Since 18 November 2025, identity verification has been a legal requirement for company directors and people with significant control (PSCs). If you are already a director, you must verify and give your personal code in your company's next confirmation statement, within a 12-month transition period that ends in mid-November 2026. PSCs have a separate 14-day window. New directors must verify before they are appointed or the company is incorporated.
The transition year is almost over. If you have not started, start this week.
Who has to verify
Companies House's guidance on verifying your identity says you must verify if you are:
- a director;
- the equivalent of a director, which it says includes members, general partners and managing officers (this is where LLP members sit);
- a director of an overseas company registered in the UK;
- a person with significant control (PSC); or
- an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), which you need to be in order to register as an authorised agent.
A PSC is someone who owns or controls a company. Companies House describes this as holding more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, having the power to appoint or remove directors, or otherwise influencing key decisions, even without formal ownership. In a family company that can include a relative who no longer runs the business but still approves the big decisions. Many PSCs are also directors, but not all.
The requirement does not depend on nationality or where you live. A director based overseas is in scope in the same way as one in the UK.
Who is not in scope yet
Companies House says it will introduce verification at a later date for:
- people who file at Companies House;
- limited partnerships;
- corporate directors of companies;
- corporate members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs); and
- officers of corporate PSCs.
No date has been given for these. If you only file documents on behalf of a company and hold no other role, you do not need to verify today.
Sole traders are not affected, because they are not registered at Companies House. If a sole trader incorporates, the rules apply from the start.
For most people, verification is a one-off. Companies House says you must not verify again unless it tells you to.
The key dates at a glance
| Your position | What you must do | When |
|---|---|---|
| New director (appointed on or after 18 November 2025) | Provide your personal code | In the appointment filing, or when the company is incorporated |
| Existing director | Verify, and give your personal code | In your company's next confirmation statement, within the transition year |
| Existing PSC who is also a director | Provide your code again, as a PSC | A 14-day window starting the day after the company's confirmation statement date |
| Existing PSC who is not a director | Provide your code and a verification statement | The first 14 days of your birth month, as shown on the register |
| New PSC (registered after 18 November 2025) | Provide your code and a verification statement | When first added to the register, or within 14 days of the date on the direction letter |
Companies House shows the due date for each role on the public register, so check yours rather than working it out from memory.
The two ways to verify
Companies House says there are only two routes. It says not to post or email your documents to it.
Route 1: GOV.UK One Login (free)
The 'Verify your identity for Companies House' service uses GOV.UK One Login and costs nothing. It asks a few questions to find the best method for you. Answer them about yourself, not your company. You will then be guided to one of three methods:
- the GOV.UK One Login app;
- security questions answered online; or
- the Post Office, after you have first entered your photo ID details on GOV.UK One Login.
The ICAEW lists the photo ID that Companies House is encouraging people to use:
- a biometric passport from any country;
- a UK photo driving licence, full or provisional;
- a UK biometric residence permit;
- a UK biometric residence card; or
- a UK Frontier Worker permit.
You will also need your current address and the year you moved in.
The ICAEW adds some practical limits:
- The app needs a smartphone running iOS 15 or later, or Android 10 or later.
- The online questions route asks about things like bank accounts, cards, loans, mortgages and phone contracts. It needs a current account with a UK bank or building society, plus a UK passport or driving licence.
- The Post Office will scan your ID and take your photo. The ICAEW says you will be emailed the result within about a day.
The Post Office is not a walk-in option. Companies House has said you cannot verify there without first entering your photo ID details on GOV.UK. You then receive a confirmation email with a letter carrying a QR code to take to a participating branch.
Each director needs their own email address for One Login, one that has not been used for GOV.UK One Login before. It does not have to be a company address. A personal one works.
Route 2: an Authorised Corporate Service Provider
An ACSP, also called a Companies House authorised agent, is a business registered with Companies House and with a UK anti-money laundering supervisory body. Accountants, solicitors, company formation agents and chartered secretaries are typical examples. You give the ACSP documents from an approved list, and it confirms your identity to Companies House. It may charge a fee. You can use an ACSP from any country.
