The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced legal identity verification requirements for company directors and people with significant control (PSCs). Since November 2025, anyone acting in these roles has been required to verify their identity with Companies House, regardless of how small or inactive the company is.
Existing directors and PSCs were given a 12-month transition period, which ends on 17 November 2026. However, for many individuals, their verification deadline fell earlier. Despite extensive publicity, many people have yet to complete the process. With the final deadline fast approaching, our November Spotlight focuses on Companies House identity verification.
Companies House will not accept a confirmation statement unless all directors have verified their identity and provided their personal verification code. For many businesses, this means the verification requirement is effectively linked to their confirmation statement deadline. PSCs also have deadlines to provide their personal code, which must be submitted within the first 14 days of their birth month.
Failure to comply is a criminal offence and can result in financial penalties, referral to the Insolvency Service and, in serious cases, prosecution. Enforcement action is already underway, including against company directors who have allowed unverified directors to continue acting.
With Companies House now moving from reminders to enforcement, businesses should ensure that all directors and PSCs have completed their identity verification as soon as possible. If you are a director of multiple companies, you only need to verify your identity once. However, an identity verification statement containing your personal code must be provided for each role. If you have yet to complete your identity verification and were a registered director or PSC before November 2025, this can be done through GOV.UK One Login or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider.
You can read more about these changes and find out more on what you need to do to verify here.
