Director ID Verification with Companies House: What You Need to Do
Every company director and person with significant control (PSC) must now verify their identity with Companies House. Existing directors give their personal code in the company’s next confirmation statement, and the 12-month transition period ends on 18 November 2026.
What is director ID verification?
Director ID verification is a legal identity check. It lets Companies House confirm that each person named on a company’s record is a real individual. It comes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and it became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025.
Once you have verified, Companies House gives you a personal code. You quote that code when you file, for example, in your company’s confirmation statement. If you direct more than one company, you use the same code for each filing.
Who needs to verify, and when?
All directors and all people with significant control (PSCs) must verify. The duty falls on each individual, not the company, so a company with three directors needs three verifications. Your deadline depends on your role, as Companies House explains:
Who you are | When you must give your personal code |
|---|---|
Director of a new company | In the company’s incorporation filing, for each director |
Existing director | In the company’s next confirmation statement |
New PSC (added after 18 November 2025) | When you are added to the register, or within 14 days of being added |
Existing PSC who is not a director | Within the first 14 days of your birth month |
Both a director and a PSC of the same company | Separately for each role: through the confirmation statement as a director, and within 14 days of the day after the confirmation statement date as a PSC |
If you are appointing a new director to an existing company, verify them first so the appointment can be filed without delay.
18 November 2025 was the start of a 12-month transition period, not a deadline. That period ends on 18 November 2026. For most existing directors, your own date is the company’s next confirmation statement date, which can fall well before then. You can find it on your company’s page on the Companies House register.
How to verify your identity with Companies House
There are three routes, and most directors can do it in one sitting.
- Online with GOV.UK One Login. This is the quickest route and usually takes around ten minutes. You use your photo ID and a GOV.UK One Login to start verifying on the Companies House service. You can link only one email address to one person, so each director needs their own login.
- No photo ID? Use the bank or Post Office route. If you live in the UK, you can instead confirm your identity using your bank or building society details, your National Insurance number and a few security questions. Failing that, you can verify in person at a Post Office, after entering your photo ID details online first.
- Through an accountant or other authorised agent. An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), such as an accountant or solicitor supervised for anti-money laundering and registered with Companies House, can verify you on your behalf. You will need to give them suitable identity documents, and they may charge a fee. Ask your adviser whether they are registered as an ACSP, or check the published ACSP list, because not every accountant is.
What you need before you start
For the online route, have one of these photo IDs to hand:
- a biometric passport from any country
- a UK photo driving licence, full or provisional
- a UK biometric residence permit (BRP)
- a UK biometric residence card (BRC)
- a UK Frontier Worker permit
You will also need your current address and the year you moved in.
Look at the expiry date on your document first. Expired passports are not accepted. The other documents allow some leeway: a UK driving licence that lapsed in the past 90 days still works, as does a BRP, BRC or Frontier Worker permit that lapsed in the past 18 months. For the bank and Post Office routes, the document must be in date.
What happens if you do not verify?
Because your personal code goes into the confirmation statement, an unverified director can hold up that filing, and failing to file a confirmation statement on time is a separate offence for the company. Acting as a director without verifying once the duty applies to you is also an offence. Check the current Companies House guidance for the exact penalties before relying on any deadline, and verify early rather than leaving it to the last week.
We also handle the other Companies House filings through our company secretarial and statutory accounts services, so your dates stay in step.
Director ID verification: common questions
Do I verify once or for every company? Once. You get one personal code and quote it for each company you direct.
What if I am both a director and a PSC? One verification covers both roles, but you must provide your code separately for each role, using the deadline that applies to that role.
Does it cost anything? Verifying yourself online with GOV.UK One Login is free. An accountant or other authorised agent may charge a fee for doing it on your behalf.
Can my accountant verify me? Only if they are registered with Companies House as an ACSP. Ask them directly, and note that HMRC-approved agent status is different.
Does it apply to directors who live abroad? Yes. A biometric passport issued by any country is accepted for the online route.
Where do I find my company’s confirmation statement date? It is shown on your company’s overview page on the Companies House register, as the next statement date.
Need help with director ID verification in Luton?
Not sure when your deadline is, or managing several companies and directors? As accountants in Luton, we can check your confirmation statement dates and talk you through the steps. Call FSL Accountancy Limited on 01582 806111 or book a free initial consultation.