The ICAEW says an ACSP will ask for:
- your full name and any former names;
- your date of birth;
- your home address;
- your 12-month address history; and
- your email address.
If you hold a biometric or machine-readable document, the ACSP can validate it using ID document validation technology. Otherwise it checks manually, either two photographic ID documents or one photographic and one non-photographic document such as a birth or marriage certificate. The ACSP keeps copies of your documents and checks for seven years.
Companies House says ACSPs must verify you to the same standard as its own service. It also says it can run random checks on ACSPs and suspend or cease any that fall short. It publishes a list of suspended and ceased ACSPs and a list of registered ones. That second list only includes firms that chose to appear on it, so your own accountant may be registered without being listed. Ask them.
The ICAEW suggests the ACSP route can suit directors with older passports or driving licences, who may otherwise need to supply more supporting information.
The personal code: what it is and where you use it
When you have verified, you receive a Companies House personal code. Companies House describes it as an 11-character code that is personal to you, not to your company. The guidance on personal codes is clear that you use the same code each time. A director of five companies verifies once and gives the same code for each appointment.
You use the code to connect your verified identity to Companies House's records. It goes in:
- your company's confirmation statement, if you are a current director;
- your appointment filing, or the incorporation filing, if you are a new director; and
- the 'Provide identity verification details for a PSC' service, if you are a PSC.
Where to find it
- If you used GOV.UK One Login: sign in to Companies House with the same email address you verified with and go to 'Manage account'. If you verified after 8 July 2026, Companies House also emailed the code.
- If you used the Post Office: you get an email from GOV.UK with the result, usually within one day. If it is successful, the code appears under 'Manage account'.
- If you used an ACSP: Companies House emails the code to the address the ACSP gave for you. If it never arrived, ask the ACSP which address it used.
If you verified through an ACSP, Companies House recommends saving the code to a Companies House account. You sign in, confirm you have verified, and enter the code and your date of birth.
Keep the code safe, but you can share it with your filer
Companies House compares the code against the date of birth it holds. If the two do not match, the code will not link to your records. The usual causes are a mistyped code, a wrong date of birth on the register, or an ACSP that supplied incorrect details. A wrong date of birth is corrected through WebFiling. If the fault was the ACSP's, go back to the ACSP.
You may give the code to someone who files on your behalf, such as your accountant. Treat it as you would your Unique Taxpayer Reference. If you think it has been shared or compromised, contact Companies House. It can cancel the old code and email you a new one.
Existing directors: verify before the next confirmation statement
This is the rule most existing directors need.
Companies House's press release on the rollout says existing directors must confirm they have verified at the same time as they file their next annual confirmation statement, during the 12-month transition period that began on 18 November 2025. The code for every director goes into that filing.
The consequence is practical. Companies House says the company cannot file its confirmation statement unless all its directors are verified, and a filing without verified directors will be rejected. One director who has not verified can hold up the whole company's filing.
So your deadline is set by your confirmation statement date, but the transition year sets the outer limit. A confirmation statement due after mid-November 2026 does not buy you extra time. Do not wait for it.
If you are a director of more than one company, give your code in each company's confirmation statement.
Overseas companies registered in the UK follow a different trigger: they must confirm that all directors have verified by the anniversary of the UK establishment's registration.
PSCs: the 14-day window
Every PSC has a 14-day period in which to provide their personal code and a verification statement. The dates depend on whether you were registered as a PSC before 18 November 2025, and whether you are also a director of the company.
PSC and director of the same company
Your 14 days start on the day after the company's confirmation statement date. If the confirmation statement date is 31 March 2026, your window runs from 1 April to 14 April 2026. Filing the confirmation statement early does not move it.
You verify once, but you must provide your code twice: once as director in the confirmation statement, and again as PSC through the PSC service. Giving it in the confirmation statement does not cover the PSC role. This is the most common mistake we would expect to see, and Companies House has been answering questions from directors who received an overdue letter after doing only the first.
