Change a company secretary’s name, address or details (CH03)
Enter the new name, the new correspondence address, or both.
Opening your form…
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How it works: Change secretary details (CH03)
Find your company
Search by name or number. We fill in the public details.
Answer the questions
Answer only what the register cannot tell us.
Pay by card
Approve the details and pay the total shown.
We submit to Companies House
We check it and send it to Companies House. Updates come by email.
About this filing
To change a company secretary's name or service address, file form CH03 with Companies House within 14 days of the change.
There is no Companies House fee; the SimpleFilings service fee is £4.99. Our service helps you report the change for an existing individual secretary.
Read more
You choose the secretary, give the new name, the new address or both, and the date of the change. We check the details and you approve the filing before it is submitted.
How to change a company secretary's details at Companies House
CH03, "Change of secretary's details", is the Companies House form for updating the record of an individual who is already the company secretary. It covers two things: the secretary's name and their service address. The service address is the correspondence address shown on the public register.
Companies House asks companies to file online, as paper forms sent by post take longer to process. A company in the PROOF (Protected Online Filing) scheme cannot use the paper form at all.
The company must tell Companies House within 14 days, starting with the day the change happened. The form asks for that date, such as the day the secretary's name legally changed or the day their address changed, not the date you file.
What you need to update a company secretary's name or address
- The secretary's name exactly as it currently appears on the public register, so Companies House can match the record.
- The date the change happened. It cannot be in the future.
- The current full forenames and surname exactly as registered; optional title may be left blank. If the name changed, give the complete new forenames and surname separately, including every part of a compound family name.
- If the address changed: the new service address. It must be a physical location, not a PO Box, DX or LP number.
- The company authentication code and authority to approve this online filing. Paper and specialist company routes require separate review.
Service address and privacy
Everything on CH03 appears on the public register, including the service address. It does not have to be the secretary's home. If you give a home address in this box, it will be public.
The service address can be the company's registered office, as long as post sent there will reach the secretary. Many small companies use this to keep a secretary's home address off the register.
If the company's registered office itself is moving, that is a separate filing with its own form. CH03 only updates the secretary's own record.
Update the secretary, or remove the role?
Before filing a change, it is worth asking whether the company still needs a secretary at all. Section 270 of the Companies Act 2006 says a private company does not have to have one. If the secretary no longer does the job, ending the appointment may make more sense than updating their record. Check the articles of association first, as some still require a secretary.
While a secretary stays on the register, the company must keep their name and service address current. Section 279H sets the 14 day deadline for this.
Company secretaries do not currently have to verify their identity with Companies House just because they hold the role. Identity verification applies to directors, people with significant control and Authorised Corporate Service Providers. So a CH03 filing does not ask for a personal code.
What happens after you start your CH03
Find your company, pick the secretary from the current officers, and enter the new name, the new address, or both, with the date of change. We check the details against the CH03 requirements and ask about anything missing or unclear. You approve the filing before it is submitted.
The public register changes only when Companies House accepts the filing. Payment, or a submission receipt, does not on its own mean the change has been accepted. Keep a copy of the approved filing with the company's records.
The company's own register of secretaries was abolished from 18 November 2025. An out of date name or address on the Companies House register is no longer backed up by a company record, so the CH03 is what puts it right.
Common CH03 mistakes to avoid
- Using CH03 for a director. Director changes use CH01, even if the same person is both director and secretary. Each role is updated separately.
- Using CH03 for a company acting as secretary. A corporate secretary uses CH04 instead.
- Using CH03 to add or remove a secretary. A new secretary is appointed with AP03, and an appointment ends with TM02.
- Putting a home address in the service address box without meaning to make it public.
- Giving a PO Box as the service address. It must be a physical address.
- Entering the filing date instead of the date the name or address actually changed, or missing the 14 day window.
File it yourself or use SimpleFilings
You can always file directly with Companies House. Here is how that compares with using SimpleFilings.
| Question | File it yourself | Use SimpleFilings |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | No fee | £4.99 (no Companies House fee) |
| Who fills in the form | You complete the Companies House form yourself. Official guidance | We do, from your answers, after checking the public register |
| Approval | You submit it yourself | You confirm you are authorised and approve the details before we submit |
What this request covers
We check your instructions and submit the filing once it is approved. The register changes only when Companies House accepts it.
Before you start
- This service covers ordinary online changes for an existing individual secretary. Corporate, UK Societas, LLP, restoration and other specialist routes need separate review.
- We verify the exact current name and changed particulars against the approved request before filing. Online authentication uses the company authentication code and authorised filer; a paper CH03 instead needs the authenticator’s printed name and permitted capacity, not a handwritten signature. Paper is not included in this standard online route; PROOF companies must file online.
- All CH03 information is public. Optional title and presenter contacts may remain blank. No personal code or appointment consent is required for this change.
Fees
£4.99 SimpleFilings service fee. Companies House does not charge a fee to file CH03. The service covers one CH03 change request for an existing individual secretary, covering a new name, a new service address, or both if they changed on the same date. It does not cover corporate secretaries, appointing a new secretary or ending a secretary's appointment. You can also file CH03 yourself, free, through the official Companies House service.
No Companies House filing fee for this standard filing.
Total: £4.99. There is no Companies House fee for this standard filing.
Step by step
- Find your company. Find your company by name or number. We fill in its public details from the Companies House register, such as the registered office, officers and people with significant control.
- Answer the questions. Answer only the questions we cannot fill in from the register, add any documents asked for and give the email address for your receipt and filing updates. Confirm that you are authorised to arrange the request and that you have checked and approve the details.
- Pay by card. Approve the details and pay the total shown by secure card payment. We check your answers before preparing the filing. There is no Companies House fee for this standard filing.
- We submit to Companies House. We check your answers and any documents, then submit to Companies House. Updates go to your email, and you can follow progress through your private request link. A payment receipt is not confirmation that Companies House has accepted the filing.
Official sources
Guidance checked .
- Change the details of a secretary (CH03)
- Running a limited company: company information you must report
- File changes to a company with Companies House
- Companies Act 2006, section 279H: duty to notify registrar of changes (secretaries)
- Companies Act 2006, section 270: private company not required to have secretary
- Verifying your identity for Companies House
- Companies House fees
Change secretary details (CH03): common questions
How do I change company secretary details at Companies House?
File a CH03 with the company authentication code, the secretary's current name, the date of change and the new name or service address. You can file directly with Companies House online, or use our service and approve the filing before we submit it.
Is there a Companies House fee to file CH03?
No. Companies House does not charge to change a secretary's details. If you use SimpleFilings, the only charge is the £4.99 SimpleFilings service fee.
How long do I have to report a change to a secretary's details?
14 days, starting with the day the change happened.
Do I need a personal code to file CH03?
Not for holding the role. Identity verification currently applies to directors, people with significant control and Authorised Corporate Service Providers, and a CH03 filing does not ask for a personal code. If the same person is also a director or PSC, they need to verify for that role.
My secretary is also a director. Do I file CH03 and CH01?
Yes, if the change affects both roles. Each appointment has its own record, so a director's details are updated with CH01 and a secretary's details with CH03.
Can I remove the secretary instead of updating them?
Yes, if they have stopped acting. A private company does not need a secretary unless its articles say so. Ending the appointment is a separate filing, TM02, with the last day they acted as secretary.