Companies House Identity Verification 2026: What Directors and PSCs Need to Do Before Their Deadline

Companies House Identity Verification 2026: What Directors and PSCs Need to Do Before Their Deadline

Companies House identity verification is now an important legal requirement for UK company directors and people with significant control (PSCs).

The rules began taking effect from 18 November 2025, with a 12-month transition period for millions of existing directors and PSCs.

For business owners who have not yet completed verification, 2026 is therefore an important year to understand what is required and when action needs to be taken.

Why Has Companies House Introduced Identity Verification?

The new identity verification requirements form part of wider reforms intended to improve the reliability of information held on the Companies House register and make it harder for individuals to use false or stolen identities when setting up or controlling companies.

Companies House says the changes are designed to provide greater confidence about who is creating, running and controlling UK companies.

For legitimate businesses, the main practical change is that directors and PSCs now need to demonstrate that their identity has been verified.

Who Needs to Verify Their Identity?

The requirements apply to several groups, but two of the most important are:

• company directors; and
• people with significant control (PSCs).

For most small limited companies, this means the individuals who own and manage the company will need to consider their verification obligations.

New directors appointed from 18 November 2025 are required to complete the relevant identity verification process as part of the new regime. Existing directors are being brought into the system during the transition period.

What Do Existing Directors Need to Do?

If you were already a director when mandatory identity verification started, your deadline is linked to your company's confirmation statement.

Existing directors generally need to confirm that they have verified their identity when the company files its next confirmation statement during the 12-month transition period.

Once verified, you receive a Companies House personal code.

That personal code is then used to connect your verified identity with your company appointments.

This makes the company's next confirmation statement particularly important.

Businesses should not wait until the filing deadline before checking whether all directors have completed verification.

What Is a Companies House Personal Code?

After successfully verifying your identity, Companies House provides you with a personal code.

This code is linked to you as an individual rather than to one particular company.

If you are a director of several companies, you generally verify your identity once and then use the same personal code when confirming your identity for your different company roles.

You should therefore keep your personal code secure.

You may need to provide it to an authorised person who files Companies House information on your behalf, such as an accountant or company agent.

How Do PSC Rules Work?

A person with significant control, or PSC, is someone who meets certain ownership or control conditions in relation to a company.

PSCs are also included within the identity verification regime.

The timing can be slightly different depending on whether the PSC is also a director.

For existing PSCs who are also directors, the relevant verification timing can be linked to the company's confirmation statement.

For some PSCs who are not directors, the verification period can instead relate to the person's month of birth as shown on the Companies House register.

Because the exact deadline can vary, directors and shareholders should not assume everybody associated with the company has the same verification date.

How Can You Verify Your Identity?

Companies House provides several routes.

For many individuals, verification can be completed online through GOV.UK One Login.

Accepted identification can include certain forms of photographic identification, such as eligible passports and UK driving licences.

Verification may also be completed through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) where appropriate.

ACSPs are organisations authorised to provide certain Companies House verification and filing services.

What Happens If a Director Does Not Verify?

Identity verification is not simply an optional administrative exercise.

Companies House states that a company will be unable to file its confirmation statement unless all of its directors have met the required identity verification requirements.

Continuing to act as a director after the applicable deadline without complying can also constitute an offence.

That means failing to deal with verification could create wider company compliance problems.

Possible consequences can include:

• problems filing the confirmation statement;
• the company becoming non-compliant;
• potential enforcement action; and
• complications with future Companies House filings.

For that reason, directors should treat identity verification as part of the company's normal compliance calendar.

Why Is This Particularly Important in 2026?

Companies House is still working through the major transition period.

It previously estimated that around 6 to 7 million individuals would need to verify their identity during the transition, with the process expected to run through to around November 2026.

This means a significant number of directors and PSCs may still need to take action during the coming months.

Companies House has also indicated that, as reforms continue, compliance activity will increase once the transition arrangements are completed.

Do You Need to Verify Again for Every Company?

Generally, no.

Your identity verification relates to you as an individual.

If you hold several directorships, you normally verify your identity once and receive one personal code.

You then use that code to connect your verified identity to each relevant appointment.

This can be particularly important for business owners who operate several limited companies.

They should check that their personal code has been correctly provided for each relevant role rather than assuming one company's filing automatically updates every other company.

What Should Companies Do Now?

Companies should review their records before their next confirmation statement becomes due.

A practical checklist is:

1. Identify all current directors.
2. Identify all registered PSCs.
3. Check whether each individual has completed identity verification.
4. Make sure each director has their Companies House personal code.
5. Check the company's next confirmation statement date.
6. Confirm whether any PSC has a separate verification deadline.
7. Keep company and director records up to date.
8. Deal with any discrepancies before the filing deadline.

Leaving these checks until the confirmation statement is due could create unnecessary delays.

What If Your Companies House Information Is Incorrect?

Identity verification also makes accurate company records increasingly important.

Check that Companies House holds the correct information for your:

• directors;
• PSCs;
• registered office;
• registered email address;
• company officers; and
• other statutory information.

If something is incorrect, it may be better to resolve the underlying company-record issue before it interferes with future compliance.

How TaxMech Can Help

Companies House compliance involves more than filing a confirmation statement once a year.

Directors need to make sure company records remain accurate and that new requirements such as identity verification are dealt with by the appropriate deadlines.

TaxMech Consultants Ltd can help businesses review their Companies House obligations, maintain statutory records and manage ongoing company secretarial and compliance requirements.

If you are unsure whether your directors or PSCs have completed the required steps, reviewing your position before your next filing deadline can help prevent avoidable compliance problems.