Start of Companies House new ID rules to start from 18 November 2025
- Mr Paul Clifton
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Companies House will begin enforcing identity verification requirements from 18 November 2025.
It is claimed that identity verification will help to deter people intending to use companies for illegal purposes. It should therefore improve transparency, trust and accuracy of information filed on the Companies House register.
Verification can be done online or through GOV.UK One Login or via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. According to Companies House, most users will only need to verify themselves once. They’ll then receive a unique personal identifier known as a Companies House personal code. The code is personal to a personal, and not to any specific company.
For more details on how to get verified, see our blog article on Verify identity for Companies House.
From that date, all newly appointed company directors and a person with significant control (PSC) will have to verify their identity before incorporation or appointment.
PSC are generally those who hold:
more than 25% of shares in the company
more than 25% of voting rights in the company
the right to appoint or remove the majority of the board of directors
Existing directors must do so when filing their next confirmation statement. PSC must also complete the process according to new time limits of their registration at Companies House.
It will be a criminal offence to act as a director without a verified identity once these rules are active.
Who needs to verify themselves?
People will need to verify their identity if they are:
a director (or the equivalent e.g. members, partners and managing officers)
a person with significant control (PSC)
anyone who files for a company e.g. a company secretary
Over the 12-month transition period, starting from 18 November 2025, the identity verification rules will apply to an estimated 6 to 7 million individuals.
Directors
Directors will need to provide their personal code in a company’s first confirmation statement filed after 18 November 2025.
If a person becomes a director after 18 November 2025, they’ll have to provide the personal code as part of their appointment filing or when they are appointed during the incorporation of a company.
If a person is a director of more than one company, they will need to provide their personal code for each company, either when they are appointed or on the next Confirmation Statement of each company, whichever comes first after 18 November 2025.
When registering a new company, each director will be asked to provide their Companies House personal code as part of the registration process.
People with significant control (PSCs)
PSC will also need to provide their personal code to Companies House.
Every PSC will have a 14 -day period during which they must provide their personal code.
The date of their 14-day period depends on whether:
they are registered with Companies House before 18 November 2025, or
whether they are also a director of the company.
Both a director and a PSC of the same company
If a person is both a director and a PSC of the same company, they’ll need to provide their personal code separately for each role. As a director, they must provide their code in the company’s confirmation statement. As a PSC, they must also provide their code using a separate service within 14 days of the company’s confirmation statement date.
A PSC but not a director of the same company
Persons who are a PSC on 18 November 2025, but not a director of the company where they are a PSC, will have to provide their personal code within the first 14 days of their birth month. E.g. if their date of birth is 22 January, their 14-day period begins on 1 January.
If they become a PSC after 18 November 2025, they must provide their personal code within 14 days of being added to the Companies House register as a PSC.
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