Companies House Identity Verification: ACSP Guide

Companies House identity verification is now a legal requirement for company directors and people with significant control (PSCs), and the 12-month transition period for existing office holders runs out in mid-November 2026. For accountants, that matters twice over: your own clients need to be verified, and your firm may want to become an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) so that it can verify them. This guide summarises what GOV.UK's guidance pages and Companies House's announcement of 5 August 2025 say. It is general information, not legal advice, so check the current GOV.UK pages before you act.

Verification at Companies House sits alongside your normal onboarding work. Our guides to customer due diligence and KYC and to digital identity verification under the Money Laundering Regulations cover the AML side.

What started on 18 November 2025

According to Companies House's announcement, mandatory identity verification began on 18 November 2025 for directors and PSCs. New directors must verify before they can incorporate a company or be appointed to one. After verifying, a person receives a personal code, and from 18 November 2025 they must give that code and a verification statement for each company role they hold. Individuals can verify free of charge through GOV.UK One Login, or through an ACSP.

Who must verify, and when

GOV.UK's guidance, "When you need to verify your identity for Companies House", sets out the rules by role:

• Directors. Provide your Companies House personal code in the company's next confirmation statement. If you direct more than one company, do this for each. New company registrations need each director's code.
• PSCs who are also directors. Give the director code in the confirmation statement, and for the PSC role submit the details through the PSC service within 14 days, starting the day after the company's confirmation statement date.
• PSCs who are not directors. Provide the code within the first 14 days of their birth month. For example, someone born on 22 January has a period starting on 1 January.
• PSCs added after 18 November 2025. Provide the code when added to the register or within 14 days of being added.
• Deceased PSCs. No verification is needed, and the PSC stays on the register until a grant of probate or letters of administration is received. The guidance added this point on 30 July 2026.

The guidance also says verification will be introduced later for people who file, limited partnerships, corporate directors, corporate LLP members, and officers of corporate PSCs. It lists overseas companies separately: they must confirm that all directors have verified by the anniversary of their UK establishment's registration.

The 12-month transition

Companies House's announcement says existing directors and PSCs have 12 months from 18 November 2025. Existing directors verify when they file their next confirmation statement, and existing PSCs must verify within 12 months, on a date set for them. Companies House estimated that 6 to 7 million individuals would need to verify by mid-November 2026. The announcement says that acting as a director without verification will be an offence once the relevant director duties start, and that Companies House will take a proportionate approach to enforcement. It does not give fine amounts, and neither does the GOV.UK page we reviewed, so check Companies House's current guidance on consequences.

Two ways to verify: One Login or an ACSP

An individual can verify directly using GOV.UK One Login, which is free, or ask an ACSP to verify them. An ACSP is a business registered with Companies House as an authorised agent. GOV.UK says businesses will need to register as authorised agents to file on clients' behalf in future.

Registering as an ACSP

GOV.UK's guidance on applying to register as an authorised agent says:

• Sole traders can register themselves. For a business, the applicant must hold a senior role, such as director, partner or member.
• The agent must already be registered with a UK anti-money laundering supervisory body, and must stay registered throughout. Not all businesses qualify for AML supervision. The application asks for the supervisor's name and membership number, and Companies House checks them against its own records.
• Applicants must verify their own identity for Companies House first. Most people need to verify only once, even with several roles.
• After registration, the agent must tell Companies House about changes to its details, keep records and provide further information about filings if asked.
• Agents can choose whether to appear on the public ACSP list. Suspended or ceased agents are published on a separate list.

The page we reviewed did not mention a fee for registration. If your firm is not yet supervised, our guide to HMRC AML supervision, registration and fees explains how HMRC registration works.

What an ACSP must record and report

GOV.UK's guidance on telling Companies House you have verified someone's identity says the checks must meet the Companies House identity verification standard. The ACSP must tell Companies House the person's name, date of birth, home address and email address (where the personal code is sent), whether a person or identity document validation technology checked the documents, which documents were used, the date the checks were completed and, for relevant documents, the reference number, expiry date and country of issue. It must confirm it is satisfied that the person is who they claim to be. Copies of documents do not need to be submitted, but the ACSP must keep records of every identity check, including copies of the documents, for 7 years from the date the checks were completed, and provide evidence if Companies House asks. Companies House could suspend or stop an agent who cannot produce records or has not met the standard.

Once a person links their verified identity, the public register shows their name, the ACSP's name, the AML supervisors the ACSP is registered with, and the date the checks were completed.

This is not the same as customer due diligence

The guidance says the identity checks for Companies House differ from the customer due diligence checks used to prevent money laundering. A Companies House verification does not replace your own onboarding. You still need to complete customer due diligence, including beneficial ownership, as set out in our guide to onboarding business customers under regulation 28.

What this means for accountancy firms (our suggestions)

These points are our own, not Companies House requirements:

• List the companies you act for and the directors and PSCs on each, and check who has verified and who has not.
• Diarise each client's confirmation statement date and PSC periods, and chase codes in good time.
• Decide whether to become an ACSP or leave clients to verify themselves through One Login, bearing in mind the AML supervision requirement and the record-keeping duties.
• Update your engagement letters to say who is responsible for verification and who holds the personal codes.

Frequently asked questions

Is identity verification compulsory now?

Yes. GOV.UK's guidance says it became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025, with a 12-month transition for existing directors and PSCs.

Can my accountant verify me?

Only if they are registered as an ACSP, which requires UK AML supervision. Otherwise, individuals can use GOV.UK One Login.

How long must an ACSP keep verification records?

GOV.UK's guidance says 7 years from the date the checks were completed.