Companies House identity verification: what changes on the register after 17 November 2026
The register is about to say, role by role, which directors and owners have proved who they are. Read from the banker's side, that is new information.
Most of what has been written about identity verification is addressed to the director who has to do it. This note is for the person on the other side of the register, who reads it to understand an owner, and who is about to be told something the register has never said before.
In short
Companies House identity verification became compulsory on 18 November 2025, and the 12-month transition for existing directors and people with significant control ends on 17 November 2026. At 30 September 2026, 72.8 per cent of in-scope appointments were verified: 78.0 per cent of director appointments and 65.6 per cent of individual PSC appointments. The public register now shows each role as "Verified" or with the date verification is due.
Key takeaways
- The transition for existing directors and PSCs is "the period of 12 months beginning with 18th November 2025", so its last day is 17 November 2026, under regulation 4 of SI 2025/1118.
- Companies House management information put verified appointments at 72.8 per cent on 30 September 2026, up from 49.7 per cent on 30 June 2026 and 6.2 per cent on 31 December 2025.
- Since 18 November 2025 a director who acts without verified identity commits an offence under section 167M of the Companies Act 2006, held back for a director appointed before that date until "the day after the day on which the company complies with the duty in section 853A(1)" to deliver its confirmation statement, under regulation 4(6) of SI 2025/1118; a company cannot file its confirmation statement unless all its directors are verified.
- As read on 2 November 2026, each officer and PSC entry on the register carries an "Identity verification status" line, and where an Authorised Corporate Service Provider did the check, the register names that firm and the date.
What is Companies House identity verification?
Identity verification is the requirement, introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, that every director and every individual person with significant control (PSC) proves to Companies House who they are. It became compulsory on 18 November 2025, after a voluntary phase from 8 April 2025.
There are two steps, as Companies House set them out in its non-compliance approach of 17 November 2025. The person passes a check, through the free GOV.UK One Login service or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), a professional registered with Companies House and supervised for anti-money laundering, and receives a Companies House personal code. An identity verification statement then links that code to each role the person holds.
The personal code is not published: Companies House guidance of 1 June 2026 tells holders to keep it secure, like a Unique Taxpayer Reference. The public register shows the outcome, role by role.
Who must verify, and by when?
The deadline depends on the role and when the person took it up. For an existing director, regulation 4 of SI 2025/1118 says the company must deliver an identity verification statement for each director appointed before 18 November 2025 "at the same time as the company delivers its next confirmation statement during the transitional period". Confirmation statements are annual, so every company has one falling due inside the twelve months to 17 November 2026.
PSCs verify separately, each within a 14-day window that Companies House guidance of 30 July 2026 sets out as follows.
| Who | When they must verify | Source, read 2 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| New director, appointed on or after 18 November 2025 | With the appointment filing or the incorporation | Companies House guidance, 1 June 2026 |
| Existing director, appointed before 18 November 2025 | With the company's next confirmation statement in the 12 months to 17 November 2026 | SI 2025/1118, regulation 4 |
| Existing PSC who is also a director of the company | Within 14 days starting the day after the confirmation statement date, as at the guidance of 30 July 2026 | Companies House guidance, 30 July 2026 |
| Existing PSC who is not a director | Within the first 14 days of their birth month, from 1 December 2025 to 1 November 2026 by month of birth | SI 2025/1118, regulation 5 |
| PSC registered on or after 18 November 2025 | When first added to the register, or within 14 days of being added, under the guidance of 30 July 2026 | Companies House guidance, 30 July 2026 |
Two edges matter as at 2 November 2026. A company that files no confirmation statement in the transition still owes the statement with its next one, under regulation 4(3). And because section 853A of the Companies Act 2006 allows 14 days after a review period ends, a review period ending on 17 November 2026 leaves until 1 December 2026 to file. The last birth-month window for a non-director PSC is 1 to 14 November 2026.
Corporate directors, limited partnerships and people who file at Companies House come "at a later date", in the words of the guidance of 30 July 2026; the outline transition plan, updated on 23 October 2026, puts presenter verification at "no earlier than November 2027".
