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AD04 Form UK: Move Records Back to Registered Office

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Part ofCompanies House Forms UK

Written by Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)
Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice.
Updated June 2026 · England & Wales
If your company previously moved certain statutory registers and records to a Single Alternative Inspection Location (a SAIL address), Form AD04 is how you notify Companies House that those records are coming back to the registered office. It's a short filing, but it matters, because the law requires the public to know exactly where your company's statutory registers can be inspected. Getting the timing and the detail right keeps you on the right side of your filing obligations and avoids awkward questions from anyone who turns up at the wrong address expecting to view the records. On this page I'll walk you through what AD04 actually does, which records it covers, how to complete and submit it, and the practical points directors and secretaries tend to ask about.

What this document is

Form AD04 is the Companies House form used to tell the registrar that some or all of your statutory records, which had previously been kept at a SAIL (Single Alternative Inspection Location), are being moved back to the company's registered office. Under the Companies Act 2006, companies must hold a defined list of registers and records available for inspection.

These can be kept either at the registered office or at a SAIL, but the location must be notified to Companies House so the public register is accurate. When you first moved records out to a SAIL, you would have filed AD02 to notify the SAIL address and AD03 to specify which records were held there.

AD04 is the mirror image of AD03: it tells the registrar which specific records are returning to the registered office. You do not use AD04 to close the SAIL itself, that's a separate filing. AD04 simply updates the register about where particular records live.

How to use this document

  1. Check that AD04 is the right form for what you're doing. AD04 is specifically for moving records back from a SAIL to the registered office. If you are moving records the other way, from the registered office out to a SAIL, you need AD03 instead. If you want to close or change the SAIL address itself, that's AD02. Make sure you're filing the form that matches the change you actually want to make.
  2. Identify which records are moving. The form asks you to tick which categories of records are returning to the registered office. These include the register of members, register of directors, register of secretaries, register of people with significant control (PSC), directors' service contracts, directors' indemnities, records of resolutions, instruments creating charges, and several others. You can move all of them or only some, but whatever you tick must match what you are physically doing with the records.
  3. Complete the company details. Fill in the company name exactly as it appears on the register, along with the company number. Any mismatch between the name on the form and the name held by Companies House is a common reason for rejection, so copy it carefully from a recent filing or from the public register.
  4. Sign and date the form. AD04 must be signed by a person authorised to file on behalf of the company, typically a director, the company secretary, or another authorised officer. If filing on paper, sign in ink and date it. If filing online through the Companies House WebFiling service, authentication is done using the company's authentication code.
  5. Submit the form to Companies House. You can file AD04 online through WebFiling, which is usually quicker and gives immediate confirmation, or post the paper form to the relevant Companies House address for your jurisdiction (Cardiff for England and Wales, Edinburgh for Scotland, Belfast for Northern Ireland). There is no filing fee for AD04. The move takes effect from the date the form is registered.

Common questions

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Common questions

Q What is a SAIL address?
A Single Alternative Inspection Location is an address, other than the registered office, where a company can keep certain statutory registers and records available for public inspection. A company can only have one SAIL at a time, and it must be in the same UK jurisdiction as the registered office. For example, a company registered in England and Wales cannot have a SAIL in Scotland.
Q Do I have to file AD04 if I'm moving all records back?
Yes. Any movement of statutory records between the registered office and a SAIL must be notified to Companies House so the public register reflects where records can actually be inspected. If you are returning every category of record, tick each relevant box on the form. If you then want to close the SAIL altogether, you'll need a separate AD02 filing to change or remove that address.
Q Is there a fee for filing AD04?
Filing AD04 with Companies House does not usually attract a fee. That said, filing fees and policies can change, so it's sensible to check the current position on gov.uk before you submit. Filing online through WebFiling is generally faster than posting a paper form and gives you an immediate record that the submission has been accepted.
Q How long does it take for the change to be registered?
Online filings through WebFiling are often processed within a day or two, sometimes faster. Paper submissions take longer because of postal handling and manual processing. Until the change is registered, the public record will still show the records as being held at the SAIL, so anyone wishing to inspect them should be directed accordingly during the interim period.
Q What happens if I don't file AD04 after physically moving the records?
If the records have physically moved but Companies House has not been told, the public register will be inaccurate. A member of the public or a creditor turning up at the SAIL to inspect registers would be misled. Directors have statutory duties to keep the register accurate, and failure to notify changes can lead to enforcement action against the company and its officers.
Q Can I file AD04 online?
Yes. Companies House WebFiling supports AD04 and most other address and record-location forms. You'll need the company's authentication code to submit. Online filing is typically processed faster than paper and reduces the risk of errors because the system validates entries as you go. Paper filing remains available if you prefer or cannot use the digital service.
Q Does AD04 apply to accounting records?
No. The location rules for accounting records sit under different provisions of the Companies Act 2006 and are not notified to Companies House in the same way. AD04 deals with statutory registers and certain other inspectable records listed on the form, such as the register of members, PSC register, register of directors, and instruments creating charges.
If you're dealing with this kind of situation, speak to an experienced legal adviser who can walk you through it — from £89.

Sources

This guide is based on primary UK law and official guidance.

Brad Askew, Solicitor (non-practising)

Written & reviewed by

Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)

Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice. LegalDocuments.co.uk is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice.

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Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.