New address protections for directors
Directors concerned about their safety can apply to replace their public home address with an alternative address from 18 November 2026.
MBIE has confirmed that directors will be able to apply to have their residential address withheld from public view and replaced with an “alternative address” on the Companies Register when the Companies (Address Information) Amendment Act 2025 comes into force. The change will take effect on 18 November 2026.
MBIE is developing an online application process. Directors will need to submit a statutory declaration stating that public access to their residential address is likely to result in physical or mental harm to them, or someone they live with. The declaration must be signed before an authorised witness, such as a Justice of the Peace or solicitor.
MBIE has advised that the statutory declaration will not need to include detailed information about the circumstances giving rise to the risk. It is developing an application form to simplify the process. Directors will also need to provide a compliant alternative address.
The alternative address must be a physical address where documents can be served. It cannot be the company’s registered office or address for service, a postal centre or document exchange. It may be the office of a solicitor, accountant or another person, provided the location is fully identified. Directors must still provide their residential address to the Registrar; the change is that it will no longer be publicly available on the Register.
The new process will be available to current and prospective directors. A current director whose residential address is already public will be able to apply under new section 360D of the Companies Act to have it withheld and replaced with an alternative address. The Registrar will be required to take reasonable steps to prevent public access, including redacting the address from documents publicly available through the Register. One application may cover more than one company.
The Amendment Act does not allow former or historic directors of either registered or removed companies to replace an address associated with a past directorship. However, where a director has applied to use an alternative address and later resigns or is removed as a director, the alternative address will remain visible unless they ask for it to be removed.
Prospective directors, including those of a proposed company that is about to be incorporated, will be able to apply before their residential address is published, rather than applying to have it replaced after publication.
The process changes only what is publicly available through the Companies Register. It cannot remove copies of an address that has already been obtained or republished elsewhere.
We will update members with the final application steps, statutory declaration template and information about any fee once MBIE publishes them.