How far has verification got?
Companies House publishes quarterly figures in appointments, not people, since one person can hold several roles. The release of 29 October 2026 gives the position at 30 September 2026.
| Appointment type | 31 Dec 2025 | 31 Mar 2026 | 30 Jun 2026 | 30 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directors verified | 7.8% | 32.2% | 55.3% | 78.0% |
| LLP members verified | 5.2% | 25.4% | 49.5% | 73.0% |
| Individual PSCs verified | 3.9% | 22.5% | 41.9% | 65.6% |
| All appointments verified | 6.2% | 28.1% | 49.7% | 72.8% |
| Verified appointments (number) | 911,758 | 4,158,941 | 7,364,599 | 10,705,965 |
At 30 June 2026 about half of in-scope appointments were verified. By 30 September 2026 the share was 72.8 per cent, with 6,590,959 director appointments and 3,995,834 individual PSC appointments verified.
What happens to a director who does not verify?
From 18 November 2025, section 167M of the Companies Act 2006 makes it an offence for an individual to act as a director unless their identity is verified, and an offence for the company and every officer in default to let them. During the transition, regulation 4(6) of SI 2025/1118 holds that prohibition back for an existing director until the day after the company files its confirmation statement, or the day after its delivery period ends if it does not. Section 167M(6) adds that a breach does not affect the validity of the director's acts.
The consequences, from Companies House guidance of 1 June 2026 and its approach of 17 November 2025:
- The company cannot file its confirmation statement unless all its directors are verified.
- A person who has not verified cannot be appointed as a new director of an existing company, register a new company, or register as an ACSP.
- Companies House sends a default letter after the due date, and its enforcement routes are prosecution, referral to the Insolvency Service and financial penalties.
A PSC who stays a PSC past their deadline without verifying "may be committing an offence", in the words of the guidance of 1 June 2026, though under the approach of 17 November 2025 the registrar may extend a PSC's due date by up to 14 days on request, and a PSC so extended remains compliant. The same guidance says that "in the future" Companies House will publish a note against the person's name on the public register; as at 2 November 2026 that is described as a future step, not a current one.
What does the public register show about verification?
As read on 2 November 2026, each current officer on a company's People tab, and each individual PSC, carries a line headed "Identity verification status". There are three forms in use.
| What the register shows | What it means | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| "Verified" and "Verification requirements complete" | The person verified and the statement linking them to this role has been filed | That Companies House has checked any other information the company filed |
| The same, plus "Identity verified by an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)", the firm's name and the date the checks were completed | A named, AML-supervised firm checked this person's identity | That the firm acts for the person in any other capacity |
| "Identity verification due" with a date | The statement for this role has not been filed; a date in the past means the deadline has passed | That the person is unknown or the company is improper |
Companies House staff confirmed the labels on its blog in January 2026: "If verification is complete you'll see a 'Verified' label against each role, if not it will show the date that the verification is due." Every register page still says "Companies House does not check the accuracy of the information filed", as read on 2 November 2026; verification changes that for identity only.
What should a private banker or wealth manager check on the register now?
Read from the adviser's side, the status line changes four things.
The person is real and is the person named. A "Verified" label, as read on 2 November 2026, means that person passed a check to the Companies House standard, which narrows the room for a borrowed or invented name. It says nothing about the shareholding, which the PSC register gives only in bands (over 25 up to 50 per cent, over 50 and under 75 per cent, 75 per cent or more, per the guidance read on 2 November 2026).
A named firm may have done the check. Where an ACSP verified the person, the register names the firm and the date. Companies House guidance of 30 July 2026 says ACSPs "usually have roles such as accountants, solicitors or company formation agents", and an ACSP that verified a person has seen that person's identity documents. That is a fact about which firm checked the person's identity for this role; whether it advises the owner more widely is not on the register.
