Guide · Company formation
Companies House ID Verification: The 2026 Founder's Guide
Since 18 November 2025, verifying your identity with Companies House is the law for every UK director and person with significant control. Here's exactly who must do it, by when, how, and what happens if you don't — in plain English.
What changed, and why
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 gave Companies House new powers to clean up the UK register and make it harder to use companies for fraud. The headline change for founders: mandatory identity verification. From 18 November 2025, you can no longer be a director or a person with significant control (PSC) anonymously — you have to prove who you are.
This sits alongside a separate change founders feel immediately: the standard digital incorporation fee rose to £100. Between the higher fee and the new verification step, setting up a company got both more expensive and more fiddly overnight.
Who has to verify
Identity verification applies to individuals, not companies. You must verify if you are:
- A director of a UK limited company (existing or newly appointed).
- A person with significant control (PSC) — broadly, anyone who owns or controls more than 25% of shares or voting rights.
- An individual member of an LLP (limited liability partnership).
- Anyone filing on behalf of a company (in due course, through an authorised route).
If you're a sole trader without a limited company, this doesn't apply to you — but the moment you incorporate, it does.
Key dates and deadlines
| Date | What it means |
|---|---|
| 18 Nov 2025 | ID verification becomes a legal requirement. The 12-month transition period begins. |
| From 18 Nov 2025 | Anyone newly appointed as a director or PSC must verify before appointment. |
| After 5 Mar 2026 | Existing directors must verify before their company's next confirmation statement. |
| 18 Nov 2026 | Absolute deadline — all existing directors and PSCs must be verified. |
In practice: if you're starting a company now, verification is part of the process and can't be skipped. If you already run one, don't wait for the deadline — tie it to your next confirmation statement so it never becomes a scramble.
How to verify — step by step
The free, official route is GOV.UK One Login. Most people finish in 10 to 20 minutes from home.
- Go to the GOV.UK One Login identity verification service.
- Create or sign in to your One Login account.
- Verify using a valid UK passport or UK photocard driving licence — a biometric passport works best for the app-based photo check.
- Complete the identity check (photo of your document + a live selfie).
- Receive your Companies House personal code. Keep it safe — you'll need it on filings and appointments.
If you don't have a passport or licence
You still have options:
- Security questions via credit-reference data — GOV.UK One Login can verify you using questions drawn from your credit history instead of a photo document.
- Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) — a regulated agent (accountant, formation agent, or similar) who is registered to verify identities and can accept a wider range of evidence. This is the route to use if the digital check won't work for you.
What happens if you don't verify
This isn't optional and the consequences are real. If you don't verify:
- You cannot be validly appointed as a director of a new company.
- Your company cannot file its confirmation statement.
- You are committing an ongoing criminal offence under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
Left unresolved, that can lead to financial penalties and disruption to your ability to run the company. It's a 15-minute job that prevents a serious headache — worth doing early.
Starting a new company? Read this
If you're incorporating now, verification is no longer a “later” task — you cannot complete incorporation until every proposed director has verifiedand can supply a personal code on the appointment filing. That's a hard stop, and it catches a lot of first-time founders off guard.
This is exactly the kind of admin that stalls a launch. At ProSolve, guiding you through identity verification is built into every company formation we do — alongside your Companies House registration, a free business bank account, secure email, domain and workspace — so it's handled on day one and never becomes the thing standing between you and trading.
Don't let paperwork stall your launch.
We form your company, sort your ID verification, set up your free business bank account, and get you trading — properly, in days. Fixed price, no VAT, no surprises.
See our launch packages →Frequently asked questions
Do I need to verify my identity to set up a company?+
Yes. Since 18 November 2025, anyone appointed as a director or PSC must verify their identity, and a new company can't complete incorporation until all proposed directors have verified and can provide a Companies House personal code.
When is the identity verification deadline?+
It became law on 18 November 2025. Existing directors must verify before their next confirmation statement after 5 March 2026, and the absolute deadline for everyone existing is 18 November 2026.
How much does verification cost?+
Verifying through GOV.UK One Login is free. (The separate £100 Companies House incorporation fee still applies when you register a company.)
How long does it take?+
Most people complete the GOV.UK One Login check in 10 to 20 minutes from home with a UK passport or photocard driving licence.
Can someone do it for me?+
You must complete the identity check yourself, but an Authorised Corporate Service Provider can carry out verification and accept wider evidence, and a formation partner like ProSolve will guide you through the whole process so nothing gets missed.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the rules as we understand them in 2026. Identity verification requirements are set by Companies House under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 — always check the current guidance on GOV.UK, or speak to us, before acting.