Every UK company director must now prove who they are to Companies House. It is a legal requirement, not an optional extra. This guide explains who must verify, your personal deadline, the three ways to do it, and what breaks if you miss it.
If you are still deciding whether to start a company at all, read our guide to franchise vs starting your own business first. If you have decided to form a limited company, this page is your compliance checklist. Our step-by-step guide to starting a business in the UK in 2026 covers the wider startup process.
The short answer: Every UK company director must prove their identity to Companies House under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Verification is free through GOV.UK One Login and produces an 11-character personal code. Existing directors supply the code with their next confirmation statement, and the statement is rejected if any director has not verified.
What is Companies House identity verification?
Identity verification is the legal duty for company directors, persons with significant control (PSCs) and LLP members to prove their identity to Companies House. A PSC is someone who owns or controls more than 25 percent of a company’s shares or voting rights, or who otherwise exercises significant influence over it.
The duty comes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA). It changed Companies House from a passive filing cabinet into an active regulator. The identity rules took effect on 18 November 2025, which opened a 12-month transition period. As of October 2026, that transition is nearly over.
Successful verification gives you a Companies House personal code: an 11-character code that belongs to you as an individual, not to any company. The core rule of the whole system is simple. Verify once, supply per role. You verify your identity one time, then you supply your personal code separately for each role you hold: director, PSC, or both.
Two terms you will meet everywhere in this process:
- GOV.UK One Login. The government’s sign-in and identity service. It is separate from Government Gateway and WebFiling. They are different systems with different logins, which catches many people out.
- ACSP (Authorised Corporate Service Provider). An accountant, solicitor or formation agent registered with Companies House and supervised for anti-money-laundering purposes. Only registered ACSPs can verify your identity on your behalf. Most ordinary accountants are not registered ACSPs, so yours probably cannot do it for you.
Who must verify their identity?
The duty applies to limited companies and LLPs, and to their officers. It does not apply to sole traders. If you are unsure which structure suits you, see our guide to sole trader vs limited company.
| Role | Must verify? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Company director (existing) | Yes | Even if you were appointed years ago |
| Company director (newly appointed) | Yes | Verification now feeds into the appointment itself |
| PSC (person with significant control) | Yes | Includes PSCs who are not directors |
| LLP member or general partner of a limited partnership | Yes | Same regime |
| Company secretary | No | The secretary role is excluded |
| Sole trader | No | Only companies and LLPs are in scope |
Dormant company directors must verify too. There is no exemption for companies that are not trading.
Your deadline: it is probably not the date you think
The most repeated error in search results is that one headline date applies to everyone. It does not. Mid-November 2026 is the end of the transition period, not your personal deadline. Your deadline depends on your role and your company’s filing cycle.
| Your situation | Your deadline (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Existing director | Supply your personal code with your company’s next confirmation statement |
| Director who is also a PSC | Verify once, then make a separate PSC code submission within 14 days starting the day after the confirmation statement date |
| PSC who is not a director | Supply your code within the first 14 days of your birth month |
| Newly appointed director or new PSC | Supply your code within 14 days of being added to the register |
You can check your own verification due date on the Companies House public record, on the People tab for your company. Several directors on business forums report this as the fastest way to confirm their personal date.
Worked example 1: the one-person company
Priya is the sole director and sole PSC of her consultancy Ltd. Her confirmation statement is due on 30 April 2027. She verifies once through GOV.UK One Login in October 2026 and receives her personal code. She supplies the code as a director with the confirmation statement filed on 30 April 2027, and she makes a separate PSC submission within 14 days starting the day after that date. One verification, two code submissions.
Worked example 2: the two-director company
Ahmed and his wife are both directors. Ahmed verifies in September 2026; his wife puts it off. When the confirmation statement falls due, the company cannot file it, because the statement is rejected unless every director’s verification is satisfied. One unverified director blocks the whole company.
Worked example 3: the PSC who is not a director
Tom owns 40 percent of a company but is not a director. He was born in March. His window to supply his personal code is the first 14 days of March, and he verifies separately from the directors.
Our guide to how the confirmation statement works and what it costs explains the filing itself, including the £50 online filing fee.
How to verify your identity: the three routes
There are three ways to verify. The digital route is free and suits most directors.
Route 1: GOV.UK One Login (free, digital)
This is the route Companies House steers you toward. It is free. The steps below describe the flow as of October 2026. Gov.uk updates its screens regularly, so follow the on-screen prompts if a detail differs.
