Suppressing a residential address on the register

Details that can be suppressed on the Companies Register

A director or a shareholder who has a protection order granted by the New Zealand Family Court can apply to the Registrar of Companies to have residential address details on the Companies Register suppressed – meaning they cannot be viewed publicly. This includes information that is about to be included on the register.

Completing your application

To request the suppression of your residential address, you’ll need to submit a written application to the Companies Office.

If your registered office address or address for service is your residential address, you’ll need to provide the Companies Office with an alternative address for this purpose, and we’ll update your company’s registered office address or address for service details on the register for you. These addresses must be a physical address in New Zealand – they can’t be a PO Box, Private Bag or Document Exchange address.

If your online services account lists your residential address, you’ll need to change this online. This is because the address displayed in your account will show to the public on the Companies Register when you file documents online.

We don’t suppress NZBN addresses for office, delivery, postal and invoices, as these are optional to provide.

Identifying where your address is public

When you apply, you must identify all the places where the residential address you wish to have suppressed is publicly viewable on the Companies Register. Only the details you identify on the application form will be suppressed on the register.

If you are a director or a shareholder of multiple companies, you must identify all the companies where your residential address is public and all the documents where your address appears.

To view your company’s public documents:

1. Search for your company on the Companies Register website.
2. Select your company from the search results.
3. From the ‘Companies Details’ screen, select the 'Documents' tab.

Contact us if you need further help identifying where the residential address is currently public on the register.

You may also want to check other registers administered by the Companies Office.

All registers

How to request that your details be suppressed

1. Complete the application form

The application to have your details suppressed on the Companies Register must be in writing. Please complete and sign the application form, which can be downloaded below. The declaration must be signed by the person to whom the protection order has been granted.

2. Attach the protection order

You must attach a copy of the protection order granted by the Family Court. If you enclose a temporary protection order, please send us the final order as soon as it has been granted.

3. Send us the application

Email your completed form, along with the protection order, to familyviolence@companiesoffice.govt.nz

What happens next

We’ll approve your application if we’re satisfied that the protection order is in force, and that the suppression will not unduly compromise the public register.

You’ll be notified of our decision in writing within 10 working days of the application having been received. We’ll also notify the Family Court that issued the protection order.

If your application is approved

While the suppression is in force we will not make your details available to the public on the Companies Register (although the suppressed information is still deemed to be ‘included’ on the public register).

If you move, you are required by law to update your address on the Companies Register and apply for your new address to be suppressed.

If your application is declined

If your application is declined, you have the right to make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner.

If your circumstances or details change

The suppression of your address details applies only to information included, or about to be included, on the public register when the direction is made. Therefore, if you change your residential address, you'll need to make a new application to have the new details suppressed.

If the suppression is no longer required or if the protection order is discharged, please advise us in writing that your address can be made public on the register.

Contact us at our email address

familyviolence@companiesoffice.govt.nz

Other guides in

Getting support to use the Companies Register

• Uploading documents to the Companies Register
• Filing documents with electronic signatures
• Forgotten your RealMe® username or password
• Searching the Companies Register
• Searching the PPSR from the Companies Register
• Searching using other applications
• NZBN and the Companies Register

Other help topics