Running a Healthcare Practice from Home? What to Know About Your Business Address

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What Is a Principal Place of Business?

A principal place of business is the location where a business primarily conducts its operations. In other words, this is where the management-level personnel of a business make decisions regarding the business’s activities. Typically, records regarding the business’s operations are kept at this location. Different states may use different terms to refer to this address, such as “principal office address,” “executive office,” or “primary mailing address.”

Why Your Business Address Becomes Public

Not all states make this information public, but many do. The goal is to help clients and regulators confirm that a business is real and accountable. Listing a principal place of business also makes it easier for people to contact the practice or check that it’s properly registered. Making this information publicly available helps build trust and supports oversight.

Alternatives to Listing Your Home Address

For professionals with a home-based practice who wish to keep their residential address private, there are several options for designating a principal place of business address. 

Virtual Addresses 

One popular alternative is a virtual business address, which is a real street address that you can use for business purposes without the need to rent an office. These addresses are often offered by mail forwarding services or business centers. For example, you might pay a monthly fee to use a downtown address, receive mail there, and have it scanned or forwarded to you. Some services may also include limited access to meeting rooms or reception services, though you don’t physically work from the location.

Co-Working Spaces

Another option is a coworking space, which provides a shared physical workspace that you can use regularly. In addition to offering a professional business address, coworking spaces enable you to host meetings, use office amenities, and maintain a part-time in-person presence, making them well-suited for professionals who want occasional access to a physical workspace.

Registered Agent Services

In some jurisdictions, you may be able to list your registered agent’s address as your principal place of business. The registered agent—whether a person or company—is responsible for receiving legal communications on your behalf. While some professionals act as their own registered agent, others hire a commercial service. In some instances, these services allow you to use their address for both roles.

P.O. Boxes

Finally, some states may accept a P.O. box as the principal place of business.  However, most do not because a P.O. box is just a mailing address, not a physical location where the business operates. 

While these are some common alternatives to using a home address as the principal place of business, not all states will accept every option. Professionals should ensure that they can reliably receive and mail from any office they designate as the principal office address.

Restrictions on Business Addresses

The table below outlines whether each of Jackson LLP’s practice jurisdictions allows a P.O. box as the principal place of business and whether the address is made public.

Jurisdiction	P.O. Box Accepted for Principal Place of Business?	Principal Address Publicly Available?	Notes
California	No	Yes	Must use a physical street address.
Illinois	No	Yes	Must use a physical street address.
District of Columbia	No	Yes	Must use a physical street address.
New York	Yes	No	The public sees only the service of process address, which must be a physical street address.
Texas	Yes (for mailing only)	Principal office – No Mailing address – Yes	Principal office not required in filings.
Wisconsin	Yes	Yes

Before listing an address with the state, check whether your jurisdiction has restrictions, confirm that you can reliably receive official correspondence there, and consider how the address aligns with your practice’s operational and privacy needs.

Get Legal Support

Need help forming your entity or navigating state business registration requirements for your home-based practice? If you operate in one of the states where we have licensed attorneys, you can schedule a consultation to speak with a healthcare attorney about your options.

This blog is made for educational purposes and is not intended to be specific legal advice to any particular person. It does not create an attorney-client relationship between our firm and the reader. It should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.

 

Before listing your address, make sure it meets your state’s legal requirements.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has become an increasingly popular means of healthcare delivery, prompting many professionals to add remote services or shift their practices entirely online. As a result, more healthcare businesses are now operated from home. But understandably, some professionals don’t want their home address listed publicly when registering their business entity (such as an LLC or PLLC) with the state. This article explores considerations for choosing a business address when a practice doesn’t have a physical office outside the home.

What Is a Principal Place of Business?

A principal place of business is the location where a business primarily conducts its operations. In other words, this is where the management-level personnel of a business make decisions regarding the business’s activities. Typically, records regarding the business’s operations are kept at this location. Different states may use different terms to refer to this address, such as “principal office address,” “executive office,” or “primary mailing address.”

Why Your Business Address Becomes Public

Not all states make this information public, but many do. The goal is to help clients and regulators confirm that a business is real and accountable. Listing a principal place of business also makes it easier for people to contact the practice or check that it’s properly registered. Making this information publicly available helps build trust and supports oversight.

Alternatives to Listing Your Home Address

For professionals with a home-based practice who wish to keep their residential address private, there are several options for designating a principal place of business address. 

Virtual Addresses 

One popular alternative is a virtual business address, which is a real street address that you can use for business purposes without the need to rent an office. These addresses are often offered by mail forwarding services or business centers. For example, you might pay a monthly fee to use a downtown address, receive mail there, and have it scanned or forwarded to you. Some services may also include limited access to meeting rooms or reception services, though you don’t physically work from the location.

Co-Working Spaces

Another option is a coworking space, which provides a shared physical workspace that you can use regularly. In addition to offering a professional business address, coworking spaces enable you to host meetings, use office amenities, and maintain a part-time in-person presence, making them well-suited for professionals who want occasional access to a physical workspace.

Registered Agent Services

In some jurisdictions, you may be able to list your registered agent’s address as your principal place of business. The registered agent—whether a person or company—is responsible for receiving legal communications on your behalf. While some professionals act as their own registered agent, others hire a commercial service. In some instances, these services allow you to use their address for both roles.

P.O. Boxes

Finally, some states may accept a P.O. box as the principal place of business.  However, most do not because a P.O. box is just a mailing address, not a physical location where the business operates. 

While these are some common alternatives to using a home address as the principal place of business, not all states will accept every option. Professionals should ensure that they can reliably receive and mail from any office they designate as the principal office address.

Restrictions on Business Addresses

The table below outlines whether each of Jackson LLP’s practice jurisdictions allows a P.O. box as the principal place of business and whether the address is made public.

Jurisdiction	P.O. Box Accepted for Principal Place of Business?	Principal Address Publicly Available?	Notes
California	No	Yes	Must use a physical street address.
Illinois	No	Yes	Must use a physical street address.
District of Columbia	No	Yes	Must use a physical street address.
New York	Yes	No	The public sees only the service of process address, which must be a physical street address.
Texas	Yes (for mailing only)	Principal office – No Mailing address – Yes	Principal office not required in filings.
Wisconsin	Yes	Yes

Before listing an address with the state, check whether your jurisdiction has restrictions, confirm that you can reliably receive official correspondence there, and consider how the address aligns with your practice’s operational and privacy needs.

Get Legal Support

Need help forming your entity or navigating state business registration requirements for your home-based practice? If you operate in one of the states where we have licensed attorneys, you can schedule a consultation to speak with a healthcare attorney about your options.

This blog is made for educational purposes and is not intended to be specific legal advice to any particular person. It does not create an attorney-client relationship between our firm and the reader. It should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.