If you are a director or a person with significant control (PSC) of a UK company, you now have a legal duty to prove who you are to Companies House, and missing it is a criminal offence that can cost you your directorship, or even your company.
Picture this. You incorporated a tidy little limited company three years ago, you file your confirmation statement each spring without a second thought, and you have never set foot in a Companies House office. From 18 November 2025, that quiet routine changed. Identity verification is now a hard legal requirement under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and almost everyone who runs, owns or files for a UK company is caught by it. The 12-month transition that began that day ends on 18 November 2026, so if you are an existing director or PSC the window to verify is now measured in weeks, not months. This guide explains who must verify, exactly how to do it, and the dates you cannot afford to miss.
Why Companies House identity verification exists
For decades, Companies House was essentially a passive register. You could appoint a director called "Mickey Mouse" of "123 Anywhere Street" and nobody checked. That made the UK register a soft target for fraud, money laundering and shell companies. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) handed Companies House new powers to query, reject and verify information, and identity verification is the headline reform.
The principle is simple: the real people behind a company should be exactly that, real, identifiable people. So if you set up, run, own or control a UK company, you now need to prove your identity once, link it to your record, and keep that verified status.
The timeline: voluntary since April 2025, mandatory since November 2025
The rollout was deliberately staged so that millions of existing directors were not forced through the system overnight.
- 8 April 2025, identity verification opened on a voluntary basis. Early adopters could verify and get their personal code ahead of the rush.
- 18 November 2025, verification became mandatory. From this date new directors and new PSCs must verify, and the 12-month transition for existing officers began.
- 18 November 2026, the transition period ends. By this date every existing director and PSC on the register must have verified their identity. This is the hard deadline now bearing down on the millions of existing directors and PSCs on the UK register.
- At a later date, not yet confirmed, identity verification will also apply to anyone who files at Companies House, and any third party who files on your behalf will need to be a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). Companies House has not fixed this date, so it is not yet in force, but ACSPs can already verify identities on your behalf now.
The key takeaway: this is not a future problem. The mandatory phase is already live, and your personal deadline depends on which category you fall into. The table below summarises who must verify and by when:
| Who you are | When you must verify |
|---|---|
| New director (incorporating or being appointed) | Before incorporation or appointment, you cannot be validly appointed unverified |
| Existing director | With your next confirmation statement, and in any event by 18 November 2026 when the transition ends |
| New person with significant control (PSC) | Within 14 days of being added to the register as a PSC |
| Existing PSC (who is not also a director) | Within the first 14 days of your birth month, and in any event by 18 November 2026 |
| Anyone filing at Companies House | At a later date, not yet confirmed; third-party filers will then need to be a registered ACSP |
New directors: verify before you act
If you are incorporating a brand-new company or being appointed as a director of an existing one, you must verify your identity as part of that process. In practice this means you verify at the point of incorporation or appointment, you cannot be validly appointed without a verified identity.
So the order of play for a new company is: verify yourself first, obtain your Companies House personal code, then incorporate. If you are joining an existing board, do the same before the appointment is filed. If you are not yet clear on what the role entails beyond verification, read our guide to director responsibilities in the UK.
Existing directors: verify via your next confirmation statement
If you are already a director or PSC, you are not expected to drop everything. Instead, you must verify your identity as part of your company's next confirmation statement filed on or after the transition start. That is the trigger.
This is sensible design, the confirmation statement is an annual touchpoint every company already has, but it has a sting. If you (or your accountant) try to file the confirmation statement and you have not yet verified, the filing will not go through cleanly. Your personal trigger is your next confirmation statement, but the absolute backstop is 18 November 2026, now only weeks away, so verify now rather than waiting, even if your next statement falls later. Verify early and the filing becomes a formality.
If you are not sure when your confirmation statement is due, check it now on the Companies House service and read our overview of how the confirmation statement (CS01) works.
New PSCs: the 14-day rule
People with significant control are treated slightly differently. A new PSC, typically someone who holds more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or who otherwise exercises significant control, must verify their identity within 14 days of being registered as a PSC.
This is a tight window, so if your shareholding is about to change in a way that creates a new PSC, plan the verification in advance. A PSC who is also a director will usually verify once and that single verified identity covers both roles.
Existing PSCs who are not also directors have their own trigger during the transition: you must provide your Companies House personal code within the first 14 days of your birth month. So check when your birth month falls and verify ahead of it, and in any case before the 18 November 2026 backstop.
Agents and accountants: the ACSP requirement is coming, not yet in force
Most small companies do not file their own statutory documents, their accountant does. Companies House has confirmed that, at a later date it has not yet fixed, any third party who files on your behalf will have to be registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), and everyone who files will themselves need to be verified. As of this update that filing restriction is not yet live, so do not assume it applies today. To become an ACSP, a firm must itself be supervised for anti-money-laundering purposes and register with Companies House.
Two things are already true, though. First, an ACSP can verify your identity on your behalf right now, which is often the simplest route for a busy director. Second, a reputable firm will already be registered and ready. Ask your accountant or formation agent whether they are an ACSP: if they are, they can verify you and keep filing for you once the requirement bites; if they are not, plan to verify yourself through GOV.UK One Login and consider a provider that is registered. Our company secretarial service handles confirmation statements, PSC updates and identity verification for you end to end.
