Existing directors must give their Companies House personal code with their company’s next confirmation statement filed after 18 November 2025, and the transition for existing directors and PSCs runs for 12 months from that date, so it closes in mid-November 2026. For a practice, identity verification is mostly admin: list every director and PSC, map each one’s due date, chase verification, and record each personal code. This checklist sets out that workflow and where the practice’s ACSP registration comes in.
There is no single national identity verification deadline. Each existing director must verify and give their personal code with the company’s first confirmation statement after 18 November 2025. Existing PSCs have a 14-day window set by their role or birth month. The 12-month transition for both groups ends in mid-November 2026.
Key points
- Identity verification became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025 (GOV.UK: verifying your identity for Companies House).
- Existing directors supply their personal code as part of the company’s next confirmation statement.
- Existing PSCs have their own 14-day window, which depends on whether they are also a director.
- Only an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) can verify identities for Companies House on someone else’s behalf. An admin assistant cannot.
Terms used in this guide
- Identity verification: the Companies House check that a director, PSC or other registrable person is who they say they are, introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
- Personal code: an 11-character code Companies House issues to a person once they have verified, used to link their verified identity to each role they hold.
- PSC (person with significant control): an individual who owns or controls a company and appears on its PSC register.
- ACSP (Authorised Corporate Service Provider): a UK AML-supervised business registered with Companies House as an authorised agent, able to verify identities and file for clients.
- Confirmation statement: the annual filing confirming a company’s register details are correct, which now confirms each director’s identity verification.
What changed on 18 November 2025
From 18 November 2025, identity verification became mandatory for company directors and people with significant control. Companies House confirmed that existing directors confirm their verification when they file their next annual confirmation statement, during a 12-month transition period, and that existing PSCs verify in line with an appointed day within 12 months of the start date (Companies House rollout announcement).
Once a person verifies, Companies House issues an 11-character personal code. The code belongs to the individual (GOV.UK: Companies House personal codes).
Who must verify
GOV.UK lists directors and equivalent roles (LLP members, general partners, managing officers), directors of overseas companies, PSCs and ACSPs. Companies House has said it will introduce identity verification for people who file on behalf of companies, and for corporate members of LLPs, at a later date (GOV.UK: when you need to verify your identity).
An individual can verify in one of three ways: through GOV.UK One Login using the app or security questions, in person at a Post Office with photo ID, or through an ACSP.
When each existing director’s deadline falls
The identity verification deadline is tied to the confirmation statement date, so it is different for every company on your books. A director who sits on several boards needs to be ready for the earliest of those statements. For PSCs, the rules on GOV.UK are:
| Person | When the personal code is due | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Existing director | With the company’s next confirmation statement | GOV.UK |
| Director of a new company | With the incorporation filing | GOV.UK |
| PSC who is also a director of the same company | Within 14 days, starting the day after the company’s confirmation statement date | GOV.UK: PSC verification |
| PSC who is not a director of that company | Within the first 14 days of their birth month | GOV.UK: PSC verification |
| PSC added after 18 November 2025 | When first added to the register, or within 14 days of being added | GOV.UK: PSC verification |
A non-director PSC born on 22 January has a window that starts on 1 January, which catches people out if nobody has their date of birth on file.
Three points many guides get wrong
- 18 November 2026 is only the backstop. Each director’s real date comes from the company’s confirmation statement. Several top-ranking pages present it as a single deadline. A company with a confirmation statement date in January 2026 needed its directors verified then.
- People who file for companies are not yet required to verify. GOV.UK says identity verification for people who file at Companies House will come at a later date. Directors and PSCs are the priority now.
- One code covers every role. A director of six client companies verifies once. Organise chasing by person, using their earliest company date.
ACSPs explained: what your practice registers for, and what an assistant cannot do
An ACSP, also called a Companies House authorised agent, can file on behalf of clients and verify people’s identities for Companies House. To register, the business must be supervised by a UK anti-money laundering supervisory body, must stay supervised, and must tell Companies House about changes to its details within 14 days. An ACSP that verifies identities must meet the Companies House identity verification standard and keep records of identity checks for 7 years (GOV.UK: being an ACSP).
GOV.UK also says that, in the future, all agents that file with Companies House for clients will need to register, with filing as an authorized agent available from no earlier than November 2026. If your practice files confirmation statements for clients, ACSP registration is the step to take now. Record which of these services you provide in a separate schedule to your engagement letter.
Two limits matter if you use outside help. Virtual Service Assists is not an ACSP, and it cannot verify a director’s identity for Companies House. ACSP status depends on UK AML supervision, which belongs to your practice (our guide to AML requirements for accountants covers what supervision involves). The verification decision, the identity checks under the ACSP standard, and the record-keeping stay with your practice. What a support team can do is the chasing, tracking, and preparation around it.
