Companies House: ID Verification Requirements

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), which received Royal Assent in October 2023, has had a significant impact on UK company law. 

One of the most recent reforms is the introduction of mandatory identity verification. 

Who will be required to verify their identity?

Under the new regulations, identity verification will be required for the following:-

–        New and existing persons with significant control (PSC) 

–        New and existing directors 

–        Anyone acting on behalf of a company 

Since only natural persons can undergo identity verification, where a Relevant Legal Entity (RLE) is identified as a PSC, a relevant officer within that RLE must complete the verification process.

Proposed timeline for new identity verification requirements

• 18 March 2025: Third-party providers may begin registering as Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs).
• 8 April 2025: Identity verification becomes available on a voluntary basis.
• Autumn 2025: Verification becomes mandatory for new directors and PSCs upon appointment or company incorporation.
• Autumn 2026: Deadline for existing directors and PSCs to complete identity verification during a 12-month transitional period.

How can individuals verify their identity?

In order to comply with Companies House identity verification requirements, individuals will be presented with two routes to verify their identity: this is directly via the GOV.UK One Login service or indirectly through an ACSP.

Gov.UK One Login 

From 8 April 2025, individuals will be able to use GOV.UK One Login (free of charge) to verify their identity via the following options:

• the ID Check app
• the Web Channel, or
• the face to face service (via a Post Office that offers ‘in branch verification’).

To use the Gov.UK One Login service you will require one of the following documents: –

• biometric passport from any country;
• UK photo driving licence (full or provisional);
• UK biometric residence permit;
• UK biometric residence card; or
• UK Frontier Worker permit.

Verification Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)

As of 18 March 2025, individuals can opt to verify their identity via an ACSP—typically a firm or sole trader regulated under anti-money laundering (AML) rules.

ACSPs can:

• Perform identity checks on behalf of Companies House; and 
• File official documents as third-party agents

From Spring 2026, only registered ACSPs will be authorised to file on behalf of companies.

What are the consequences of failing to verify?

Anyone who fails to comply with compulsory identity verification requirements will be committing an offence, as will any company with an unverified director.

In addition to financial penalties/ fines, failure to verify may result in:

• rejection of incorporation’s where directors (or their equivalents) have not been verified; 
• disqualification for unverified directors;
• individuals being prohibited from submitting filings at Companies House.

If you have any questions in respect of this article, please do not hesitate to contact me or the corporate team. 

The contents of this article is a general guide only at the date of publication.  It is not comprehensive, and it does not constitute legal advice.  Specific legal advice should be sought in relation to the particular facts of a given situation.