Moving your Sdn Bhd’s registered office from, say, Penang to Kuala Lumpur does not change your company secretary’s appointment, duties or qualification status. What it does change is the paperwork: your board must pass a resolution approving the new address, your company secretary lodges a Notice of Change of Registered Office with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) through the MyCoID portal, and this must happen within 14 days of the change. Because company registration in Malaysia is handled federally, not by state governments, there is no separate “cross-state” procedure. The process is identical whether you’re moving two streets away or across the country.
🔔 TL;DR
- Your company secretary’s role, duties and appointment are unaffected by a registered address change, including one that crosses state lines.
- SSM must be notified within 14 days of the change, using the same MyCoID process nationwide.
- Your company secretary must physically relocate statutory registers, minute books and records to the new address, and keep it accessible during ordinary business hours.
- You’ll also need to update correspondence addresses with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), the Employees Provident Fund (KWSP) and the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), separately from the SSM filing.
- A registered address change does not automatically trigger new local council licences or permits, unless your actual physical operating premises also move.
📌 Does a registered address change affect your company secretary’s appointment?
No. A company secretary must be appointed under Section 235 of the Companies Act 2016, and that appointment has nothing to do with where your registered office sits. The secretary stays in place, keeps the same duties, and keeps the same qualification status regardless of whether your office is in Johor Bahru or Kota Kinabalu. What changes is simply the address SSM has on file as your official correspondence point and the place where statutory documents are kept.
The registered address is your company’s official mailing address for government and legal correspondence. It doesn’t have to be where you actually run the business day-to-day. Many Sdn Bhd companies use their company secretary’s office as the registered address precisely because it keeps this requirement simple and consistent, no matter how many times the business itself relocates.
📌 What is the legal process to change a registered address across states?
The mechanics are the same whether the move is within one state or across several. Here’s the sequence:
- Board resolution. The directors pass a resolution approving the new registered office address.
- Lodge the notice. Your company secretary files a Notice of Change of Registered Office with SSM via the MyCoID portal.
- Meet the 14-day window. This notice generally must reach SSM within 14 days of the change taking effect.
- Update the records. The new address gets reflected in your company’s official SSM profile, which banks, auditors and other parties will reference going forward.
There is no separate state-level filing, no additional state government office to notify, and no extra form because the new address happens to be in a different state. SSM’s system is a single federal register, so the procedure, documents and fees are the same across the board.
📌 What happens if you miss the 14-day deadline?
Missing the deadline is a compliance lapse, not a crisis, but it’s one worth avoiding. Non-compliance with the notification requirement is an offence under the Companies Act 2016, and upon conviction a company and its officers may face a fine of up to RM50,000. The deadline itself doesn’t stop running just because you’re busy with the move, so it’s worth building the SSM notice into your relocation checklist from day one rather than treating it as an afterthought once the boxes are unpacked.
A late filing does not undo the move or invalidate your registered address. It simply means the lapse needs to be addressed, and the sooner a new or corrected notice is lodged, the better.
📌 What must your company secretary physically do when the address changes?
This is the part that actually takes coordination. Your company secretary is responsible for making sure statutory registers, minute books and corporate records are physically relocated to the new registered address and kept there going forward. The registered office also needs to remain open and accessible to the public during ordinary business hours, since it’s the official point of contact for anyone, including SSM, needing to reach your company formally.
In practice, if your company secretary is on a platform like Boss Boleh, this relocation of records is handled as part of ongoing company secretarial services in Malaysia rather than something the business owner has to manage personally. The records move, the address updates in SSM’s system, and the statutory documents stay in order without the directors having to track each step.
📌 Does the change affect other government agencies and your licences?
A related but distinct question is whether one SSM filing is enough, or whether other agencies need separate attention. It isn’t enough on its own. Changing your registered address means updating your correspondence details with LHDN (the Inland Revenue Board), KWSP and PERKESO, so that tax notices, EPF correspondence and SOCSO communications all reach the right place. These are separate updates from the SSM notice, and missing them means official letters could go to an address you no longer monitor.
On licences, the answer is more reassuring. Changing your registered address does not by itself trigger changes to local council business premise licences or other regulatory permits. Those are tied to your actual physical operating location, not your registered office. If your business operations genuinely move, for example your retail shop or clinic relocates, then yes, you’ll need to review licensing with the relevant local council. But if only the registered office address changes (common when switching company secretary providers or offices) your existing licences at your operating premises are untouched.
📌 Are the requirements different for moving within one state versus across states?
No, and this is worth repeating because it’s a common misconception among first-time business owners. There are no differences in SSM compliance requirements, filing procedures or statutory costs between an intra-state move and a cross-state move. The same federal notification process, the same 14-day window, and the same documentation apply uniformly across all of Malaysia, regardless of which two states are involved. If you’re relocating your business from Kuala Lumpur to Penang or from Selangor to Sabah, the SSM side of the process looks exactly the same as moving offices within KL.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a new company secretary if I move to a different state?
No. Your existing qualified company secretary continues the appointment regardless of where your registered office is located. Many companies work with a company secretary while operating, or relocating, anywhere else in Malaysia, since the work is done remotely.
How long do I have to notify SSM of an address change?
Generally 14 days from the date the change takes effect.
Can my registered address be different from where my business actually operates?
Yes. Many Sdn Bhd companies use their corporate secretarial services provider’s office as the registered address while operating from a separate physical premises.
Will changing my registered address affect my business licences?
Not unless your actual operating premises also relocate. The registered office change alone does not trigger local council licence reviews.
Who is responsible for updating LHDN, KWSP and PERKESO after an address change?
These updates sit alongside the SSM notice and are typically coordinated by the company secretary or the business owner, since each agency maintains its own separate correspondence records.
What happens if my company secretary doesn’t file the notice on time?
The company and responsible officers may face a fine upon conviction. It doesn’t invalidate the company, but it’s a lapse worth correcting as soon as it’s noticed.
Is the process more expensive or complicated for a cross-state move?
No. Costs and procedures are identical nationwide since SSM’s registration system is federal, not state-based.
ABOUT BOSS BOLEH
Boss Boleh is an online company secretary and incorporation platform built for first-time entrepreneurs. Beyond company secretarial work, it also offers a one-stop compliance solution for entrepreneurs, including accounting, tax planning and tax filing services. When a company changes its registered address across states, Boss Boleh’s team handles the board resolution, the SSM notice and relocation of statutory records so directors don’t have to track each step. With over 1,500 Google reviews at a 4.9-star average, Boss Boleh supports entrepreneurs nationwide with Annual Return and Beneficial Owner submissions, standard corporate resolutions and SSM filings as part of subscription plans.
References
Companies Act 2016 (Act 777), sections 235 and 404.
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