Overview of Identity Verification Regime 
The identity verification regime is one of the key changes that has been introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Up until the introduction of this Act, it would have been possible to register an appointment at Companies House without the knowledge or consent of the person being registered. Companies House had no powers to confirm consent and was legally obliged to register the appointment. Once recognised as a fraudulent appointment, it proved time consuming and costly to remove such appointments.
It is hoped that ID verification will make it much harder to register fictitious directors or beneficial owners, stopping most fraudulent appointments from reaching Companies House. It is also hoped that the ID verification regime will provide greater assurance to third parties searching the register that the information on the register is genuine.
ID verification will ensure that there is always a natural person associated with an incorporation or a filing – making individuals easier to trace.
All entities registered at Companies House will have to have at least one fully verified natural person directly associated with them on the public register.
There are various routes to undertake the ID verification process. Most people are expected to verify their identity directly with Companies House, using the free GOV.UK One Login service. Alternatively for those not able to do this, you can use an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). These are third party agents, for example, accountants or solicitors who are authorised by Companies House to undertake this process. It is likely that those who are overseas or whose identity is more complicated to verify, will use an ACSP.
There are 2 steps to identity verification; (1) completing a successful ID verification check (and getting a unique identifier called a Companies House personal code); and (2) providing an identification statement to Companies House to confirm an identity is verified (including supplying the personal code).
Since 18th November 2025, ID verification is now a compulsory part of incorporation and new appointments for directors and PSCs. At the same time, the 12-month transition period for existing directors and PSCs to verify their identity has begun - identity verification is largely tied to the date of a company's annual confirmation statement filing, although for PSCs this is nuanced by whether an existing PSC is also a director of the company. By Spring 2026, it is expected that Companies House should be able to make identity verification compulsory for anyone filing a document with them (this will impact company secretaries) and require third-party agents filing on behalf of companies to be registered as an ACSP. Note that to date, no timetable has been issued to introduce mandatory identity verification for corporate directors or legal officers of relevant legal entities.
Companies House has also issued guidance on how it will approach non-compliance with the identity verification requirements. Companies House has stated that their approach will be based on first, informing people of their obligations, followed by "nudging and guiding" individuals to comply, and then taking action for non-compliance (which includes the option to prosecute through the courts, refer to the Insolvency Service and issue financial penalties).
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