PSC who is not a director
Your window is the first 14 days of your birth month, using the month of birth shown on the Companies House register. If the register shows your birthday as 22 January, your window starts on 1 January. If it shows March 1990, it starts on 1 March.
That means an incorrect date of birth on the register can put your window in the wrong month. Check it.
New PSCs
If you become a PSC after 18 November 2025, you can provide your code when you are first added to the register, or within 14 days of the date on the direction letter that Companies House sends shortly afterwards.
Extensions
If you cannot provide your details on time, you can request a 14-day extension through the online service. You must ask before your deadline passes. Companies House's guidance gives no other extension route, so treat 14 days plus one 14-day extension as the practical limit and do not plan around more.
New directors: verify first
For a new company, or a new appointment to an existing one, the code is part of the filing. Each new director must have verified before the incorporation or appointment goes in. If you are setting up a company, build verification into the first week. Our guide to setting up a limited company covers the other early tasks, and the same applies whether you are a contractor or running a larger business.
What happens if you do not verify
Companies House's guidance is direct. If you do not comply with all requirements on time, you may be committing an offence, and may face prosecution and a fine through the courts, or a financial penalty. The guidance gives no figures.
For directors, it goes further:
- If you continue to act as a director after the deadline without complying, you commit an offence.
- The company, or entity, and all of its directors may also be committing an offence.
- A PSC who carries on after the deadline without complying may be committing an offence.
Companies House also says that in the future it will publish a note against your name on the public register. You will also be unable to:
- be appointed as a new director of an existing company;
- register a new company or entity; or
- register as an ACSP.
And as above, the company's confirmation statement cannot be filed until all its directors are verified.
At launch, Companies House said it would help companies comply and take a proportionate approach to enforcement. That is a reason to ask for help early. It is not a reason to expect leniency for someone who did nothing. Its guidance says it will use its full range of powers against non-compliance.
The scale is large. Companies House estimated that 6 to 7 million individuals would need to verify by mid-November 2026. Its management information for April to June 2026 showed that by the end of June, 55% of directors, 50% of LLP members and 42% of PSCs had told it they were verified. Expect support queues to lengthen as the end of the transition year approaches.
Step by step
- Work out your roles. List every company where you are a director or PSC, and whether you hold both roles in the same company.
- Check your due dates. Look at the Companies House register. It shows the date for each role.
- Choose your route. The free One Login service suits most people with a suitable photo ID and a smartphone. An ACSP suits people who cannot complete the online route, who have older documents, or who would rather hand the job to their accountant.
- Verify. For One Login, use an email address you have not used for GOV.UK One Login before. For the Post Office, enter your photo ID details on GOV.UK first. For an ACSP, give them the documents and the details they ask for, and check the email address they will use.
- Find your personal code. Sign in to Companies House and open 'Manage account', or check the email the ACSP triggered.
- Give the code for each role. Directors put it in the confirmation statement or appointment filing. PSCs use the 'Provide identity verification details for a PSC' service within their 14 days. If you are both, do both.
- Check the register. Confirm your roles show as verified, and correct your date of birth if it does not match.
If you manage several companies, work through them one at a time rather than relying on one filing covering everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to verify every year?
No. In most cases you verify once and reuse the same personal code. Companies House says you must not verify again unless it tells you to.
I gave my code in the confirmation statement. Why am I still chased as a PSC?
The two roles are separate. Directors who are also PSCs of the same company must provide the code a second time, through the PSC service, in their 14-day window.
Can my accountant verify me?
Yes, if they are registered with Companies House as an ACSP. They can charge a fee, and they will need your identity documents or evidence of a previous check they are satisfied with.
I verified at the Post Office but cannot see my code.
Check for the result email from GOV.UK, which usually arrives within a day. If it is successful, sign in to Companies House with the same email address you used to verify and open 'Manage account'. If that fails, contact Companies House with details of the method you used.
Does my company's registered email address matter?
Yes. Companies House uses the company's registered email address to contact it, including about verification, so keep it current.
If you run a small company and want the accounts and tax side handled alongside this, see Deplexify UK, or accounts for contractors.