How to verify via GOV.UK One Login, step by step
Verification is free and, for most people, takes around 15 minutes online. You verify through GOV.UK One Login, the government's single sign-on identity service, and at the end you receive a Companies House personal code.
Step 1, Gather your identity documents
You will need photo ID. Acceptable documents typically include a UK or international passport, a UK photocard driving licence, or a biometric residence permit. Have one to hand before you start.
Step 2, Create or sign in to GOV.UK One Login
Go to the Companies House identity verification service and follow the link to GOV.UK One Login. If you have used another government service through One Login before, you can reuse the same account.
Step 3, Prove your identity
You can usually verify using the GOV.UK ID Check app, scanning your document and taking a short video selfie so the system can match your face to the photo. If the app is not suitable, there are alternative routes, including verifying through an ACSP.
Step 4, Receive and store your Companies House personal code
Once verified, you are issued a unique Companies House personal code. Keep it safe, this is the reference that links your verified identity to your director and PSC records. You will need it when you incorporate, are appointed, or file. You only verify once; the code is reusable across every company you are connected to.
A worked example: timing it around the tax year
Suppose you are Priya, sole director and 100% shareholder of a consultancy with a confirmation statement due in December 2026. You are both a director and a PSC. Here is how it plays out.
- Because you are an existing director, your verification trigger is the December 2026 confirmation statement, but the 18 November 2026 transition backstop falls first, so you must verify before then in any case.
- You verify once via GOV.UK One Login now, get your personal code, and that single verification covers both your director role and your PSC role.
- You later bring in a co-investor who takes 30% of the shares, making them a new PSC. They must verify within 14 days of being added to the register.
- Your accountant files the December confirmation statement; because both of you are verified, it goes through without a hitch.
None of this changes your tax position, your verified identity simply keeps your filings valid. Your dividends, salary and Corporation Tax all carry on as normal; if you want a refresher on the most efficient way to draw money, see how to pay yourself from a limited company and our dividend vs salary calculator for 2026/27.
The penalties for not verifying
This is where directors need to pay attention. Acting as a director without completing identity verification is a criminal offence under section 167M of the Companies Act 2006. Companies House takes a proportionate, evidence-based approach, but the enforcement tools available are serious:
- Financial penalties imposed by Companies House, at company or individual-officer level.
- Criminal prosecution, which can lead to a conviction and court fines. Companies House treats a case as serious, and is more likely to prosecute, where a person or company has committed three or more offences over a five-year period.
- Director disqualification, being barred from acting as a director.
- Annotation of the register, a public note that you have failed to comply, visible to anyone who searches your company.
- Removal from the register, in the most serious cases, so the company itself can be struck off and cease to exist as a legal entity.
Acting while unverified can also invalidate the relevant filing. The fix is free and quick; the failure is expensive, so verify early. If you would rather it was handled for you, book a free call with Zmartly and our qualified accountants will verify you and keep your filings compliant.
What to do now: your checklist
- Identify your role(s), are you a director, a PSC, or both? Both can be covered by a single verification.
- Check your confirmation statement date for each company you are connected to. That is your existing-director deadline trigger.
- Verify now via GOV.UK One Login rather than waiting for the deadline, it is free and takes about 15 minutes.
- Save your Companies House personal code somewhere secure and reusable.
- Check any new PSCs verify within 14 days of being registered.
- Ask your accountant or agent whether they are an ACSP, so they can verify you now and are ready for the filing requirement when it arrives.
- Verify before any new incorporation or appointment, you cannot be validly appointed unverified.
If you would rather not handle any of this yourself, an ACSP-registered accountant can verify on your behalf and keep your filings compliant. Either way, the goal is the same: one verified identity, one personal code, and statutory filings that never get blocked.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to verify my identity at Companies House if I am already a director?
Yes. Existing directors and PSCs must verify their identity during the transition period, which ends on 18 November 2026. A director's trigger is the company's next confirmation statement, and an existing PSC who is not a director must provide their code within the first 14 days of their birth month. Verify early rather than waiting, because an unverified status can block the confirmation statement filing.
How do I verify my identity for Companies House and get my personal code?
You verify through GOV.UK One Login, usually using the GOV.UK ID Check app to scan photo ID such as a passport or driving licence and take a short video selfie. It is free and takes around 15 minutes. Once verified you receive a unique Companies House personal code, which you keep and reuse for every company you are connected to.
What happens if I do not verify my identity?
Acting as a director without verifying is a criminal offence under section 167M of the Companies Act 2006. You could face a financial penalty, criminal prosecution, director disqualification, an annotation on the public register, and in serious cases the company can be struck off. Unverified filings may also be rejected, so it is far cheaper to verify promptly.
Does my accountant need to be an Authorised Corporate Service Provider?
The requirement for third-party filers to be a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), and for all filers to be verified, is coming at a later date that Companies House has not yet fixed, so it is not in force yet. An ACSP can already verify your identity on your behalf now, though. Ask your accountant or formation agent whether they are registered; if they are not, you can verify yourself through GOV.UK One Login or move to a provider that is an ACSP.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Verifying your identity for Companies House
- GOV.UK, When you need to verify your identity for Companies House
- GOV.UK, Companies House approach to non-compliance with mandatory identity verification
- GOV.UK, Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023: factsheets
- GOV.UK, File your confirmation statement with Companies House
- GOV.UK. Companies House