- Go to the gov.uk page “Verify your identity for Companies House”.
- Create a GOV.UK One Login account. You need an email address that is not already used by another One Login identity. One email per identity is a hard rule, and it catches out people who hold Government Gateway, WebFiling and One Login accounts on different addresses.
- Choose how to prove your identity. Most directors are sent to the GOV.UK ID Check app on their phone. A QR code on the computer screen links your phone to your One Login session.
- Scan your photo ID in the app. If it is a biometric passport, the app will ask you to scan the chip: lay the passport flat, place the phone on the photo page and move it slowly until the scan registers.
- Complete the face scan, also called a liveness check. Use bright, even light and a plain background.
- Enter your address details when prompted.
- Companies House links your verified identity to your One Login. Your 11-character personal code then appears in the Manage account area.
The whole process can take under 15 minutes when the app cooperates. When it does not, see the troubleshooting section below. The Post Office route is the standard fallback.
Route 2: Post Office in person (free)
- Start the verification on gov.uk and choose the Post Office option.
- Book an appointment at a participating Post Office branch.
- Attend with your documents. Staff check your ID against you in person.
- You receive the result usually within a day. You must complete the process within 21 days of starting it online.
This route suits directors without a suitable smartphone, without a biometric passport, or whose app checks keep failing.
Route 3: ACSP, an authorised agent (they set the fee)
An Authorised Corporate Service Provider, such as a registered formation agent or specialist firm, can verify your identity for you. You provide your documents to them, they run the checks, and they send you your personal code, usually by email.
Two warnings. First, fees are set by the provider. Reported figures range from about £24.99 for a standalone service to £30 to £80 typical, with some firms quoted up to £250. These are reported figures, not verified prices, so shop around. Second, confirm the provider is actually registered as an ACSP with Companies House before you pay. Your own accountant can only do this if they hold ACSP registration. Ask to see proof.
| Route | Cost | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOV.UK One Login | Free | Usually minutes | Most directors with a smartphone and valid photo ID |
| Post Office | Free | Result usually within a day, 21-day completion window | No suitable phone or ID for the app, or repeated app failures |
| ACSP | Provider’s fee (reported £24.99 to £250) | Varies | Overseas directors, or anyone who wants it handled |
What documents you need
For the One Login route, gov.uk accepts the following as of October 2026:
- Biometric passport, from any country. It must be in date for the app check. An expired passport is not accepted.
- UK photocard driving licence, full or provisional. Accepted if it expired within the last 90 days.
- UK biometric residence permit (BRP), biometric residence card (BRC), or Frontier Worker permit. Accepted if expired within the last 18 months.
Also prepare your address details and decide on your One Login email address before you start. Write down which email belongs to which government login. Forum threads are full of directors going in circles because their One Login, WebFiling and Government Gateway accounts sit on three different addresses.
Your personal code: what it is and where it lives
Your Companies House personal code is an 11-character code, formatted like AB1-23CD-4EF4. Four facts about it matter more than anything else:
- It belongs to you, not to the company. One code per person, used across every company and every role you hold.
- It is not on the public register. Nobody can look it up. Treat it like a password.
- It is different from the company authentication code. This is the confusion that causes the most grief, so here is the comparison.
| Personal code | Company authentication code | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 11 characters | 6 characters |
| Belongs to | You, the individual | The company |
| Proves | Your identity | Authority to file for the company |
| Used | Once per role (director, PSC) | For each filing submitted |
- Where to find it depends on your route. Via One Login, it appears in the Manage account area. Via the Post Office, it is communicated to you after the result. Via an ACSP, the provider sends it to you, usually by email.
If the code never arrives, check the Manage account area first, then your spam folder and the email address linked to your One Login. If you verified through an ACSP, ask the provider. Gov.uk has a retrieval process for lost codes. Store the code somewhere safe once you have it. You will need it every time you take on a new directorship or PSC role.
Where the code goes: verify once, supply per role
Verification and code supply are two separate steps. Verifying gives you the code. Supplying the code connects it to a specific role at Companies House.
- Directors supply their personal code in the confirmation statement (or at appointment, for new directors).
- PSCs make a separate submission, “provide identity verification details for a PSC”, within their own 14-day window. This is the step director-PSCs miss: verifying once does not automatically cover your PSC role.
The PSC rules have their own detail, including what happens on resignation and how the birth-month window works. Our companion guide, the PSC register explained, covers that side of the regime in full.
