For most of its history, anyone could become a director of a UK company without proving who they were. That changed on 18 November 2025. Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, every director and person with significant control (PSC) must now complete Companies House identity verification.
Existing directors must complete Companies House identity verification by the time their company files its next confirmation statement, and for almost every company that point arrives by November 2026, the end of the 12-month transition period.
Time is running out. By the end of June 2026, only 55% of directors and 42% of PSCs had verified, out of the 6 to 7 million people Companies House expects to go through the process.
This guide explains who needs to verify, how and when to do it, what happens if you don’t, and how the rules apply in real situations.
Why Companies House identity verification has been introduced
The Companies House register is a public record that banks, lenders, suppliers and investors rely on. For years it was possible to register a company using false or stolen identities, and this was exploited for fraud and money laundering.
Identity verification is one part of a wider reform that gives Companies House new powers to query, challenge and remove information and to fine companies that don’t comply. For honest businesses, the result should be a more reliable register and greater trust when dealing with other UK companies.
Who needs Companies House identity verification
You must verify your identity if you are:
- a director of a UK limited company, including a sole director and directors who live outside the UK
- a person with significant control (PSC), which generally means someone who owns more than 25% of the shares or voting rights or otherwise controls the company
- a member of a limited liability partnership (LLP)
Company secretaries do not currently need to verify. Verification for people who file documents on a company’s behalf, and for corporate directors and corporate LLP members, is due to be introduced at a later date.
Your nationality and where you live make no difference. A director in Lagos, Dubai or Toronto of a company registered in England must verify in the same way as a director in Manchester.
When Companies House identity verification is due
There is no single deadline for everyone. The date depends on your role and, for existing directors, on your company’s confirmation statement date.
| Your role | When you must provide your personal code |
| Existing director | When your company files its next confirmation statement after 18 November 2025 |
| New director (appointed since 18 November 2025) | As part of the appointment filing, or when the company is incorporated |
| Existing PSC who is not a director | Within the first 14 days of your birth month |
| Existing PSC who is also a director | Within 14 days starting the day after the company’s confirmation statement date |
| New PSC (added after 18 November 2025) | When first added to the register, or within 14 days of being added |
If you are a director of more than one company, you only verify once, but you must provide your personal code for each company.
Filing a confirmation statement early does not move the PSC 14-day window. The window is based on the company’s confirmation statement date, not the date you happen to file.
How to complete Companies House identity verification
Option 1: GOV.UK One Login (free)
Most UK-based directors can verify directly through GOV.UK One Login. The service is free. It asks a few questions to choose the best method for you, which may be:
- the GOV.UK ID Check app, which scans your photo ID and takes a short video of your face
- answering security questions online
- entering your photo ID details online and then completing the check at a participating Post Office
When asked, you must give information about yourself, not your company. Once you pass, you receive your Companies House personal code.
Option 2: An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)
If you can’t verify through One Login, for example because you live overseas or don’t hold the right type of ID, you can verify through an ACSP. This is an accountant, solicitor or other agent registered with Companies House and supervised for anti-money laundering in the UK. ACSPs can verify people in any country, using documents from an approved list. They may charge a fee.
Your personal code
Your personal code is a unique identifier. It belongs to you personally, not to any company, and you will use it whenever you are appointed as a director, become a PSC or need to confirm your verification on a confirmation statement. Keep it secure and share it only with people you trust, such as your accountant or company secretary.
What happens if you don’t verify
Identity verification is a legal requirement, not a formality. If a director fails to verify by the relevant date:
- the director commits an offence by acting as a director without verification, and so does the company
- the company may be unable to file its confirmation statement, leaving its records out of date
- Companies House can issue civil financial penalties of up to £10,000 per offence under its new enforcement powers
- the register may be publicly marked to show that a director has not verified, which banks, lenders and suppliers can see
- in serious or repeated cases, Companies House can pursue prosecution or disqualification
Companies House has said it will move from supporting companies to enforcing the rules once the transition period ends. There is no sign of a grace period after that.
