How to verify your identity on Companies House

From 18 November 2025, anyone setting up or running a company in the UK will need to verify their identity. This is part of a government move to crack down on fraud and boost transparency by making the Companies House register more reliable.

Companies House are using a phased approach and has been contacting business owners over the last 12 months. Voluntary verification started in April 2025, with over a million business owners already verified.

Mandatory verification affects anyone setting up, running, owning or controlling a company in the UK. So all directors and people with significant control (PSCs), including general partners, managing officers and company secretaries of UK companies — including dormant ones — will need to confirm their identity to prove they are who they claim to be.

What is Companies House?

Companies House is the UK’s official register of companies. It’s the part of government that keeps track of who’s running what, from limited companies to LLPs.

It handles everything from setting up a business to logging changes in directors, addresses or ownership. Most of what’s filed in Companies House is public, which helps keep things transparent for customers, partners and regulators.

If you’re running a limited company in the UK, you’ll be dealing with Companies House sooner or later — and probably more than once.

What’s changing?

From 18 November, any new directors will have to verify their identity, either to incorporate a company or to be appointed to an existing company.

Additionally, existing directors and people with significant control (PSCs), including general partners, managing officers and company secretaries, will need to verify their identity.

Existing directors will need to verify their identity ahead of filing their company’s confirmation statement.

There is a 12-month transition period to complete the verification, meaning it must be done by autumn 2026. The option to voluntarily verify PSC identities has been available since April. Since then, over a million PSCs have already verified themselves.

If you haven’t yet verified and you think you might need to, you’ll be able to check the due date for all your roles from now.

Why you need to verify your business

As of 18 November, it’s an offence to act as a company director without being verified. This means you may face prosecution or a financial penalty if you don’t comply.

Companies House has said it will be supporting businesses to help them comply, and will take a “proportionate approach” to enforcement.

Outside of persecution and fines, individuals who don’t comply may have a note published against their names, and potentially be banned from:

• Being appointed as a new director to an existing company
• Registering a new company or entity
• Registering as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) — also known as an authorised agent

Verification aims to build trust. The idea is that it’ll deter people who are looking to use companies for illegal purposes. Ultimately, the measures have been introduced to reduce the risk of fraud, as well as improve transparency, trust and accuracy of the information on the Companies House register.

How to verify your identity

Companies House is advising company directors and PSCs to verify their identity as soon as possible. There are two ways of going about it.

1. Using the “Verify your identity for Companies House” service This uses the GOV.UK One Login to verify your identity. It is free of charge and can be completed online.

You’ll be asked some questions about yourself (not the company or companies you’re a director of). Depending on your answers, you’ll be guided to verify either via an app, by answering some security questions online or by entering some details on GOV.UK One Login first, then going to a participating Post Office.

2. Using an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) You can ask an ACSP — like an authorised accountant or solicitor — to verify your identity on your behalf.

You can do this from any country, but your agent must be registered as authorised with Companies House, and they must be registered with a UK Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory body.

Companies House personal code

You’ll only need to verify your identity once. Once you’ve successfully verified, you’ll get a Companies House personal code. This is a unique identifying code that is personal to you, not your company.

Think of your personal code like two-factor authentication. You’ll need to keep this code safe, as you’ll be using it when you file your confirmation statement. You’ll also need it in the future if you’re appointed as a director, or if you become a PSC.

If you’re currently a director or a PSC, you’ll need to use your Companies House personal code to connect your verified identity to Companies House records.

Remember, verification is a legal requirement, helping Companies House know the correct identity is linked to any and all roles you hold.

Learn more about identity verification on gov.uk.