What it costs
Verification itself is free through GOV.UK One Login and the Post Office route. There is no government charge for proving your identity.
Paying only enters the picture if you use an ACSP. Reported fees range from about £24.99 for a standalone check to a typical £30 to £80, with some firms quoted up to £250. Those figures are reported by other sites, not verified by us. If your accountant quotes a fee, ask two questions: are you a registered ACSP, and what exactly does the fee cover. Remember you can always do it free yourself through One Login.
Do not confuse verification with filing fees. The confirmation statement costs £50 online or £110 on paper since 1 February 2026. That is the price of filing the statement, not of verifying your identity.
What happens if you miss your deadline
The consequences escalate in a fixed order, as of October 2026:
- Your confirmation statement is rejected. The company cannot file it until every director’s verification requirement is satisfied. Filings submitted without verified identity are rejected.
- Acting as a director while unverified is a criminal offence, under section 167M of the Companies Act 2006. The company also commits an offence if it lets an unverified person act as a director. In a two-director company, this means the verified co-director has a legal reason to care whether the other one verifies.
- Financial penalties can follow from Companies House.
- Prosecution is real. On 16 September 2026, three directors were fined at the City of London Magistrates’ Court in cases brought by the Insolvency Service, the first prosecutions for identity verification offences. In one case, a verified director was prosecuted for failing to stop an unverified person acting. That is the case every small company with more than one director should read twice.
The scale of non-compliance explains why enforcement has started. Between November 2025 and May 2026, Companies House sent about 983,000 non-compliance letters, and roughly 183,000 directors or controllers were still unverified as of May 2026, according to a Spotlight on Corruption freedom of information request reported by Pinsent Masons. By the end of June 2026, Companies House data showed 55 percent of director appointments and 42 percent of individual PSC appointments verified, reported by Together Accounting in July 2026.
The enforcement framework goes beyond the headline fines. Financial penalties can be issued at company level or against the individual officer. Acting while unverified is a criminal offence under Companies Act 2006 s.167M and the company is separately in breach. Companies House sends default letters and may refer cases to the Insolvency Service. In serious cases with three or more offences over five years it can pursue criminal prosecution leading to director disqualification and substantial court fines. 18 November 2026 is the end of the 12-month transition and the move into active enforcement, not a new personal deadline for most companies.
The first fines show how the courts treated these cases. Jill White received a £166 fine plus £85 costs and a £66 victim surcharge. Marc Dillon received a £307 fine plus £85 costs and a £123 surcharge, although he had verified himself, because he was convicted for letting White keep acting. Modinat Banjo received an £80 fine plus £85 costs and a £32 surcharge. Advisers called these fines modest, but they are convictions and enforcement is only just getting started.
Non-compliance can also result in an annotation on the public Companies House register.
Where an individual acts as an unverified director, the offence is committed not only by that individual but also by the company itself and by its officers.
The transitional rules sit in SI 2025/1118: each company must send an identity-verification statement for every existing director with its next confirmation statement, and Companies House will not accept the confirmation statement until all directors are verified.
When the check fails or stalls: troubleshooting
These fixes come from real director reports on UK business forums. No official guide covers them.
- The passport chip will not scan. Remove your phone case. Lay the passport flat on a table. Place the phone on the photo page and move it slowly. Chip position varies by passport, so sweep the whole page.
- The face scan keeps failing. Take off glasses. Face a window for even light. Use a plain background. Hold the phone steady at arm’s length.
- Your name does not match. The name on the Companies House register must match your photo ID. If the register says “Dave Smith” and your passport says “David John Smith”, the check can fail. Check how your name is recorded on the public register first and update it through the normal appointment update filing if it is wrong.
- You have three logins on three emails. Decide now: one email for GOV.UK One Login, and note which emails belong to WebFiling and Government Gateway. One Login requires a unique email per identity, and mixing them up is the single most common login trap in forum threads.
- The app says it cannot prove your identity. Stop retrying the same route. Switch to the Post Office in-person route or use an ACSP. Repeated failures on one route do not improve with persistence.
- The code never arrived. Check the Manage account area, then spam, then the email address on your One Login. ACSP route: contact the provider.
Verifying before you incorporate a new company
Since 18 November 2025, proposed directors and PSCs must verify their identity before a new company can be registered. If you are forming a company, verify first, then start the incorporation. It avoids the classic delay of a company stuck at registration waiting on one unverified director.
See our guide to how to register a business with Companies House for the full incorporation process, step by step.
