in the report, by post where the rules allow it or by a process server where personal service is required. The dated report, with its confidence rating, is the evidence that you took reasonable steps to find the right address before serving.

The lawful basis

Finding a director's home address to pursue a claim, enforce a guarantee, serve documents or recover money owed is a legitimate interest, and we record it for every instruction along with your declaration about who you are and why you are asking. Finding it to turn up at the door, to pressure someone, or out of curiosity about a business rival is not, and we refuse those instructions. The person traced keeps their rights under UK data protection law, and our privacy notice explains how we handle their data.