{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006/section-86",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006/section-86.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/46",
  "legislation_title": "Companies Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006",
  "path": "section/86",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "86",
  "heading": "Duty to ensure registered office at appropriate address",
  "text": "(1) A company must ensure that its registered office is at all times at an appropriate address.\n(2) An address is an “appropriate address” if, in the ordinary course of events—\n(a) a document addressed to the company, and delivered there by hand or by post, would be expected to come to the attention of a person acting on behalf of the company, and\n(b) the delivery of documents there is capable of being recorded by the obtaining of an acknowledgement of delivery.\n(3) If a company fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with this section an offence is committed by—\n(a) the company, and\n(b) every officer of the company who is in default.\n(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction—\n(a) in England and Wales, to a fine;\n(b) in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scale.\n(5) Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to a company during any period for which the address of its registered office is a default address nominated by virtue of section 1097A(3)(h).",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 86 substituted (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. 28(3), 219(1)(2)(b); S.I. 2024/269, reg. 2(v)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 86 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1804), regs. 2, 16 (as amended (4.3.2024) by S.I. 2024/234, regs. 1(2), 16(2); S.I. 2024/269, reg. 2(a); and (27.1.2025) by S.I. 2024/1377, regs. 1(2), 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 86 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 5 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/86",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:13:40.060156+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}