Identity verification is now an important part of the Companies House regime.
New legal requirements are being introduced requiring directors and people with significant control, known as PSCs, to verify their identity. Identity verification became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025, existing directors and PSCs are currently still being brought into the system during a 12-month transition period.
For existing company directors, the requirement to provide identity verification details is generally linked to the company's confirmation statement during the transition period. PSCs also have specified periods during which they must provide the required information.
Companies House allows individuals to check the register to establish the identity verification due dates applying to their roles.
Verification can be completed directly through GOV.UK One Login or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider.
Once an individual has successfully verified, they receive a Companies House personal code. This code is personal to the individual rather than to a particular company, so somebody who is a director of several companies does not need a separate identity for each appointment.
However, the personal code may need to be provided in connection with each relevant role.
Company owners should not assume that somebody else has dealt with the requirement. Check whether all directors and PSCs have completed verification and establish when their information needs to be supplied.
The reforms are intended to improve the reliability of information held at Companies House and make it more difficult to use companies for fraudulent purposes.
With large numbers of directors and PSCs affected, dealing with the requirement well before the relevant deadline is likely to be considerably easier than leaving it until the last moment.
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Published by The NAS News Team
