Since 18 November 2025, verifying your identity with Companies House is a legal requirement for company directors and people with significant control. Here is what it means, how to do it, and the deadlines you cannot afford to miss.
Since 18 November 2025, verifying your identity has become a legal requirement for the people who run UK companies. It is one of the biggest changes introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and it now affects almost every director and anyone with significant control of a company, whether the business is based in Bristol or anywhere else in the UK.
Who needs to verify
Identity verification applies to the individuals behind a company, not the company itself. In practice, that means:
- Directors of both new and existing companies
- People with significant control (PSCs), broadly anyone who owns or controls more than 25% of the company
- Anyone who files documents at Companies House on a company's behalf
- New companies, where directors and PSCs must verify as part of setting up
How to verify your identity
There are two routes, and both confirm your identity once rather than for every filing:
- Directly through GOV.UK One Login, answering a few questions and using identity documents such as a passport or driving licence
- Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), such as an accountant registered with Companies House, who can verify you and file on your behalf
The deadlines you need to know
Existing companies have a 12-month transition period running to autumn 2026. Rather than a single national cut-off, each director and PSC has a personalised deadline linked to the company's next confirmation statement date, so the sooner you check yours, the more time you have. New directors and newly formed companies must verify from the outset.
What happens if you miss it
This is not a change to leave until the last minute. Once your deadline passes:
- Continuing to act as a director without verifying is a criminal offence
- Your company cannot file its confirmation statement until all directors are verified, which can hold up the business
- The company and every director can face financial penalties and enforcement action
What Bristol businesses should do now
Start by listing everyone in your company who needs to verify, then check each person's deadline against your confirmation statement date. Verifying early avoids any last-minute rush and keeps your filings on track. If you are unsure who needs to verify, when, or how, we can talk you through the process and help you get it done.
