Companies House Identity Verification 2026: How and When to Verify

Since 18 November 2025, verifying your identity with Companies House has been a legal requirement under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA). It is a one-off check aimed at making sure the people running and controlling UK companies are who they say they are.

This guide explains who must verify, when, how to do it, and what happens if you do not.

Who must verify their identity?

You must verify your identity if you:

• are a director of a UK company,
• are a person with significant control (PSC),
• file documents with Companies House (including on behalf of a company), or
• want to register as a Companies House authorised agent (an ACSP).

Members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are treated in the same way as company directors for these purposes.

When do I need to verify?

• Voluntary verification opened on 8 April 2025.
• Verification became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025.
• Existing directors provide their personal code when they file their next confirmation statement during the transition period, so most existing directors verify within their first confirmation-statement cycle after November 2025.
• PSCs have a set window (a 14-day period) in which to provide their personal code, depending on when they were registered and whether they are also a director.

If you are setting up a new company or being appointed as a new director now, you must already be verified before you can be added.

How to verify: the two routes

There are two ways to verify, and both end with you receiving a Companies House personal code:

1. GOV.UK One Login (free). You verify directly through the government's One Login identity service. This is free of charge and can be done online.
2. Authorised Corporate Service Provider / ACSP (may charge). An ACSP is a professional such as an accountant, solicitor or company formation agent who is registered and supervised to carry out identity checks. They can verify you remotely or in person, and they may charge a fee for the service.

Either way, you only verify once. You then reuse the same personal code across every company you are involved with, giving it when you file.

What the personal code is for

After verifying, you get a unique personal code. You quote this code when you file at Companies House - for example on the confirmation statement - so the registrar can link the filing to your verified identity. Keep it safe and do not share it: it is tied to you, not to a single company.

Penalties for not verifying

Failing to verify when required is taken seriously:

• it can be a criminal offence, with possible prosecution and a fine, or a financial penalty;
• an unverified person cannot be appointed as a new director of an existing company, or register a new company;
• Companies House can add a note against your name on the public register.

In short, if you run or control a UK company, verification is not optional - and leaving it until a filing deadline risks penalties and blocked filings.

Related guides

Identity verification is part of a wider set of Companies House obligations. See the UK company annual filing requirements for the confirmation statement, accounts and Corporation Tax deadlines, and the how to set up a limited company guide if you are just starting out.