An identity verification workflow: list, map, request, track
It works in a spreadsheet, a Monday.com board or a practice management system such as Bright Manager.
- Build the people list. Export every client company with its company number, next confirmation statement date, and the names of all directors and PSCs from the public register.
- De-duplicate people. One person can be director of five companies. Group them so you send one request per person and use their earliest company date.
- Add PSC dates of birth. Non-director PSCs need their birth month to calculate the 14-day window. Your AML file is the best place to find it.
- Decide the route for each person. GOV.UK One Login, Post Office, or identity verification by your practice as ACSP. Record who decided and why.
- Send requests in date order. Start with confirmation statements due before the end of the transition, then work forward.
- Record personal codes on receipt. Store them in the client record with restricted access. GOV.UK says the code must be kept safe but may be shared with people who file on the individual’s behalf.
- Chase on a fixed cycle. For example 21, 14 and 7 days before the due date, then escalate to the partner.
- Block filing until complete. Do not prepare the confirmation statement for submission until every director’s code is on file.
Tracker columns that work
| Column | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Person name and roles held | One request per person, linked to every company |
| Earliest due date | Drives chase order. |
| Verification route | One login, post office, or practice ACSP |
| Request sent / last chased | Evidence of follow-up |
| Personal code received (yes/no) | Store the code itself in a restricted field. |
| Confirmation statement status | Ready, blocked, or filed |
Client email template for chasing
Subject: Action needed: Companies House identity verification for [Company name]
Dear [Name],
Companies House now requires every director to verify their identity. Your next confirmation statement for [Company name] is due on [date], and we cannot file it until we have your Companies House personal code.
You can verify online through GOV.UK One Login, at a Post Office with photo ID, or with us. Please reply to tell us which you prefer. If you have already verified, please send us your 11-character personal code.
Kind regards,
[Practice name]
What happens if a director misses the identity verification deadline
GOV.UK warns that a person who does not verify could face prosecution or a fine, could have a note added against them on the public register, and cannot be appointed as a new director, register a new company or become an ACSP. Companies House says it will use the full range of its powers to enforce the rules (GOV.UK). For the practice, the immediate problem is a confirmation statement that cannot be filed. Keep a written record of each chase so the file shows the client was given notice.
How Virtual Service Assists supports the chasing and tracking.
Our team works inside your systems, under your ACSP registration and your instructions. We can build the people list from the register, calculate due dates, send and log requests from your mailbox, keep the tracker current and prepare confirmation statements for your review. Your practice keeps the identity checks, the ACSP responsibilities, and the decision to file. See our HMRC and Companies House portal admin service and the guide to what practices can safely hand off on HMRC and Companies House admin. The same chasing discipline applies to AML checks for accountants.
FAQs
When is the Companies House identity verification deadline?
For an existing director, the deadline is the company’s next confirmation statement filed after 18 November 2025. Companies House set a 12-month transition period from that date for existing directors and PSCs, so it ends in mid-November 2026. Non-director PSCs have a 14-day window that starts on the first day of their birth month. Each company’s confirmation statement date sets the real deadline for its directors.
What is an ACSP and does my practice need to be one?
An ACSP is a Companies House authorised agent. It can file for clients and verify people’s identities for Companies House. It must be supervised by a UK AML supervisory body. GOV.UK says all agents filing for clients will need to register in future, with authorised agent filing available from no earlier than November 2026. If you file confirmation statements or accounts for clients, plan to register.
Can my accountant verify my identity for Companies House?
Yes, if your accountant is registered as an ACSP. You give them your name, home address, email, and identity evidence, and Companies House emails the personal code to you directly. You can check whether a firm is registered on the public list of ACSPs. An unregistered firm or an admin assistant cannot do this.
Can I verify my identity at the Post Office?
Yes. GOV.UK lists in-person verification at a Post Office with photo ID as one of the routes, alongside the GOV.UK One Login app or security questions and verification through an ACSP. Whichever route the director uses, the result is the same personal code, which they then give to whoever files the confirmation statement.
Do people who file at Companies House need to verify their identity now?
Not yet. GOV.UK says Companies House will introduce identity verification for people who file on behalf of companies at a later date. Separately, agents filing for clients will need to register as ACSPs, with authorised agent filing available from no earlier than November 2026. Directors and PSCs must verify now under the transition rules.
I have lost my Companies House personal code. How do I find it?
If you verified through GOV.UK One Login, sign in to your Companies House account and look under “Manage account”. If an ACSP verified you, the code was emailed to the address you gave them, so search that inbox or ask the ACSP to help. Companies House can resend the email through its ACSP team.
Get the chasing off your partners’ desks
With the identity verification transition closing in November, the work is in the follow-up. If you want a team to run the tracker and chase clients under your ACSP, book a consultation and we will scope it with you.
