How to change company secretary details

GOV.UK groups director and company secretary updates together, but the filing route still depends on what changed. A new appointment, a resignation and a name or address change are different updates and should be treated as separate Companies House tasks.

This guide focuses on the Companies House process for company secretary changes. It does not replace legal or company secretarial advice where your constitution or governance arrangements need a closer review.

The GOV.UK overview for limited-company changes says you must tell Companies House within 14 days if you make changes to company secretaries. That timing matters whether the change is an appointment, a resignation or an update to existing details.

Do not assume the annual confirmation statement fixes everything later. Companies House guidance says officer updates should be filed through the relevant route when the change happens, then reflected accurately in the next confirmation statement.

Use the Companies House online service where it is available, because the official guidance says it is usually quicker than paper filing. If you need to change an existing individual secretary's name or address, Companies House points to form CH03 for that specific update.

For other officer changes, use the route that matches the event itself, such as appointing a secretary or terminating the appointment. Check the official forms collection before you file so you do not send a detail-change form for a new appointment or resignation.

Check the secretary's name, service address and the exact effective date before you file. If more than one company officer change happened at the same time, list each action separately so the company record stays clear.

After Companies House registers the change, review the public company record and your own internal notes. That makes it easier to file the next confirmation statement without confirming outdated officer information.