New ID Verification Requirements: What You Need to Know

The ID verification requirements introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act are the biggest change to running a UK company in years. Since 18 November 2025, anyone who becomes a director or a person with significant control (PSC) must have verified their identity with Companies House, and existing directors and PSCs must do the same during a 12-month transition. This guide explains who the ID verification requirements apply to, the two ways to verify, how your personal code works and the deadlines you need to know.

Why the rules changed

For decades, anyone could become a company director in the UK without proving who they were. That made the register easy to misuse: fake names, stolen identities and companies set up for fraud. The new ID verification requirements are designed to make sure the people running and controlling companies are who they say they are, and to give Companies House more confidence in its data. Over a million people verified voluntarily before the requirement became law.

Who must verify their identity?

The ID verification requirements currently apply to:

• Directors of UK companies, including directors of dormant companies.
• People with significant control of UK companies.
• Members of LLPs, who are treated like directors for these rules.
• Anyone filing documents with Companies House on a company's behalf, either by verifying themselves or by acting through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

Requirements for corporate directors, corporate members of LLPs, officers of corporate PSCs and limited partnerships are being introduced later, with notice given in advance.

The two ways to verify

Option 1: Directly with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login

You can verify online for free using GOV.UK One Login, either through the GOV.UK ID Check app on a smartphone or through the website. You will usually need photo identification, such as a UK passport, a UK photocard driving licence or another accepted document, and you may be asked to take a short video or photo of yourself so the system can match your face to your ID. If you cannot complete the online route, there may be an in-person option at certain Post Office branches.

Option 2: Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider

An ACSP is a firm, such as an accountant or company formation agent, that is registered with Companies House and supervised for anti-money laundering. An ACSP checks your identity documents and confirms to Companies House that you are verified. This route suits people who:

• do not have the documents the online route accepts
• live overseas
• are not confident using apps and online services
• want someone to handle the process for a whole board of directors

ACSPs usually charge for the service. Companies House publishes a list of registered ACSPs on GOV.UK.

Your Companies House personal code

When you have verified, you receive a Companies House personal code, a unique reference that belongs to you. You verify once, and the same code links your verified identity to every company role you hold. Keep it safe and treat it like other personal information: you share it with the companies you are an officer or PSC of, but not more widely.

Verifying alone is not enough. You must then provide a statement with your personal code for each role you hold, at the right time.

What you need before you start

Having the right documents to hand makes the process quick:

• Photo ID: usually a passport (UK or international), a UK photocard driving licence, a UK biometric residence permit or card, or another document on the accepted list.
• A smartphone with a camera if you use the GOV.UK ID Check app, which reads the chip in many passports.
• An email address and phone number for your GOV.UK One Login account.
• Your details as they appear on the Companies House register, so the verification can be matched to your roles.

If your name on the register differs from your ID, for example after marriage, update your details with Companies House so they match.

Verifying from overseas

The ID verification requirements apply to directors and PSCs wherever they live. Many overseas directors can use GOV.UK One Login with an international passport. Where that route does not work, an ACSP can verify remotely by checking documents and identity to the standard Companies House requires. Overseas directors should start early, because document checks and postage can take longer.

Deadlines under the ID verification requirements

New directors

Anyone appointed as a director on or after 18 November 2025 must be verified before the appointment can be registered. Incorporating a new company also requires every director to be verified.

Existing directors

Directors appointed before 18 November 2025 must confirm their verification when the company files its next confirmation statement during the 12-month transition. The statement must include every director's personal code, and it will be rejected if any are missing. In practice, the company's confirmation statement date is each existing director's deadline.

New PSCs

PSCs registered after 18 November 2025 provide their personal code when they are first added, or within 14 days of being added.

Existing PSCs

Existing PSCs have a 14-day window that depends on their situation:

• if they are also a director, it starts the day after the company's confirmation statement date
• if they are not a director, it is the first 14 days of their birth month, as shown on the register

You can check the due dates for each of your roles on the Companies House register, which now shows identity verification information.

What happens if you do not comply?

The consequences of ignoring the ID verification requirements are real:

• it is an offence to act as a director without having verified once the duty applies
• directors and PSCs who do not verify can face financial penalties and prosecution
• the company's confirmation statement will be rejected without every director's personal code, putting it at risk of being struck off
• the register can show that a director or PSC has not verified, which banks and business partners will notice

Companies House has said it will take a proportionate approach to enforcement during the transition, but relying on that is risky. Our guide on why director ID verification is essential looks at the business impact in more detail.

A practical plan for your company

1. List every director and PSC and note which roles each person holds.
2. Find your confirmation statement date on the register; that is the key deadline for existing directors.
3. Check each PSC's window, especially PSCs who are not directors.
4. Decide on the route for each person: GOV.UK One Login or an ACSP.
5. Collect personal codes and store them securely with the company's records.
6. File the statements with the confirmation statement or in each PSC's window.
7. Build verification into onboarding for any future director or PSC.

Filing on behalf of a company

The ID verification requirements also change who can file with Companies House. People filing for a company must either be verified themselves or file through an ACSP. Accountants, company secretaries and formation agents who file for clients are expected to register as ACSPs, which means they are supervised for anti-money laundering and accountable for the checks they make. When you choose an adviser to file for your company, it is reasonable to ask whether they are registered.

What changes on the register

The public register now shows identity verification information for directors and PSCs, including when each person's statement is due. Anyone looking up your company can see whether its officers have met the ID verification requirements, which makes compliance visible to banks, customers and suppliers.

Common questions

Does it cost anything?

Verifying directly through GOV.UK One Login is free. ACSPs set their own fees.

I am a director of several companies. Do I verify for each?

No. You verify once and use the same personal code for each role, but each company must still file a statement for you at the right time.

Does it apply to dormant companies?

Yes. Directors of dormant companies must verify too, because dormant companies still file confirmation statements.

What if my details change after I verify?

You do not need to verify again because you move house or change your service address, but you must still tell Companies House about changes to your details in the usual way.

Does verification make my home address public?

No. Verification confirms your identity to Companies House; it does not add new personal details to the public register.

ID verification requirements: key points

• Directors and PSCs must verify their identity with Companies House.
• Verify for free with GOV.UK One Login, or through an ACSP.
• You get one personal code for all your roles.
• New directors must verify before appointment; existing directors by the next confirmation statement.
• PSCs have their own 14-day windows.

Companies House explains the rules on GOV.UK: when you need to verify your identity for Companies House.

Verify with us

Our identity verification is carried out through our authorised ACSP. We can verify directors and PSCs, including those overseas, and make sure every personal code reaches your filings on time. See our director ID verification service.