A past due date is a fact to read, not a verdict. A director shown with a due date that passed in October 2026 has not filed the statement for that role. It may mean a dormant company, a director who has stepped back, or a confirmation statement not yet filed. A company in that position must have the director verify, remove them, or fail to file, so director terminations after 17 November 2026 are one visible way the register may resolve it.
Verification is per role. A person who verified as director of one company has not, by that act, satisfied the statement for another, under the guidance of 30 July 2026. A portfolio owner can show "Verified" on one company and a due date on another, which during the transition usually reflects only when each company's confirmation statement falls. In the house's experience a bank's onboarding team gives the label little weight and repeats its own checks.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Companies House identity verification deadline in November 2026?
The 12-month transition for existing directors and PSCs began on 18 November 2025 and its last day is 17 November 2026, under regulation 4 of SI 2025/1118. Each existing director's own deadline is the company's next confirmation statement in the year to 17 November 2026, and each existing PSC has a 14-day window set by their role and, for non-directors, their birth month.
How do I check if a director has verified their identity at Companies House?
Open the company on the register and go to the People tab. As read on 2 November 2026, each current officer and individual PSC shows an "Identity verification status" line reading "Verified" or giving the date verification is due.
What happens after 17 November 2026 if a director has not verified?
The company cannot file its confirmation statement unless all its directors are verified, and the director commits an offence under section 167M of the Companies Act 2006 by continuing to act. Companies House sends a default letter and may prosecute, refer the case to the Insolvency Service or issue a financial penalty, under its approach published on 17 November 2025.
Do people with significant control have to verify their identity?
Yes. Every individual PSC must verify and provide their personal code within a 14-day window, under Companies House guidance updated on 30 July 2026. At 30 September 2026, 65.6 per cent of individual PSC appointments were verified, against 78.0 per cent of director appointments.
What does "identity verified by an ACSP" mean on the Companies House register?
It means an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, a professional registered with Companies House and supervised for anti-money laundering, checked the person's identity rather than GOV.UK One Login. As read on 2 November 2026, the register names the firm and the date the checks were completed.
Method
The law is from legislation.gov.uk and the guidance from gov.uk, read on 2 November 2026. Verification rates are Companies House's quarterly management information to 30 September 2026, counted in appointments, not people; Companies House calls them unaudited, and its July 2026 release restated earlier quarters to include dormant companies. The register's labels were read from live company pages on 2 November 2026. The house's October 2026 figures are from The Gazette (notice code 2431) and the PSC register, measured on 2 November 2026. No individual is named.
Sources
All read on 2 November 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (Commencement No. 6 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1118), regulations 4 and 5, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1118/made.
- legislation.gov.uk, Companies Act 2006, sections 167M and 853A, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/167M.
- Companies House, Verifying your identity for Companies House, last updated 1 June 2026, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/verifying-your-identity-for-companies-house.
- Companies House, When you need to verify your identity for Companies House, last updated 30 July 2026, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/when-you-need-to-verify-your-identity-for-companies-house.
- Companies House, Companies House approach to non-compliance with mandatory identity verification, 17 November 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/companies-house-approach-to-non-compliance-with-mandatory-identity-verification.
- Companies House, Companies House management information: identity verification July to September 2026, 29 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/companies-house-management-information-identity-verification-july-to-september-2026.
- Companies House, Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act: outline transition plan for Companies House, updated 23 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-act-outline-transition-plan-for-companies-house.
- Companies House blog, Understanding identity verification for people with significant control (PSCs), 16 January 2026, with staff replies of January and February 2026, https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2026/01/16/understanding-identity-verification-for-people-with-significant-control-pscs/.
- Companies House, People with significant control (PSCs), https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-significant-control-pscs.
- The Gazette, notice code 2431, October 2026, and the Companies House PSC register, measured by Windfall Intelligence on 2 November 2026.
Winny is the house’s pen name. This page is written by Windfall Intelligence Ltd from the UK public record, every figure re-measured on the date it carries, and checked by a person before publication. How these pages are made. Corrections to hello@joinwindfall.com.
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