Guide
Companies House identity verification: what directors must do
Identity verification is the biggest change to running a UK company in years. It is not difficult, but it has to be done before filings can go through, and the transition period for existing directors ends in November 2026.
In short
Since 18 November 2025, every new company director and person with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House. Existing directors must verify and give their personal code with the company's next confirmation statement, during a transition period that ends in November 2026. Verification is done through GOV.UK One Login or an authorised corporate service provider.
Who has to verify
- Directors of UK companies, including sole directors of small and dormant companies.
- People with significant control (PSCs): broadly, anyone holding more than 25% of the shares or votes, or who otherwise controls the company.
- Members of LLPs.
- People who file documents at Companies House on a company's behalf.
When
| Situation | When verification is needed |
|---|---|
| New company | Before incorporation. Every proposed director and PSC must be verified. |
| New director appointed | Before the appointment can be filed. |
| Existing director | With the company's next confirmation statement, during the transition period ending November 2026. |
| Existing PSC | Within the PSC deadline Companies House sets, broadly linked to their date of birth or, where they are also a director, to the confirmation statement. |
How it works
- Verify your identity once, either directly through GOV.UK One Login with photo ID, or through an authorised corporate service provider (ACSP) such as an accountancy firm registered with Companies House.
- You receive a Companies House personal code. Keep it safe; it is linked to you, not to one company.
- Supply the code in the right place: in the company's confirmation statement for existing directors, or in the appointment or incorporation filing for new ones.
These are two separate steps. Many directors verify their identity and assume the job is done, when the code has not yet been given for the company.
What happens if you do not
Companies House will not accept the confirmation statement, or a new appointment, without the verification details. Acting as a director without verified identity is an offence, and the company is also in breach. The practical effect comes first: the company cannot file, which matters most in the middle of a sale, a funding round or a change of directors.
A practical checklist
- List every company where you are a director and every company where you are a PSC.
- Find each company's confirmation statement date on the public register.
- Verify your identity now, not in the fortnight before the filing.
- Store your personal code securely and share it only with whoever files for the company.
- Check that each co-director and PSC has done the same.
General information as at 25 September 2026. Companies House is still phasing in parts of the regime, so check the current guidance for your situation.
Common questions
Questions we are often asked
Yes. Existing directors must verify their identity and provide their Companies House personal code with the company's next confirmation statement, during the transition period that ends in November 2026.
Either directly through GOV.UK One Login using photo identification, or through an authorised corporate service provider. Once verified you receive a personal code, which you then give in the relevant company filing.
Companies House will not accept the company's confirmation statement or a new appointment without the verification details, and acting as an unverified director is an offence.
Contact
Bring us last year's accounts and we'll tell you what we'd change.
An initial conversation takes half an hour and costs nothing. If we are not the right practice for you, we will say so.