Companies House identity verification
The legal requirement for company directors, people with significant control and LLP members to verify their identity with Companies House, introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.
Companies House identity verification is the requirement for directors, people with significant control (PSCs) and LLP members to prove who they are. It became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025, the start of a 12-month transition period for existing directors and PSCs that runs to November 2026. Existing directors confirm their verification when the company files its next confirmation statement. The requirement is due to extend to people who file on a company's behalf from no earlier than November 2027.
Verification can be completed directly through GOV.UK One Login or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), such as an accountant or formation agent. Once verified, each person receives a personal Companies House code, which is used to link their verified identity to every company they are involved with.
The change matters beyond compliance. For decades anyone could be named as a director without proof of identity, which made the register a weak source for confirming who stands behind a business. Verified identities make it a much stronger input when a finance team checks a new supplier, although it confirms people and corporate standing, not the bank account a supplier asks to be paid into.
Introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. A legal requirement from 18 November 2025, with a 12-month transition for existing directors and PSCs tied to each company's confirmation statement. Verification for people filing on a company's behalf follows from no earlier than November 2027.