Companies House identity verification and your personal code

Who must verify their identity

Companies House says these people must now verify their identity: directors and director equivalents (such as LLP members), directors of overseas companies registered in the UK, individual people with significant control (PSCs), and Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs).

Companies House plans to bring in verification later for other groups. These include people who file documents, officers of limited partnerships, and the relevant officers of corporate directors and corporate PSCs. GOV.UK does not give a start date for these yet, so do not assume you need to act on them today.

Most people only need to verify once. The result belongs to you, not to a company, so one verification covers every company where you hold a role.

Source: Verifying your identity for Companies House

How to verify your identity with Companies House

There are two routes. You choose whichever suits you.

Most people use GOV.UK One Login, which is free. You can verify online with photo ID, such as a biometric passport, a UK photo driving licence or a residence document. If you cannot do it online, you can enter your photo ID details in the service first and then finish in person at a Post Office, within 21 days of booking. UK residents may also be able to use their bank or building society details.

The other route is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). This is an agent registered with Companies House, such as an accountant or solicitor, who verifies your identity for you. They will ask for documents from an approved list. ACSPs may charge for this. Companies House publishes a list you can search.

Do not post or email identity documents to Companies House. It does not accept them that way.

Source: Verify your identity for Companies House

What is the Companies House personal code?

The Companies House personal code is an 11 character code you are given once you have verified your identity. It belongs to you, not to any company, so the same code covers every role you hold. You give it to Companies House to show that a director or PSC has verified.

You can share it with someone who files for you, such as your accountant, so they can link it to your role. Otherwise keep it to yourself, like any other personal reference. If you have verified but cannot find it, see the FAQ below on where to find your personal code.

Verifying is only half the job. Each role you hold still needs the code linking to it. A director does this through the confirmation statement. A PSC does it through a separate service. Until that is done, the requirement for that role is not met.

Source: Companies House personal codes for identity verification

Personal code vs company authentication code

These two codes are easy to mix up, and getting them wrong is a common reason a filing stalls.

The company authentication code is a 6 character code for the company. It is sent to the registered office and lets someone file for the company online. If that one is missing, see what to do about a lost company authentication code. The personal code is an 11 character code for a person. It proves that person has verified their identity.

Many filings now need both. For example, filing a confirmation statement online needs the company authentication code, plus a personal code for every director.

Source: Company authentication codes for online filing

When existing directors must provide their personal code

If you were already a director on 18 November 2025, you provide your personal code as part of the company’s next confirmation statement. The person filing enters a personal code for each director and ticks a statement to confirm every director has verified.

Companies House says a company will be unable to file its confirmation statement unless all its directors are verified. So if one director has not verified, the whole statement is held up. Ask every director to verify well before the statement is due.

The Companies House fee for the confirmation statement is £50 online or £110 on the paper CS01 form. It is paid once per 12 month payment period, with the first statement filed in that period. You can file up to 14 days after the end of the review period. Verifying through GOV.UK One Login is free, so it adds no fee.

Source: Filing your company’s confirmation statement

New directors and new companies

If you are setting up a new company, the registration asks for the personal code of each director. If you are adding a director to an existing company, the appointment filing (form AP01) asks for the new director’s personal code and confirmation that they have verified.

In both cases the person must verify first. Doing it before you start saves going back and forth. For the other checks before an appointment, see who can be a company director.

Source: Appoint a director (AP01)

When PSCs must provide their personal code

Every individual PSC has a 14 day period to provide their personal code and verification statement. Which 14 days applies depends on when they were registered and whether they are also a director of the company.

A PSC who is also a director must provide the code separately for each role. The director role is covered by the confirmation statement. The PSC role is covered by the ‘Provide identity verification details for a PSC’ service. One does not complete the other.

Companies House says that if someone continues as a PSC after their deadline without meeting the verification requirements, they may be committing an offence. A PSC who has died does not need to complete verification.

Source: When you need to verify your identity for Companies House

Lost your Companies House personal code?

Where to find a lost Companies House personal code depends on how you verified. If you used GOV.UK One Login, sign in to Companies House and go to ‘Manage account’ to see it. If an ACSP verified you, Companies House emailed the code to the address the ACSP gave for you, so check that inbox or ask the ACSP.

If you think your code has been shared or compromised, contact Companies House. It can issue a new code by email and cancel the old one.

Source: Companies House personal codes for identity verification

What happens if you do not verify

Companies House says people who do not verify may be committing an offence and could face prosecution and a fine, or a financial penalty. They may also be unable to register new companies or be appointed as a director in future.

For the company, the most immediate effect is practical. The confirmation statement cannot be filed until every director is verified, and a late confirmation statement is a problem in its own right.

Source: Verifying your identity for Companies House

Common identity verification mistakes

Thinking that verifying is the end of it. The code still has to be linked to each role you hold.

Entering the 6 character company authentication code where the 11 character personal code is needed, or the other way round.

Assuming a director who is also a PSC is covered by the confirmation statement alone. The PSC role needs its own submission.

Leaving it until the confirmation statement is due. One unverified director blocks the whole filing.

Not checking the date of birth Companies House holds for you. If it does not match, you will need to correct it before you can provide your verification details.

How SimpleFilings can help

SimpleFilings does not carry out identity checks or issue personal codes. Each person verifies first, for free through GOV.UK One Login or through an ACSP of their choice, and gives us their personal code.

Once you have the personal codes, we can help you use them. We check the details, prepare the filing and submit it after you approve. That covers a confirmation statement with each director’s code, appointing a new director, or linking a PSC’s code to their role. Our £4.99 SimpleFilings service fee applies to each filing, plus any Companies House fee. For example, an online confirmation statement carries a £50 Companies House fee if it is the first one in that 12 month payment period.