Companies House has introduced compulsory identity verification for people who set up, run, own or control UK companies.

The new requirements are intended to improve the accuracy of the Companies House register and make it harder for people to use false or stolen identities for illegal purposes.

Identity verification became a legal requirement from 18 November 2025, with a 12-month transition period for existing directors and people with significant control, known as PSCs. The date by which you must provide your verification details depends on your role and circumstances.

If you are a company director, shareholder or PSC, here is what you need to know and do.

Who needs to verify their identity?

The requirements apply to:
• Existing company directors
• New directors
• People with significant control
• Individuals incorporating a new company
• Members of limited liability partnerships
• Relevant officers of certain organisations
• Individuals registering as Authorised Corporate Service Providers

Further identity verification requirements will be introduced for other roles at a later date, including some people who file information at Companies House.

What is a person with significant control?

A PSC is someone who owns or controls a company. This could include someone who:
• Holds more than 25% of the company’s shares
• Controls more than 25% of the voting rights
• Has the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board
• Exercises significant influence or control over the company
• Controls a trust or firm that meets one of the relevant conditions

In many small businesses, the same person is both a director and a PSC. However, Companies House treats these as two separate roles for identity verification purposes.

The Companies House identity verification checklist

1. Check your Companies House record
Before starting the verification process, search for your company on the Companies House register and review the information recorded against your name.
Check that your:
• Full name is correct
• Date of birth is correct
• Nationality is accurate
• Correspondence address is current
• Director and PSC appointments are correctly recorded
The personal information used to verify your identity must match the information Companies house holds. A difference involving your name or date of birth could prevent you from connecting your verified identity to your company role.
If anything is incorrect, arrange for it to be updated before your deadline.

2. Confirm whether you are a director, a PSC or both

Your responsibilities and deadline will depend on the roles you hold.
If you are both a director and a PSC of the same company, you must provide your personal code separately for each role.
Providing the code as part of the company’s confirmation statement for your director role does not automatically satisfy the requirement for your PSC role.
You should also identify every company in which you hold a director or PSC position. You only need to verify your identity once, but you must connect that verified identity to each relevant role.

3. Decide how you will verify your identity

There are two main ways to complete verification:
• Directly through GOV.UK One Login
• Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, or ACSP
An ACSP is a business such as an accountant, solicitor or company formation agent that is registered with Companies House and supervised under UK anti-money laundering regulations.
If you would prefer help with the process, ask your accountant whether they are registered as an authorised agent and can verify your identity.

4. Create your own GOV.UK One Login

If you choose to verify directly, you will need to sign in to or create a GOV.UK One Login.
Each individual must use their own email address. A shared business email address cannot be used to verify several different people.
Do not ask an employee, colleague or family member to create the account in their name or share their login details with you.

5. Prepare your identity documents

You may be able to verify online using:
• A biometric passport from any country
• A UK photocard driving licence, either full or provisional
• A UK biometric residence permit
• A UK biometric residence card
• A UK Frontier Worker permit
You will also need your current home address and the year you moved there.
Alternative routes may be available if you do not have suitable photo identification. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to use bank or building society information and your National Insurance number, or complete part of the process at a Post Office.
If you use the Post Office route, you must begin the process online and provide your identity document details before visiting a branch.

6. Complete the identity check

Follow the instructions provided through GOV.UK One Login or your chosen authorised agent.
Make sure that:
• Your details are entered accurately
• Your identity document is valid for the selected verification route
• Any photograph requested is clear
• Your name matches the name on the Companies House register
• Your date of birth is correct
Companies House has specific rules concerning expired documents. For example, an expired passport cannot be used with the GOV.UK One Login app, while a DVLA driving licence may be accepted if it expired within the previous 90 days. Check the current guidance before beginning the process.

7. Find and securely store your personal code

Once your identity has been successfully verified, you will receive an 11-character Companies House personal code.
This code belongs to you as an individual, not to your company. You will use the same personal code for each relevant company and appointment.
If you verified using GOV.UK One Login, you can find the code by signing in to Companies House and selecting “Manage account”. Depending on when you verified, the code may also have been emailed to you.
If an ACSP completed the verification, Companies House will send the code to the email address supplied by the agent.
Store your code securely. You can share it with an accountant or other trusted person who is making an authorised filing on your behalf, but you should not distribute it more widely.

8. Provide the code for your director role

Existing directors must provide their personal code through the company’s confirmation statement.
If you are a director of more than one company, your code must be provided for each company. You only need to verify once, but each appointment must be linked to your verified identity.
New directors must provide their personal code as part of the appointment process. When a new company is incorporated, a personal code will be required for each proposed director.

9. Provide the code separately for your PSC role

PSCs have a specific 14-day period in which to provide their personal code. You can check your applicable dates on the Companies House register.
The deadline depends on your circumstances:
If you are both a director and a PSC of the same company:
Your 14-day period begins on the day after the company’s confirmation statement date. You must use the separate Companies House service for providing identity verification details as a PSC.
If you are a PSC but not a director of that company:
You must provide your personal code during the first 14 days of your birth month.
If you became a PSC after 18 November 2025:
You can provide the code when you are first added to the register or within 14 days of being added.
Filing a confirmation statement early does not bring forward or change the 14-day PSC verification window shown on the register.

10. Check that every appointment has been covered

After supplying your personal code, check that you have completed the process for:
• Every company of which you are a director
• Every company in which you are a PSC
• Both roles where you are a director and PSC
• Any newly created company or appointment
Do not assume that verifying once automatically updates every company record.
What if your details do not match?
If Companies House cannot connect your personal code to your record, check that:
• You have entered the personal code correctly
• The date of birth held by Companies House is correct
• Your name and other personal details match
• An ACSP has not submitted incorrect verification information
An incorrect date of birth may need to be corrected through Companies House before you can complete the process.
If you used an ACSP, contact the agent that verified your identity. They may need to correct the information they supplied.

What if you cannot meet your PSC deadline?

A PSC who cannot provide their verification details within the relevant 14-day period may be able to request a 14-day extension. The request must be made before the original deadline has passed.

Do not leave this until the final day. Check your dates in advance and seek help promptly if you expect a problem.

What happens if you do not comply?

Identity verification is a legal requirement. Failure to comply can lead to financial penalties or prosecution, and Companies House may ultimately display a note against the individual’s name on the public register. It may also cause problems when incorporating a company, appointing a director or completing future Companies House filings.

Directors’ and PSCs’ quick checklist

Before considering the process complete, confirm that you have:
• Checked your details on the Companies House register
• Identified every director and PSC role you hold
• Confirmed your applicable deadline
• Created your individual GOV.UK One Login, if verifying directly
• Gathered suitable identity documents
• Completed the identity verification process
• Received and securely stored your personal code
• Provided the code for every director appointment
• Provided the code separately for every PSC role
• Checked that Companies House has accepted the relevant filings
• Told your accountant that verification has been completed

How Spicer & Co can help

The identity verification rules create additional responsibilities for directors and PSCs, particularly where an individual is connected to several businesses or holds more than one role within the same company.
Spicer & Co can help you understand which requirements apply, check the information recorded at Companies House and ensure the necessary actions are completed by the relevant deadlines.

One problem we have been dealing with is when a company’s annual confirmation statement is due, we cannot file it until all directors/PSCs have completed their identity verification.  If the annual confirmation statement is not filed within a certain time period, Companies House can start proceedings to strike the company off the register.

If you are unsure whether you have fulfilled your responsibilities as a director or PSC, please contact our team for guidance.

Please click on these links for current Companies House guidance on verification deadlines, how to verify and using a personal code.