Companies House ID verification rollout will impact millions more people from mid-November. It’s all part of a crackdown on misuse of the UK companies register. Government says companies of all sizes will benefit from more accurate and trustworthy register data. Plus, there will be greater protections against fraud.
Companies House isย the UK’s official registrar of companies.ย It’s an executive agency of theย Department for Business and Trade,ย responsible for incorporating and dissolving limited companies, maintaining a public register of company information, and ensuring corporate transparency in the UK.
Since 8 April 2025, individuals have been able toย voluntarily verify their identityย using GOV.UK One Login or via anย Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).
From 18 November 2025, this will become compulsory when incorporating a new business and new appointments for new directors.
The legal requirements are for directors and people with significant control (PSCs), impacting many Surrey businesses.
The intention is to give more assurance about who is setting up, running and controlling companies in the UK.
Companies House ID verification – how will it impact my business
The Companies House ID verification rollout is impacting six to seven million individuals.
From 18 November 2025:
- new directors will need to verify their identity to incorporate a company or be appointed to an existing company
- existing directors will need to confirm they have verified their identity at the same time as they file their next annual confirmation statement
- existing PSCs will need to verify their identity
For most people this will be a one-off process that can be done in a few minutes.
Companies House will contact companies to tell them what their directors and PSCs need to do to meet identity verification requirements. It encourages individuals to verify their identities as early as possible.
From 18 November, directors and PSCs will also be able to check the Companies House register to see identity verification due dates for all their roles.
Identity verification requirements for limited partnerships, corporate directors of companies, corporate members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and officers of corporate PSCs will commence later.
The latest Government survey indicates 81% of respondents support the implementation of a new identity verification process.
How to verify
Individuals can verify their identity with Companies House throughย GOV.UK One Login, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).ย ย
Identity verification through GOV.UK One Login is free and can be completed quickly online.
In most cases, individuals will only need to verify their identity once. Once they have successfully verified their identity they will receive a personal code from Companies House.
From 18 November 2025, users will need to provide their personal code and a verification statement confirming they have successfully verified their identity for each company role they hold.
Companies House CEO Louise Smyth CBE said: ย
“Identity verification will play a key role in improving the quality and reliability of our data and tackling misuse of the companies register. To support business and help people verify their identities, Companies House is contacting all companies with advice and guidance. This is part of a coordinated effort to help companies to comply. We encourage people to verify as early as possible.”
