ASIC Is Changing Who Can Access Director Details on the Companies Register: What Directors and Creditors Must Know

ASIC is proposing to fundamentally change who can access director and company information on the companies register. From 1 August 2028, residential addresses will be restricted from public view, verified legal practitioners and liquidators will get enhanced access, and a tiered access model will replace the current open register. Directors and creditors who rely on the register for statutory demands, debt enforcement, and company searches must understand what is changing, and what they need to do now.

What Is ASIC Consultation Paper 391?

On 11 September 2026, ASIC released Consultation Paper 391: Access to information on the companies register. CP 391 proposes a new model for how information about Australian companies and their officeholders will be made available, who can see what, at what cost, and with what level of verification.

The paper is the practical implementation of powers given to ASIC under the Treasury Laws Amendment (Business Registries Stabilisation and Uplift) Act 2026. That Act gave ASIC the legislative foundation to modernise the register and address long-standing privacy concerns about director residential addresses being publicly searchable.

The ASIC companies register currently allows anyone, businesses, individuals, debt collectors, journalists, competitors, to search for company and director information. This includes, in many cases, the residential address of the director. The proposed changes would restrict that access significantly.

Submissions close 5pm AEST on Monday, 12 October 2026.

The Four-Tier Access Model ASIC Is Proposing

CP 391 proposes four access tiers:

1. General access (free), Available to everyone without verification. Includes basic company information: company name, ACN, ABN, registration date, and locality. Director names would be visible but not their addresses.

2. General access (paid), Available to anyone willing to pay for a company extract. Includes additional detail about the company’s structure, share classes, and officeholders. Director residential addresses would NOT be included.

3. Business access, Restricted to verified professional groups: registered liquidators, legal practitioners, journalists, and certain others. This tier would include director contact details, but the detail available would depend on the specific professional category. Legal practitioners and liquidators get the most access. Journalists would get access to identify companies and directors for reporting purposes but with some limits on personal information.

4. Government access, Unrestricted access for law enforcement, ASIC, ATO, AFSA, and other government bodies. No change from current arrangements in substance.

The Service Address Change, What Directors Must Know

The centrepiece of CP 391 is the introduction of service addresses. Currently, directors lodge their residential address with ASIC, and that address is publicly searchable. This has created genuine personal safety concerns, particularly for directors of companies involved in litigation or insolvency proceedings.

Under the proposed model:

• From 1 July 2027, directors will be required to lodge a service address, an address where legal documents can be served, instead of, or in addition to, their residential address.
• From 1 August 2028, residential addresses will be restricted from public access entirely. Only service addresses will be publicly visible.
• During the transition period (July 2027 to August 2028), directors will need to update their ASIC details to include a service address if they want their residential address protected before the cut-off.

A service address can be a law firm’s address, an accountant’s address, a registered office address, or any address at which the director can receive documents. It does not need to be a place of business.

For directors who are currently exposed by having their home address on the public register, including directors involved in contested litigation, insolvency proceedings, or creditor disputes, this is a material improvement. However, the protection does not kick in automatically. Directors will need to actively update their details when the system opens in July 2027.

What This Means for Creditors Serving Statutory Demands

For creditors and their lawyers, the service address model creates an important practical shift. If you are serving a statutory demand under section 459E of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) on a company, you serve the document on the company’s registered office, not the director personally. That process is largely unaffected.

However, where personal service on a director is required, for example, for director liability claims, public examination summonses, or cross-claims in insolvent trading proceedings, the current ability to search the register for a residential address will be curtailed under the new model. Legal practitioners who need that information will need to hold verified Business access credentials.

This is actually a practical advantage for Boss Lawyers clients: because we are a verified legal practitioner firm, we will retain access to director contact information that general creditors and unverified users will not be able to obtain. If you need to locate a director for enforcement purposes after the new model takes effect, you will need a lawyer.

What This Means for Liquidators

Registered liquidators are specifically called out in CP 391 as a Business access group, which means they will retain enhanced access to director details beyond what the general public can see. This is critical for liquidators conducting asset investigations, public examinations under Schedule 2 (Insolvency Practice Schedule (Corporations)), and pursuing voidable transactions under Part 5.7B of the Corporations Act.

For insolvency practitioners, the key practical issue is that their staff, support teams, and service providers who currently rely on open register searches may need to be credentialled under the new Business access tier. ASIC has flagged that verification processes will be required, the details of those processes are part of what the consultation is seeking feedback on.

