Companies House Identity Verification: What Directors and PSCs Need to Do Now.

Companies House has changed significantly under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act reforms.

One of the biggest practical changes for company owners and directors is mandatory identity verification.

The purpose is straightforward: Companies House wants greater confidence that the people setting up, running, owning and controlling UK companies are actually who they claim to be.

Compulsory identity verification for directors and people with significant control, or PSCs, came into effect on 18 November 2025.

Companies House introduced a 12-month transition period for existing appointments, but that should not be confused with one single deadline applying to everyone.

Companies House’s latest guidance explains when different directors and PSCs need to verify their identity .

Who needs to verify their identity with Companies House?

Identity verification affects people who play key roles in UK companies.

This includes:

• company directors;
• people with significant control;
• people becoming new directors;
• people becoming new PSCs;
• equivalent roles in certain other entities; and
• people registering as Authorised Corporate Service Providers.

A PSC is broadly someone who owns or controls a significant part of a company.

That can include someone who holds more than 25% of the company’s shares or voting rights, although there are other ways somebody may meet the PSC conditions.

Companies House provides further guidance on identifying people with significant control .

When do directors and PSCs need to verify?

This is where businesses need to be particularly careful.

The deadline is not identical for everybody.

What existing directors need to do.

If you were already a director when mandatory identity verification began, your company will need to connect your verified identity to the Companies House register through its confirmation statement.

You first verify your identity and receive a unique Companies House personal code.

That code must then be supplied when the company’s next confirmation statement is filed.

This makes identity verification more than an individual administrative task.

If one director has not completed the process, it can affect the company’s ability to meet its own Companies House filing requirement.

See Companies House guidance on filing a confirmation statement .

PSCs have a separate requirement.

One point that could easily catch business owners out is that being both a director and a PSC does not mean one submission covers both roles.

If you are a director and a PSC of the same company, you need to connect your verified identity to Companies House separately for each role.

For an existing PSC who is also a director of the same company, the PSC’s 14-day period starts on the day after the company’s confirmation statement date.

Companies House also makes clear that filing the confirmation statement early does not bring this 14-day PSC period forward.

Existing PSCs who are not directors generally have a different deadline: the first 14 days of their birth month.

PSCs can provide their code using the Companies House PSC identity-verification service .

What is a Companies House personal code?

Once your identity has been successfully verified, Companies House gives you a personal code.

It is an 11-character code that connects your verified identity to your Companies House records.

This is particularly important for people who hold appointments across several businesses.

You do not normally need a new identity verification for every company.

You verify your identity once and then use the same personal code to connect that identity to each relevant appointment or role.

What if you are a director of several companies?

If you are a director of multiple companies, you will need to provide your personal code for each directorship as the relevant requirement arises.

The code itself remains the same.

Companies House recommends keeping the code safe, although you can share it with someone you trust who files on your behalf, such as your accountant or company adviser.

Read the official guidance on Companies House personal codes .

How can you verify your identity?

There are several routes available.

1. GOV.UK One Login

Many people can complete the process online through GOV.UK One Login.

Companies House currently lists accepted photo identification including:

• a biometric passport from any country;
• a UK photocard driving licence;
• a UK biometric residence permit; or
• a UK biometric residence card.

2. At a Post Office

If the online process directs you to prove your identity at a Post Office, you will first need to enter the required information through GOV.UK.

You will then take the required photo identification and your Post Office customer letter to an eligible branch.

Companies House says the result is usually provided by email within one day of the Post Office visit.

See the Post Office identity-verification guidance .

3. Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider

You can also ask an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, or ACSP, to verify your identity.

ACSPs are professional agents such as accountants and solicitors who have registered with Companies House and are supervised for anti-money-laundering purposes.

Companies House publishes information explaining how an ACSP can verify your identity .

Verification and filing are two different steps.

This is another distinction worth understanding.

Successfully proving your identity does not necessarily mean that every Companies House role you hold has automatically been updated.

That is why an existing director may complete their identity check before their confirmation statement is due but still need to make sure the personal code is included when the statement is filed.

The same principle applies to PSCs, who need to provide their personal code during the relevant PSC verification period.

What about new directors and new companies?

The rules are already built into new appointments.

If somebody becomes a director after mandatory identity verification came into force, their personal code needs to be provided as part of the appointment process.

Likewise, when a new company is incorporated, the relevant personal code must be provided for each director.

New PSCs also have identity-verification obligations when they are added to the register.

What happens if you do not verify your identity?

Companies House has made clear that mandatory identity verification is not optional.

Failure to comply with the requirements on time can potentially lead to enforcement action.

Companies House says non-compliance may result in:

• financial penalties;
• prosecution and fines through the courts;
• restrictions on being appointed as a new director;
• restrictions on registering a new company or entity; and
• information about non-compliance ultimately appearing on the public register.

It is also unlawful for a director to continue acting without complying with applicable identity-verification requirements after their deadline.

Companies House has published its approach to identity-verification non-compliance .

What should company directors do now?

For many businesses, the most important step is simply making sure nobody is left dealing with this at the last minute.

1. Check who the company’s directors and PSCs are. Review the Companies House register and make sure the recorded information reflects the current position.
2. Check the company’s next confirmation statement date. Existing directors will generally need their personal codes when this is filed.
3. Work out each PSC’s relevant verification window. Do not assume the director and PSC deadlines are identical.
4. Verify identities early. Leaving verification until the filing deadline creates unnecessary risk if there is a problem with identification or the information held by Companies House.
5. Keep personal codes secure. Each individual receives their own 11-character code. It may need to be used across more than one company appointment.
6. Make sure whoever files for the company has the information they need. If your accountant or another trusted agent files on your behalf, make sure the relevant personal codes are available in good time.
7. Do not assume verification completes every role automatically. The personal code still needs to be connected to the relevant directorship or PSC position.

RiverView view: do not wait until the confirmation statement is due.

Identity verification itself may be relatively straightforward for many directors.

The risk comes from discovering a problem when a Companies House filing is already due.

That could be an identification issue, a mismatch in the personal information held on the register, a missing personal code or simply one director who has not completed the process.

This is particularly important for companies with several directors, business owners involved in multiple companies, or individuals who are both directors and PSCs.

Good company administration is about dealing with these requirements before they become urgent.

RiverView Portfolio can also support business owners with wider business and financial strategy , helping ensure financial and administrative decisions support the wider direction of the business.

Frequently asked questions.

This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Companies House requirements and implementation dates may change, so businesses should check the latest official guidance and their individual filing dates before taking action.