Companies House identity verification is now part of the basic compliance work involved in setting up and running a UK company. Since 18 November 2025, new directors have been required to verify who they are before they can be appointed or included in an incorporation. Existing directors and people with significant control, known as PSCs, are being brought into the system according to individual due dates during the transition period.
For a first-time founder, this creates an extra step before registration. Verify early, obtain your personal code and know where it must be provided to avoid delays.
Why Companies House introduced identity verification
The requirement is designed to improve the accuracy and reliability of the Companies House register. Identity checks should make impersonation and the use of false director details more difficult, while giving businesses and the public greater confidence in company information.
The Companies House rules 2026 treat verification as a legal compliance requirement, not an optional security feature. However, 18 November 2025 was the start of a 12-month transition rather than one deadline for everybody. The date by which someone must comply depends on their role and when it began.
Who must verify their identity?
The rules apply to individual company directors, PSCs and people in equivalent roles, including relevant members, general partners and managing officers. Directors of overseas companies registered in the UK are also covered, as is anyone applying to become an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, or ACSP.
New directors and new companies
Anyone becoming a director on or after 18 November 2025 must complete director identity verification and provide a Companies House personal code as part of the appointment filing. When forming a new company, the application must include the personal code for each proposed director. Every director should therefore finish the check before the incorporation is submitted.
Existing directors
An existing director must provide their personal code in the company’s next confirmation statement. If someone is a director of several companies, the same code can be used, but it must be supplied for every directorship. A company cannot file its confirmation statement unless all its directors have completed the required verification.
People with significant control
PSC verification follows a separate timetable. Every PSC has a 14-day period in which to provide a personal code and verification statement. An existing PSC who is also a director of the same company has a period beginning the day after the company’s confirmation statement date. An existing PSC who is not a director must act within the first 14 days of their birth month.
A person becoming a PSC after 18 November 2025 can provide the code when first added to the register or within 14 days of being added. The register shows the relevant due dates. If someone is both a director and a PSC, supplying the code for the directorship does not complete the PSC requirement; the code must be linked separately to both roles.
How to complete a Companies House identity check
There are two official routes. You can use the free Verify your identity for Companies House service, which operates through GOV.UK One Login, or ask an ACSP to check your identity. An ACSP is a Companies House-authorised agent supervised under UK anti-money-laundering rules, such as an eligible accountant, solicitor or formation agent.
Using GOV.UK One Login
For the online GOV.UK ID check, you will need your current address, the year you moved there and your own GOV.UK One Login. Depending on your circumstances, the service may verify you through an app, security questions or a participating Post Office after you enter your photo-ID details online.
Accepted online ID includes a biometric passport from any country, a UK photocard driving licence and certain UK biometric immigration documents. Each person needs a separate One Login email address. If the digital route is unsuitable, follow the alternative offered or use an ACSP.
Using an authorised agent
An ACSP can verify people in the UK or overseas using approved evidence. This may help when the online route is unsuitable. The agent may charge, so confirm its Companies House authorisation before sharing documents.
What happens after verification?
Successful verification produces an 11-character Companies House personal code. The code belongs to the individual, not a particular business. In most cases, a person verifies only once and then uses the same code to connect that verified identity to each company role.
Keep the code secure. You may share it with a trusted accountant or formation agent filing on your behalf, but it should not be published or given to an unverified intermediary. Make sure the name and date of birth held by Companies House match the details used during verification, as discrepancies can stop the code from being linked.
A practical checklist for new business owners
Before incorporation, identify every proposed director and PSC. Ask each director to verify and send their code securely to the filer. Check that names and dates of birth match the proposed record. If using an agent, confirm its ACSP status and fee.
After registration, note any PSC verification deadline shown on the register. Remember that a founder who is both director and PSC may have two separate linking actions. Store the personal code safely for later appointments and confirmation statements.
What if someone does not comply?
Missing a due date is more serious than an incomplete administrative task. A new director cannot lawfully be appointed without meeting the requirement, while an unverified existing director who continues acting after the deadline may commit an offence. The company may also be in breach. Companies House can pursue financial penalties or prosecution, and non-compliance can prevent a confirmation statement from being filed.
Do not assume the end of the transition period is your personal deadline. Check the register and official correspondence for the date attached to each role, then resolve any mismatch or technical problem before that date.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to verify before registering a new company?
Yes. Each proposed director must verify and provide a personal code as part of an incorporation submitted on or after 18 November 2025.
Do I need a new personal code for every company?
No. You normally verify once and receive one personal code, but you must use it to connect your identity to every directorship and PSC role you hold.
Is Companies House identity verification free?
The GOV.UK One Login route is free. An ACSP may charge for completing the check and handling related filings.
Does verifying as a director also complete PSC verification?
No. If you hold both roles, you must provide the code separately for the director role and the PSC role, following the deadline and service that apply to each.
Conclusion
Companies House identity verification has changed company formation from a form-only exercise into a process that confirms the people behind the business. New directors should complete the check before incorporation, keep their personal code secure and link it wherever required. With early preparation and attention to role-specific deadlines, the new compliance step should be manageable rather than disruptive.