How to file incorporation paperwork without using your home address
Startup founders cannot afford commercial office space yet are uncomfortable putting their personal residence on public incorporation documents. This leaves them without a way to route mail away from their home or keep their private address out of public records.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Leasing a real office spaceDid this help you?
- 2Purchasing a commercial business addressDid this help you?
- 3Searching for low-cost subscription services to handle business mailDid this help you?
- 4Considering renting an office space or leaseDid this help you?
- 5Using a local nominee director and nominee shareholder service with a declaration of trustDid this help you?
- 6Setting up a foreign company in a jurisdiction where owners are not publicly searchableDid this help you?
- 7Using a virtual mailbox or UPS store for correspondenceDid this help you?
- 8Using a registered agent service that provides a virtual addressDid this help you?
- 9Renting a P.O. BoxDid this help you?
- 10Using a virtual addressDid this help you?
- 11Using a registered agent addressDid this help you?
- 12Using a PO BoxDid this help you?
- 13Using a commercial mailbox serviceDid this help you?
- 14Using a personal home addressDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I hate how if I use my personal home address for my name brand (to apply for trademark with USPTO) it’ll be public for anyone to see. Now I’m forced to rent a po box with monthly costs.”source ↗
“Hello!! I would like to know what small business owners who operate from their homes, use the address on shipping labels. Do you just enter your actual home address? Or do you use any mailbox/PO Box service? Wondering how much that would cost monthly.”source ↗
“What have you all who have started an LLC done to route mail away from you if you plan on making your home address your place of operation.”source ↗
“I can't afford to rent an office space, lease a place, or take on a HUGE subscription”source ↗
“I am unsure where to go so I don't alert my parents to the junk mail.”source ↗
“I don’t yet have a physical office where the nonprofit is managed since I am just now starting it however I don’t feel comfortable putting my personal home address as I’ve heard that it will become publicly associated with the nonprofit.”source ↗
“Any sure way of leaving off home address?”source ↗
“Any way to get around this in California?”source ↗
“Trying to build a legal business without putting my name on a giant neon sign.”source ↗
“Ideally, a customer or competitor should not be able to start with my website, follow the company/payment trail, spend €10 on a company-registry report and end up with my personal name, address or other information.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5How to hide my home address on e-commerce shipping labels
- 2Where do I file a DBA when using a virtual address?
- 2Nonprofit can't afford annual PO Box fee
- 2How to get a tax ID or business account without a permanent address?
- 13How to hide a low GPA on a job application
- 3How to hide a large sump pump in the backyard