While you are doing compliance: the one-sweep check
Identity verification is part of a wider compliance sweep under ECCTA. While you are in your Companies House account, confirm two more things: your registered office address is correct and current, and your registered email address is set and monitored. These sit alongside verification as the registrar’s basic expectations of every company. Our comparison of registered office vs virtual office rules explains the address requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is mid-November 2026 the deadline for everyone?
No. Mid-November 2026 is the end of the transition period. Your personal deadline depends on your role: existing directors use their next confirmation statement date, PSCs have 14-day windows, and new appointees verify within 14 days of joining the register.
What happens if one director has not verified?
The company’s confirmation statement is rejected. Every director’s verification must be satisfied before the statement is accepted, so one holdout blocks the whole filing.
I am both a director and a PSC. Do I verify twice?
No. You verify your identity once and receive one personal code. But you must supply that code separately for each role: once as a director in the confirmation statement, and once as a PSC in the separate PSC submission within its 14-day window.
Does filing the confirmation statement early move my PSC deadline?
No. The PSC 14-day window runs from the day after the confirmation statement date regardless of when you actually file the statement. Filing early does not shorten or shift it.
How do I verify if I do not have a passport?
Use a UK photocard driving licence through the One Login app, or use the Post Office in-person route, which accepts a wider set of documents. An ACSP can also verify you with alternative evidence.
How much does Companies House identity verification cost?
Nothing, if you use GOV.UK One Login or the Post Office. Both are free. You only pay if you choose an ACSP, and then the provider sets the fee. Reported figures range from about £24.99 to £250.
Do I need to verify again if I become a director of another company?
No. Your personal code belongs to you, not to the company. Supply the same code when you are appointed to each new directorship or PSC role.
Can I verify my identity before I incorporate a company?
Yes, and you should. Proposed directors and PSCs must verify before a new company can be registered, so doing it first avoids delays at incorporation.
What happens to my verified status if I resign as a director?
Your verified identity stays with you as a person. Your personal code remains valid for any future roles. Resigning does not cancel your verification.
Is GOV.UK One Login the same as Government Gateway?
No. They are separate systems with separate credentials. One Login is the newer government identity service used for verification. Government Gateway and WebFiling logins are different, which is why so many directors end up with accounts on different email addresses.
What if my identity verification fails during the app process?
Try the practical fixes first: remove your phone case, improve the lighting, check the register name matches your ID. If the app still cannot prove your identity, switch routes: book the Post Office in-person check or use an ACSP instead of retrying.
Do dormant company directors need to verify their identity?
Yes. There is no exemption for dormant companies. If you are a director of a dormant company, the same duty and the same deadlines apply.
How long does it take to receive my personal code after verifying?
Through One Login it is usually immediate in the Manage account area. The Post Office route typically delivers the result within a day. Through an ACSP it depends on the provider, usually by email.
Can I use the same Companies House personal code for several companies?
Yes. The code is personal to you and works across every company and every role you hold. That is the whole point of the verify-once design.
Do I need to complete identity verification every year?
No. Verification is a one-time event per person, not an annual renewal. You supply your existing code each time you take on a new role.
Is my authentication code the same as my Companies House personal code?
No. The personal code is 11 characters and proves your identity. The company authentication code is 6 characters and authorises filings for the company. They are different codes with different jobs.
What if I am an overseas director or PSC?
The same duty applies. A biometric passport from any country works in the One Login app. If the app does not work for you, an ACSP experienced with overseas clients is the usual route.
How do I know a Companies House letter about verification is genuine?
Treat any unexpected letter with caution and verify it independently. Go to gov.uk directly, never through a link in the letter, email or text, and check the official guidance. Companies House will not ask for your passwords or bank details. If in doubt, call Companies House using the number on gov.uk.
Conclusion: do it this week
Identity verification is a one-time task that unblocks everything else your company must file. The practical order is: verify through GOV.UK One Login, store your 11-character personal code somewhere safe, supply it with your next confirmation statement, and make the separate PSC submission if you are also a PSC. Check your personal deadline on the Companies House public record rather than relying on the headline transition date.
Once your Companies House compliance is settled, the next steps in the startup journey are taking money out of the company properly and, if you plan to raise funds, understanding investor tax relief. Our guides to the new dividend disclosure rules for 2025/26 and SEIS and EIS tax relief for founders cover both.
This guide explains the rules as of October 2026. It is general guidance, not professional advice. For your specific situation, check the current gov.uk guidance or speak to a qualified adviser.
