Protection

Section 243 applications: stopping credit agencies seeing your home address

A section 243 application asks Companies House to stop sharing your protected home address with credit reference agencies. It's a narrow, evidence-based route for people at serious risk, and it's a different job from an SR01 removal.

Updated 24 Oct 2026 · 6 min read · By Rayhaan Moughal, Sidekick Accounting

A section 243 application is a request to Companies House to stop giving your usual residential address to credit reference agencies. It's for directors and LLP members who are at serious risk of violence or intimidation because of their company's activities, and GOV.UK lists a £100 fee.

If what you actually want is your home address gone from documents anyone can download, that's a different application. We'll cover both so you can tell which one you need.

What section 243 of the Companies Act 2006 does

Directors give Companies House two addresses. The service address is public. The usual residential address is protected, so it isn't on the public register. We explain that split in our guide to director service addresses.

Protected still leaves some doors open. Section 243 says the registrar may disclose protected information to a credit reference agency, and the Companies (Disclosure of Address) Regulations 2009 set the conditions. The same section lets regulations require the registrar to stop that disclosure when someone applies.

That's what a section 243 application does. If it's accepted, Companies House refrains from passing your residential address to credit reference agencies. GOV.UK says police and other specified public authorities can still request it.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 amended section 243 on the legislation.gov.uk text. We haven't verified exactly what changed for an individual applicant, so we've left the detail out and followed the current GOV.UK guidance.

Who can apply, and on what grounds?

The regulations let an individual who is, or proposes to become, a director apply. GOV.UK also says the company, or a subscriber to a memorandum where the company isn't incorporated yet, can apply on their behalf.

The main ground is that you reasonably believe there's a serious risk that you, or someone who lives with you, will be subjected to violence or intimidation because of the activities of a company you're or were involved with. Regulation 5 also has grounds for people who work or have worked for certain organisations, or for the police, and for people with a related earlier decision still in force.

For the risk ground, an application needs supporting evidence. GOV.UK suggests things like:

A police incident or crime reference number
Documents, photos or recordings showing threats or attacks
Examples of disruption or targeting
Evidence that you work for an organisation that creates the risk

GOV.UK's examples include activists targeting a business, work in defence and being an easily traceable supplier. The list isn't complete, and Companies House decides each case.

Section 243 vs SR01: what each one protects

This is where people mix things up. Both protect an address, but they protect it from different people.

SR01 application

Removes details from documents already on the public register
Covers home address, signature, some date of birth and occupation details
Anyone named in the documents can apply
£34 per document
No risk test

Section 243 application

Stops Companies House sharing your protected address with credit reference agencies
Covers your usual residential address only
Directors and LLP members at serious risk
£100, or £15 abbreviated if you already hold protection
Evidence of risk needed

	SR01	Section 243
Protects against	Public viewing of filed documents	Disclosure to credit reference agencies
Eligibility	Open to people named in the filings	Serious risk of violence or intimidation
How you apply	Email or post, pay on GOV.UK Pay	Paper form requested from Companies House, post only

For the SR01 side, start with our SR01 form explained guide, then how to complete SR01.

Which one do you need?

Which application fits your situation?

Is your home address visible in documents on the public register?

Yes: That's an SR01 job. It removes the address from those documents at £34 per document.

No: Your public record may already be clean. A scan will confirm it.

Are you at serious risk of violence or intimidation because of your company's activities?

Yes: Section 243 may apply. You'll need evidence, and it's worth reading the safety guide below.

No: Section 243 is unlikely to fit. SR01 and a business service address cover most privacy needs.

Do you want both protections?

Yes: You apply for each separately and pay each fee. GOV.UK says you apply and pay for each route separately.

No: Pick the one that matches the problem you actually have.

Many founders only need the first route. If your concern is a home address showing in old filings, run the free scan and we'll show you where it appears, then handle the home address removal for you.

What to expect after you apply

GOV.UK says your information is protected from the time Companies House registers your application, and it sends a decision notice within 7 days of deciding. Processing takes at least 30 days, and complex cases can take up to a year.

If the application is refused, the fee is refunded. You can appeal to the High Court (or the Court of Session in Scotland) within 28 days of the notice date.

Protection stays in place until you tell Companies House you no longer need it, or it's revoked. Making a false statement in an application can lead to protection being withdrawn.

What we couldn't confirm

We couldn't verify a specific form number for the section 243 application. GOV.UK tells you to request the paper form from Companies House, so we've not named one. You'll also see "SR02" mentioned on some sites, and we haven't been able to match it to this route on GOV.UK.

Our service files SR01 removals. It doesn't cover section 243 applications.

Questions

What is a section 243 application?

It's an application to Companies House under section 243 of the Companies Act 2006 asking it to stop passing your protected home address to credit reference agencies. It only suits people who are at serious risk of violence or intimidation because of their company's activities, and you have to provide evidence.

How much does a section 243 application cost?

GOV.UK lists £100 for a section 243 application, paid by cheque or postal order made out to Companies House. If you already have home address protection of the same kind, a shorter application costs £15. The fee is refunded if the application is refused.

Does a section 243 application remove my address from the public register?

No. Your usual residential address isn't on the public register for current filings anyway, and section 243 doesn't touch old documents that already show it. Removing a home address from filed documents is the job of an SR01 application at £34 per document.

Can I apply for section 243 protection online?

GOV.UK says the application is made by post on a paper form that you request from Companies House, because the online service has been withdrawn. Check the current guidance before you apply in case that changes.

How long does section 243 protection last?

Under the 2009 regulations a decision stays in effect until you tell Companies House in writing that you no longer want it, or the registrar revokes it. Companies House says processing takes at least 30 days and complex cases can take much longer, so we can't give you a typical turnaround.

Will Companies House still share my address with anyone?

Yes. Section 243 stops disclosure to credit reference agencies only. GOV.UK says police and other specified public authorities can still request the information.