Companies House ID Verification – What Business Owners Need to Know Before 18 November 2025

If you are a company director or a person with significant control, you may have received emails from Companies House about the upcoming changes that will impact you. But what does it mean for you practically and how can we help?

From 18 November 2025, Companies House will introduce a new legal requirement for all company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) to verify their identity. These changes form part of the UK government’s wider reforms to improve corporate transparency and combat economic crime.

If you are a director or PSC of a UK company, you must complete this verification process by your due date. The Companies House register will be updated on 18 November to show when each individual’s verification is due – the date is different for everyone. For busy business owners, particularly those managing companies with overseas directors, understanding and completing this process correctly, and on time, is essential if you want to avoid disruption to your business.

The new identity verification process is designed to be straightforward but must be completed accurately. It involves two steps: first, verifying your identity and obtaining a Companies House personal code, and second, providing that code for each company role you hold. Without this verification, you will not be able to file your company’s confirmation statement. In fact, if your filing omits the personal codes of all directors, Companies House will reject it. This means you must ensure everyone in your company is compliant.

Practically, if you are preparing for a company sale, it will be crucial to ensure the records at Companies House are up to date as this may impact on your transaction completion. Equally seriously, any director who continues to act without verifying their identity will be committing a criminal offence. The company itself may also be liable if it fails to correct the situation, leading to enforcement action, fines, and even prosecution.

For many owner-managed businesses, these new steps can feel like yet another administrative burden, particularly where directors or shareholders are based overseas and may not have followed the latest updates from Companies House. That’s where Healys can help.

Our experienced corporate lawyers are authorised to carry out identity verification on your behalf as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). This means we can securely verify the identity of your directors and PSCs and handle all communication with Companies House for you. Our verification process is designed to be efficient and compliant. Using approved technology we can often complete the process remotely. This is particularly helpful if your directors are based outside the UK or cannot attend in person. For those preferring face-to-face verification, we also offer an in-person service, following the latest guidance to ensure that documents are properly checked and authenticated.

We understand that for many of our clients, time is limited and accuracy is critical. Mistakes or missed deadlines could prevent your company from completing a deal, filing essential documents,  or expose directors to penalties. By entrusting this task to our qualified legal team, you can be confident that your verification will be completed properly, allowing you to focus on running your business.

Our team can guide you through the process, confirm what documents are required, and complete all necessary checks in line with Companies House standards. Once verified, we will ensure that each director’s personal code is correctly recorded so your company can continue meeting its legal obligations without interruption.

While the new requirements are intended to protect honest business owners, they do place added responsibility on directors to act promptly and correctly. The key is not to leave this to the last minute. Getting professional assistance from us now ensures you remain compliant and avoid unnecessary stress later.

It is worth noting, that while these changes relate to directors and PSCs, we anticipate that it will not be long before the same requirements apply to LLP members, limited partnerships, company secretaries and others that file documents on behalf of a company, managing officers and even general partners.

If you are a company director, person with significant control, manage a business with overseas officers or fall into the category of people listed above, now is the time to act. Our corporate team is ready to help you verify your identity quickly and efficiently.

Contact corporate solicitor, Demi Darbey, today to discuss how we can assist with Companies House ID verification at demi.darbey@healys.com.

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