Companies House Identity Verification 2026: Directors, PSCs, Deadlines and Personal Codes

Britvex Advisory · UK company compliance team · Reviewed 15 October 2026

1. What changed at Companies House?

The UK’s identity-verification system is intended to strengthen confidence in the information held on the public company register. People in relevant roles must establish their identity through an accepted route and then provide a Companies House personal code in the way required for each role. Identity verification and filing that personal code are related, but separate, actions.

Verification became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025. The date marked the beginning of a 12-month transition period for existing directors and PSCs, not a universal deadline on which all individuals became overdue. In October 2026, many companies are approaching the end of the transition and must check their exact dates instead of relying on a general announcement.

2. Who needs to verify and when?

These are the main categories identified by Companies House. Some circumstances, including overseas company arrangements, warrant separate checks. Read the official Companies House deadline guidance and check the due date shown for the person or company on the Companies House register.

3. Why the director and PSC rules are not interchangeable

A person can be both a director and PSC of the same limited company. That creates two reporting obligations, even though the person normally needs to verify their identity only once. Companies House says the director provides their code through the company confirmation statement, while the PSC provides the same personal code separately through the appropriate PSC service during the PSC’s 14-day window.

Consider an existing company whose confirmation statement date is 20 October 2026. An individual who is both director and PSC will need to check the director filing and the separate PSC period beginning the day after the confirmation statement date. Filing the confirmation statement early does not move the PSC’s statutory 14-day window. Exact dates should be calculated using the live register and official guidance.

4. How to verify your identity and obtain a personal code

Companies House recognises verification through the relevant GOV.UK One Login process or through a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). A person may need appropriate documents or checks depending on the route. After successful verification, Companies House issues a personal code; an individual should safeguard it and make sure the name and date of birth associated with it match the register.

A Companies House personal code is not a tax UTR, PAYE reference, company authentication code or National Insurance number. Do not send it casually or publish it. For guidance on where to locate or manage it, consult Companies House’s personal-code instructions.

5. Can an accountant verify your identity for you?

Only an organisation registered with Companies House as an ACSP can act as a Companies House identity-verification provider through that route. An accountant’s anti-money-laundering supervision by itself does not establish that the firm is registered as an ACSP. Businesses should check a provider’s status before assuming it can complete formal verification.

Britvex provides company-compliance guidance and support, including helping clients understand filing requirements and organising connected Companies House records. Formal identity verification must be carried out through a Companies House-accepted route. This article does not represent Britvex as an ACSP. See Companies House guidance on using an ACSP.

6. A practical compliance checklist for October 2026

1. Review the public register. Identify each relevant company number, current directors and PSCs.
2. Check each individual’s role. Record whether the individual is director, PSC or both; identify any appointments or PSC changes since 18 November 2025.
3. Find the confirmation statement date. Existing directors generally provide codes as part of the relevant company filing.
4. Check the PSC window independently. Use the company’s confirmation statement date, birth-month rule or new-PSC rule as appropriate.
5. Confirm verification status. Identify who has completed verification and who still needs to do so.
6. Obtain the correct personal code. Avoid substituting company authentication codes, UTRs or outdated records.
7. Make the correct submission for each role. Check both the director filing and any separate PSC reporting requirement.
8. Review linked company changes. Director appointments, resignations, ownership and PSC changes can also trigger separate event-driven filings.
9. Retain a compliance log. Record the responsible person, filing due date, submission status and supporting confirmation securely.

7. What happens if the confirmation statement is due?

A confirmation statement is a recurring Companies House filing and should not be treated as a once-a-year opportunity to report all changes. Existing directors need to provide personal codes in the relevant confirmation statement when the identity requirement applies. Meanwhile, many changes—such as director or PSC information—have their own separate reporting requirements and deadlines.

The best approach is to review the company’s record before preparing the confirmation statement: director identities, PSC positions, registered office, registered email, shares and other details, together with relevant changes since the previous filing. Britvex’s confirmation statements service explains the connected annual process.

8. What directors and overseas founders frequently misunderstand

“I verified once, so all my company filings are done.”

Verifying once can provide a reusable personal code, but that code still needs to be linked to each relevant company appointment and each applicable PSC role.

“Everybody had the same deadline on 18 November 2025.”

That date was the commencement of the mandatory regime and a transition period, not a universal last date for every existing person.

“My accountant automatically counts as an authorised verifier.”

Formal verification through an agent requires registration as an ACSP. Ask the provider to confirm its status or use an accepted self-verification route.

“My director verification also completes my PSC filing.”

Companies House requires separate confirmation for a director role and a PSC role, even where one person has both.

“If I live overseas, the UK company requirement does not apply.”

UK company obligations do not disappear solely because an officer lives outside the UK. The applicable verification and reporting route should be checked against the actual company and individual’s role.

Frequently asked questions