What you need to know about Companies House changes to identity checks

Read on to find out what you need to know about Companies House changes to identity checks, how this will affect you and how we can help.

Why and when do I need to verify my identity with Companies House?

Part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, identity verification aims to improve transparency and reduce the risk of fraud, deterring people who are using companies for illegal purposes.

A phased rollout started in April 2025, with individuals able to verify their identity on a voluntary basis. The idea of this was to help people get ahead of the legal requirement that will come into effect from the 18th of November 2025.

Refusing to comply or not completing identity verification requirements on time will not only prevent you from making filings or starting a new company, but could result in penalties or fines too.

Who needs to verify their identity?

The type of individuals who need to verify their identity includes:

• The director of a company
• Someone who is the equivalent of a director. This could be members, general partners or managing officers.
• People with significant control (PSC) – someone who owns or controls a company.
• An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) – also known as a Companies House authorised agent.
• Someone who files for a company, such as a company secretary.

Identity verification will be introduced at a later date for:

• People who file at Companies House
• Corporate directors of companies
• Limited partnerships
• Corporate members of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)
• Officers of corporate PSCs

How do I verify my identity with Companies House?

To complete verification, you will need to use your GOV.UK One Login (you’ll need to create one if you haven’t already) and provide personal information such as your home address, the year you moved in and a valid photo ID.

You should only need to verify once, unless prompted to do so again by Companies House.

Once you have successfully verified, you will receive a unique identifier that is personal to you (not your company or a company you work for).

This Companies House personal code will be needed for things like:

• Filing your confirmation statement
• If you are appointed as a director
• If you become a PSC

While you can do all this yourself, another option is to ask an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) to verify your identity on your behalf.

What is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)

An ACSP is a UK-based individual or organisation, usually an accountant or solicitor, that has been authorised by Companies House to file company information and verify a client’s identity on the public register.

All ACSPs must meet certain standards and be registered with a UK Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory body.

How Dolan Accountancy can help

At Dolan Accountancy, we are a registered ACSP, so we can help to reduce the administrative burden, saving you time and ensuring verification is completed correctly without the risk of errors for a small fee.

You’ll just need to confirm your personal information (full name, DOB, etc.) and then provide documents from an approved list as evidence of your identity.

We hope you found this page helpful. If you have any further questions, our team of experts are available to answer any queries, so give us a call on 01442 795 100 or email jaime.thorpe@dolanaccountancy.com. Alternatively, contact us via live chat.