Companies House identity verification is now a legal requirement for company directors and people with significant control, known as PSCs.

The requirement became mandatory from 18 November 2025. That date marked the start of a phased process, including a 12-month transition period for existing directors and PSCs to meet the requirements by their relevant deadlines.

For most people, verification should be a straightforward step. The risk is leaving it too late, assuming someone else is dealing with it, or not understanding that the Companies House personal code must be connected to each relevant role.

This matters because identity verification is not just an administrative task. It can affect company filings, appointments, confirmation statements and the wider impression of how well the company’s statutory records are managed.

For growing businesses, groups and companies preparing for funding, investment or sale, an unverified director or PSC can become an avoidable loose end at exactly the wrong time.

You can read the official Companies House guidance here: Verifying your identity for Companies House and When you need to verify your identity for Companies House.

Who needs to verify

The identity verification requirement applies to people setting up, running, owning or controlling a UK company.

This includes:

• Directors.
• People with significant control.
• Relevant officers of other entity types, where applicable.
• People involved in new company incorporations or appointments.

For directors and PSCs, the practical point is that verification is personal to the individual. Once verified, the person receives a Companies House personal code.

That code is then used to connect their verified identity to the company roles they hold.

If someone is both a director and a PSC, the same personal code may be used, but the roles still need to be dealt with separately. Providing the code as a director does not automatically deal with the PSC requirement.

Why the Companies House personal code matters

The Companies House personal code is central to the process.

It is issued once a person has verified their identity. The code must then be provided to Companies House when required, so the verified identity can be linked to the relevant company role.

For existing directors, the personal code is provided as part of the company’s next confirmation statement after the requirement applies.

If a person is a director of more than one company, the code needs to be provided for each company where they act as a director.

For PSCs, the code must be provided through the Companies House PSC identity verification process. A PSC who is also a director still needs to deal with the PSC requirement separately.

This is where mistakes can happen. A director may believe they have completed everything once they have verified their identity, but the company may still need to provide the code in the correct filing. A PSC may also need to provide the code separately for their PSC role.

Key deadlines to understand

There is not one single deadline that applies to every person in the same way.

The timing depends on the role and the company’s own filing cycle.

For existing directors, the company will generally provide the director’s personal code as part of its next confirmation statement after 18 November 2025. Companies House has said a company will be unable to file its confirmation statement unless all directors are verified.

For existing PSCs, the timing can be different.

Where a PSC is also a director of the company, the PSC has a 14-day period starting from the day after the company’s confirmation statement date to provide the personal code for the PSC role.

Where a PSC is not also a director, the 14-day period is linked to the first 14 days of their birth month.

For new companies, new appointments and new PSCs, identity verification should be considered before the filing is made. From 18 November 2025, Companies House expects personal codes and verification statements to be provided for relevant company roles.

This is why a simple internal schedule can be useful. The business should know who needs to verify, which roles they hold, and by when each requirement needs to be completed.

How identity can be verified

Individuals can verify their identity directly through GOV.UK One Login.

Alternatively, they can verify through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, often called an ACSP. This may include an accountant, solicitor or company formation agent that is registered with Companies House and supervised for anti-money laundering purposes.

For some directors and PSCs, the direct route may be simple. For others, such as overseas individuals, less active shareholders, or people unfamiliar with the Companies House process, an ACSP route may be easier to manage.

The important point is that verification should be completed in good time. Once the personal code has been issued, it should be recorded securely and used when the relevant company filing or PSC statement is made.

What businesses should do now

A practical review does not need to be complicated.

Start by creating a clear list of everyone who may need to verify.

That list should include:

• Current directors.
• Current PSCs.
• Anyone who is both a director and PSC.
• Directors or PSCs across other group companies.
• Overseas directors or PSCs.
• Less-involved shareholders who may still be PSCs.
• Planned new director appointments.
• Any changes expected before the next confirmation statement.

The next step is to identify what each person has already done. Has their identity been verified? Have they received a Companies House personal code? Has that code been linked to each relevant company role?

This review can prevent confusion close to a filing deadline.

Why group structures need extra care

For a simple owner-managed company, the process may be relatively easy to track.

For a group, it can become more involved.

One person may be a director of several companies. Another may be a PSC in one entity but not another. A parent company, holding structure or overseas ownership arrangement may create additional points to check.

In these situations, the risk is not usually that the verification process itself is difficult. The risk is that one person, one role or one company is missed.

That can create problems later, especially where the business is preparing for funding, due diligence, a restructure or a transaction.

A clean Companies House record is often part of the wider governance picture. Lenders, investors and buyers may not focus on identity verification alone, but they will expect statutory records to be properly maintained.

Common issues to address early

Most problems are organisational rather than technical.

Common issues include:

• No central record of who needs to verify.
• Directors assuming the company has dealt with everything.
• PSCs not realising they have a separate requirement.
• Personal codes not being recorded securely.
• Overseas or less-involved individuals being contacted too late.
• Confirmation statement deadlines being approached without checking verification status.
• New appointments being made without building verification into the process.
• No clear ownership of company secretarial compliance.

The solution is to treat identity verification as part of the normal company secretarial process, rather than a one-off task.

Questions directors should ask

A short internal review can help identify whether the company is ready.

Useful questions include:

• Do we know every director and PSC who needs to verify?
• Has each person verified their identity?
• Has each person received their Companies House personal code?
• Has the code been provided for every director role held?
• Has the PSC requirement been dealt with separately where needed?
• Do we know the company’s next confirmation statement date?
• Are any directors or PSCs overseas or difficult to contact?
• Is identity verification built into our process for new appointments?
• Who is responsible for tracking this across the company or group?
• Would an unverified director or PSC delay a filing, funding process or transaction?

These questions are simple, but they help avoid late pressure.

How this supports better governance

It would be easy to treat Companies House identity verification as a box to tick.

The more useful view is that it prompts a wider look at whether statutory records and governance processes are in good order.

A company that knows who its directors and PSCs are, tracks filing deadlines properly, keeps records current and assigns responsibility clearly is usually in a stronger position.

That matters during normal compliance. It matters even more during funding, investment, sale preparation, restructuring or due diligence.

Identity verification does not, on its own, improve the business. It does, however, help keep the register accurate and avoid avoidable complications.

Responsibility for compliance remains with the directors, but clear company secretarial ownership can help make sure nothing is missed.

Final thought

Companies House identity verification is about improving the reliability of the public register.

For directors and PSCs, the practical response is to verify early, keep the Companies House personal code secure, understand which roles need to be linked, and track the relevant deadlines.

Handled properly, it becomes a routine governance step. Left unmanaged, it can create filing problems and unnecessary questions at important moments.

Because the requirements are being phased in and the timing can depend on a person’s role and the company’s filing cycle, it is worth checking the latest Companies House guidance or taking advice specific to your circumstances.

Accendo supports growing SMEs, groups and owner-managed businesses with accounts, audit, and advisory work where accurate records, clear responsibilities and good governance matter. For companies preparing for identity verification, funding, investment or sale, a review of directors, PSCs and filing responsibilities can help avoid unnecessary issues later. 

This article is for general information only and reflects the Companies House position at the date of publication. It should not be treated as legal, accounting, tax, transaction, investment or governance advice. You should obtain specific advice based on your organisation’s circumstances.