What This Means for Credit Reporting and Debt Collection

Under the proposed model, debt collectors and credit reporting bodies are not automatically placed in the Business access tier. CP 391 acknowledges these industries rely heavily on register data and specifically invites their submissions. The outcome of the consultation will determine whether they receive the same access as legal practitioners and liquidators, a modified access regime, or whether they must rely on general access with additional verification steps.

If your business operates in credit, debt collection, or due diligence and you rely on bulk register searches, lodging a submission before 12 October 2026 is important. ASIC has been explicit that it wants to hear from these industries.

The Timeline You Need to Track

The implementation timeline for CP 391 is staged:

• 12 October 2026, Submissions on CP 391 close
• March 2027, ASIC to report back on submissions with draft legislative instrument
• November 2026 to June 2027, Design, build and testing of new registry services
• 1 July 2027, Director ID, service address and electronic address lodgements begin under new system
• 1 August 2028, Full implementation of new information requirements and access settings

This is not an imminent change. You have until August 2028 before the new access settings fully apply. But the lodgement requirements begin in July 2027, which is less than a year away. Directors and companies that want to take advantage of residential address protection should plan to update their ASIC details when the system opens.

How This Connects to Director ID Requirements

CP 391 sits alongside the existing director identification number (DIN) regime under the Business Names Registration Act 2011 (Cth) as amended. Under that regime, directors are already required to hold a unique identifier registered with ASIC. The new registry system will link director IDs to the new access and address model, creating a more integrated and verified register than currently exists.

ASIC’s enforcement of the DIN regime has been escalating. In the 2025-26 year, ASIC issued infringement notices and commenced proceedings against directors who failed to obtain or disclose their director ID. The new register model will make it harder for directors to operate with incomplete or inaccurate registry details, both in terms of enforcement and in terms of the practical ability to conduct business as a company officer.

What Should Queensland Directors and Companies Do Now?

For most Queensland directors and companies, the immediate action items are limited, the full changes are not live until 2028. However, there are things worth doing now:

Check your ASIC details are current. If your residential address on the register is outdated or incorrect, update it now. When the service address regime begins, you will be converting from residential to service address, starting with accurate details makes that transition easier.

Consider your exposure on the current register. If you are a director involved in live litigation, insolvency proceedings, or creditor disputes, your residential address is currently public. If that exposure concerns you, get legal advice on your options under the current regime. In some circumstances, there are existing processes for suppressing address information, a lawyer can advise whether any apply to your situation.

If your business relies on register searches for commercial purposes, particularly bulk searches for credit, debt collection, or due diligence, review CP 391 and consider lodging a submission. The window closes 12 October 2026.

Ensure your director ID is current and correctly lodged. If you do not hold a director ID, you are already in breach. ASIC enforcement of the DIN regime is active. Get this in order before the new registry integration in 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my residential address still be visible on the ASIC register?

Under the current system, yes, director residential addresses are publicly searchable. Under ASIC’s proposed CP 391 model, residential addresses will be restricted from public access. Only service addresses will be publicly visible. This change takes full effect from 1 August 2028, with the new lodgement system opening from 1 July 2027.

Can I still search for a director’s address to serve a statutory demand?

Statutory demands under section 459E of the Corporations Act are served on the company, at its registered office. That process is unaffected by CP 391. Where you need to personally serve a director (for example, for a liability claim or examination summons), you will need either verified Business access credentials or a legal practitioner who holds that access. General creditors without verified access will not be able to obtain residential addresses under the proposed model.

How do I lodge a service address with ASIC?

The service address lodgement system will not open until 1 July 2027. ASIC will communicate the process through its online portals ahead of that date. A service address can be any address where you can reliably receive legal documents, including a law firm’s address, your accountant’s address, or a registered office address. It does not need to be a business address.

Will liquidators lose access to director details under the new model?

No. Registered liquidators are specifically designated as a Business access group in CP 391, which means they will retain access to director contact details beyond what the general public can see. This is essential for liquidators conducting asset investigations, public examinations, and voidable transaction recoveries.

What is the deadline to make a submission on ASIC CP 391?

Submissions close at 5pm AEST on Monday, 12 October 2026. Submissions should be sent to consultation.registrydata@asic.gov.au. ASIC notes that feedback is not treated as confidential unless you specifically request that it be treated that way.

Directors with concerns about their details on the ASIC register, or who face disqualification proceedings, should seek advice promptly. Boss Lawyers’ director disputes practice acts for Queensland directors in ASIC enforcement and disqualification matters.

This is general information only and is not legal advice. You should obtain professional advice specific to your circumstances.