Every director and person with significant control (PSC) of a UK company now has a legal obligation to verify their identity with Companies House. The requirement took effect on 18 November 2025, and the clock is ticking - existing directors must complete verification before their next confirmation statement, with a hard backstop of 18 November 2026. Miss it and your filings get rejected, your company risks being struck off, and you could face criminal charges.
TL;DR: Companies House identity verification became mandatory on 18 November 2025 under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Existing directors must verify before their next confirmation statement or by 18 November 2026 at the latest. You can verify online via GOV.UK One Login, at a Post Office, or through your accountant. Failure to comply is a criminal offence carrying fines and potential director disqualification.
Why Is Companies House Requiring Identity Verification?
The requirement comes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), which gave Companies House new powers to verify the people behind UK companies. Before ECCTA, anyone could register as a director using minimal checks. That made the UK register attractive for fraud - Companies House itself acknowledged the problem when it published its enforcement approach in early 2026 (GOV.UK, 2026).
The UK register holds over 5.4 million companies (GOV.UK, 2025), with 92.6% being private limited companies. That is a lot of directors and PSCs who need to go through this process. Companies House plans to take enforcement action against 150,000 companies as part of its 2025-26 business plan (GOV.UK, 2025).
Who Needs to Verify?
Three groups of people must complete identity verification:
Directors and their equivalents - this includes company directors, LLP members, general partners of limited partnerships, and managing officers of overseas companies with a UK establishment.
People with significant control (PSCs) - anyone who holds more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or who has the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board.
Anyone filing on behalf of a company - this covers accountants and company secretaries who file at Companies House, though they do this through the Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) registration route.
New directors appointed since 18 November 2025 must verify at the point of appointment. In our experience, most incorporation agents and formation providers now handle this as part of the setup process - similar to how Making Tax Digital required businesses to register for new digital services. The gap is with existing directors who registered before the deadline.
What Is the Deadline for Existing Directors?
The transition period runs from 18 November 2025 to 18 November 2026. But the practical deadline is earlier for most companies - you must have verified your identity before filing your next annual confirmation statement. Companies House will reject the filing if any director on the register has not completed verification (GOV.UK, 2025).
If your company's confirmation statement is due in May or June 2026, you need to act now. There were over 801,000 new incorporations in the year to March 2025 alone (GOV.UK, 2025), and each of those companies has at least one director who may still need to complete this process.
What we see most often is directors who assume someone else has handled verification on their behalf. Unless you have personally completed the steps - or your accountant has done it through the ACSP route - it has not been done.
How Do You Verify Your Identity?
There are three routes, depending on your situation:
Online via GOV.UK One Login - the fastest option. You need a biometric passport (any country), UK photo driving licence, UK biometric residence permit, or UK biometric residence card. The process takes about 10 minutes and gives you a personal verification code to include on filings.
At a Post Office - available for UK residents who cannot use the online route. You book an appointment and bring your ID documents in person.
Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) - your accountant or solicitor can verify your identity on your behalf if they are registered as an ACSP with Companies House. This is often the simplest option for directors who are overseas or who prefer someone else to manage compliance. One question clients always ask is whether their accountant can do this for them - if your accountant is ACSP-registered, yes.
What Happens If You Do Not Verify?
Companies House has published a clear enforcement framework. The consequences come in stages:
Filing rejection - your confirmation statement will not be accepted. This alone creates a chain reaction, because failing to file a confirmation statement can lead to the company being struck off the register.
Criminal offence - acting as a director without completing identity verification is unlawful under Section 167M of the Companies Act. This is a criminal offence carrying the potential for an unlimited fine (GOV.UK, 2026).
Director disqualification - persistent non-compliance can lead to disqualification for up to 15 years, enforced through referral to The Insolvency Service.
Civil penalties - Companies House can issue financial penalties at both company and individual officer level. The enforcement approach document confirms they will send a default letter first, giving you a window to respond with extenuating circumstances. If no action is taken, enforcement proceeds without further notice.
This is not a box-ticking exercise. Companies House has been given real teeth under ECCTA, and its 2025-26 business plan commits to using those powers actively.
What Should You Do This Week?
If you are a director of a UK limited company, check your verification status now. Go to GOV.UK and complete the process online, or ask your accountant whether they can handle it as an ACSP. If your confirmation statement is due in the next three months, treat this as urgent - your filing will be rejected without it. This sits alongside other year-end filing obligations that directors need to stay on top of.
For companies with multiple directors, make sure every person on the register has verified individually. One unverified director blocks the entire confirmation statement.
If you have directors based overseas, the ACSP route through your accountant is usually the most practical path. A biometric passport from any country works for online verification, but the process requires a GOV.UK One Login account, which some international directors find unfamiliar. If you are still deciding on a company structure, our guide to choosing the right accountant covers what to look for in a firm that handles cross-border compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to sole traders?
No. Identity verification applies to directors and PSCs of companies registered with Companies House. Sole traders are not registered at Companies House and are not affected.
Can my accountant verify my identity for me?
Yes, if your accountant is registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) with Companies House. They verify your identity and include their ACSP reference on filings. Ask your accountant whether they hold ACSP status.
What if my company is dormant?
Dormant companies must comply. If you have a dormant company with a director on the register, that director still needs to verify their identity before the next confirmation statement. This mirrors how late filing penalties apply regardless of whether tax is owed.
Is there a fee for verification?
Verification through GOV.UK One Login is free. Post Office verification may carry a small fee. Verification through an ACSP depends on your accountant's pricing - many include it as part of their annual compliance service.
What ID documents are accepted?
For online verification: a biometric passport (from any country), UK photo driving licence, UK biometric residence permit, or UK biometric residence card. If you do not have any of these, the Post Office or ACSP route is your alternative.
Not sure whether your directors are verified, or need help with the ACSP route? Get in touch - we handle Companies House compliance for UK limited companies and can check your status, verify directors on your behalf, and make sure your next confirmation statement goes through without issues.