Practical scenarios
Scenario 1: The sole director with a November confirmation date
Amaka runs a design company in Birmingham. She is its only director and only shareholder, so she is also its PSC. Her company’s confirmation statement date is 15 November, so her last statement was filed just before the new rules began.
What she must do: Her November 2026 confirmation statement will be the first one filed under the new rules, so she must verify and provide her personal code with it. Because she is also a PSC, she must provide the code for her PSC role within 14 days starting the day after 15 November 2026. With only weeks to go, she should verify now rather than leave it until the filing is due.
Scenario 2: The overseas director
Tunde lives in Lagos and is a director of a UK property company registered in London. He holds a Nigerian passport.
What he must do: Tunde must verify before the company’s next confirmation statement, exactly like a UK-resident director. If he cannot complete GOV.UK One Login with the ID he holds, he should use an ACSP, which can verify him from Nigeria without travelling to the UK. He should do this well before the confirmation date, as overseas checks can take longer.
Scenario 3: The silent investor
Graham owns 40% of a family company but is not a director. He was born on 22 March.
What he must do: As a PSC who is not a director, Graham must provide his personal code within the first 14 days of his birth month, which means between 1 and 14 March. Missing this window is an offence, even though he takes no part in running the company.
Scenario 4: Appointing a new director
A growing logistics company wants to appoint its finance manager, Sarah, to the board in January 2027.
What it must do: Sarah needs to verify and obtain her personal code before the appointment is filed, because the code is required as part of the appointment filing. Building verification into the onboarding of new directors avoids delays.
Scenario 5: The director of several companies
Michael is a director of three companies, each with a different confirmation statement date.
What he must do: Michael verifies once and receives one personal code. He must then provide that code for each company when each one files its confirmation statement. A simple calendar of all three dates prevents any one company from falling behind.
Your Companies House identity verification checklist
- List everyone in scope. Include every director and every PSC, and note where each person lives.
- Check your confirmation statement date on the Companies House register.
- Verify each person through GOV.UK One Login, or through an ACSP if One Login is not possible.
- Record each personal code securely and share it only with whoever files for the company.
- Submit the codes with your next confirmation statement, and within the correct window for each PSC.
- Check the public register afterwards to confirm each person shows as verified.
- Build verification into onboarding for any future director or PSC.
One thing that has not changed: how you file your accounts
You may have heard that small companies would have to file full profit and loss accounts, and that paper and WebFiling would end, from April 2027. Those changes have been paused. Abridged and filleted accounts remain available, and you can still use WebFiling. The government has said businesses will get at least 21 months’ notice of any future change.
Companies House identity verification: frequently asked questions
Is there a fee to verify?
Verification through GOV.UK One Login is free. An ACSP may charge for its service.
Do I need to verify again for each company?
No. You verify once and use the same personal code for every company and every role.
I’m a company secretary. Do I need to verify?
Not at the moment. Company secretaries were removed from the list of people who need to verify. Verification for people who file for companies will be introduced later.
Can my accountant verify on my behalf?
Your accountant can verify you only if they are registered as an ACSP. Verification itself is personal, so you will still need to provide your own documents.
Related reading: if you are reviewing your company’s obligations this year, see our guide to reducing your company tax bill legally in the UK, or learn more about Credora Consulting as a UK tax advisory firm.
How Credora can help
Identity verification sounds simple, but for companies with several directors, overseas shareholders or more than one company, the timing rules quickly become complicated. Credora can:
- review your company’s directors and PSCs and confirm who needs to verify and when
- map out your confirmation statement and PSC deadlines
- guide each person through the right verification route
- prepare and file your confirmation statement once everyone is verified
This article is for general information and reflects Companies House guidance as at October 2026. It is not a substitute for advice on your specific circumstances.
Sources: GOV.UK, “When you need to verify your identity for Companies House” and “Verifying your identity for Companies House”; GOV.UK, Changes to UK company law; Law Debenture, Companies House verification figures (July 2026); Companies House financial penalty regime (Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (Financial Penalty) Regulations 2024); Rapid Formations, Companies House accounts reforms paused (February 2026).