Companies House clarifies personal code ID verification rules
Jacob Grattage, Reporter, Business & Accountancy Daily
Millions of company directors will have to verify their identity and will be given an 11-character code from November to use Companies House services
Verification will be instant according to Companies House, provided the correct documentation is supplied to prove identity such as a valid passport. The new rules will affect all directors, with six to seven million currently registered at Companies House. However, directors will only need to register once if they hold multiple directorships.
The start date for ID verification is 18 November 2025, although the deadline for individual directors varies depending on their confirmation statement deadline.
Directors will be able to verify themselves either directly or through an authorised corporate service provider (ACSP), such as an accountancy or law firm.
Once identify is verified, directors will receive an 11-character code from Companies House, which will have to used to access services, and is confirmation that the individual has been checked as a genuine director, not a fraudster.
It is important to note that 18 November does not act as a ‘deadline’ as such but as a starting date, Companies House confirmed.
The date at which individual company directors need to do the ID check depends on the due date of their company’s next confirmation statement on or after 18 November 2025, so could be as late as November 2026.
Companies House told Business & Accountancy Daily: ‘In the majority of instances, the identity verification (IDV) process can be completed in a matter of minutes and the individual will immediately receive their personal code through the service upon successful completion.’
Once the code has been received individuals will be able to sign up on Companies House as a director or persons with significant control. Without the code registrations will not be allowed, including director changes and mandatory filings.
Current directors will need to provide their personal code in their company’s next confirmation statement filing with effect from 18 November 2025.
New directors appointed from 18 November will need to provide the code as part of their appointment filing or when they incorporate a company after ID verification.
It will be an offence not to comply with the new ID verification requirement. Penalties could be charged for non-compliance once the system is up and running. As an indication the penalty for failure to file accounts on time ranges from £150 to £750 depending on company size.
Companies House stressed: ‘It will be an offence to act as a director without being verified once director duties commence. Directors will need to verify their identity ahead of their company’s Confirmation Statement. PSCs may also be subject to penalties for non-compliance.‘
Details of the penalty regime will be published ‘in due course’.
How to verify identity and obtain a code
Individuals can verify their identity through several different means, including through accountancy and law firms registered as ACSPs.
One way is by using the‘Verify your identity for Companies House’ service, which uses a Gov.uk One Login to verify the identity across all UK government services online or via the Gov.uk One app available on Apple and Google apps.
Then there are some simple questions to find the best way to verify the user’s identity. Depending on the answers, ID can be verified using the app, by answering security questions online, or by entering details from a photo ID online and getting verification in person at a participating Post Office.
