Companies House Identity Verification Begins for UK Directors and PSCs

On 8 April 2025, Companies House launched its new identity-verification service, beginning a major change in the way the UK corporate register establishes who is behind registered companies.

From that date, directors, people with significant control (PSCs) and others connected with UK companies could begin voluntarily verifying their identities either directly through Companies House using GOV.UK One Login or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). Companies House described identity verification as one of the key reforms introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

The significance of the reform goes beyond adding another administrative step to company formation. Identity verification introduces a new layer of assurance concerning the individuals setting up, running, owning and controlling UK companies.

Companies House Moves Beyond Recording Submitted Information

Historically, the UK companies register largely depended on information submitted by companies and their representatives. The new framework reflects a broader transformation of Companies House following the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

Identity verification is intended to improve confidence that individuals appearing on the register are who they claim to be. Companies House stated that the new checks would provide greater assurance over the identities of people establishing, managing, owning and controlling UK companies.

This represents an important change in the role of the registrar. The corporate register is moving toward a system in which identity itself becomes part of the integrity of registered company information.

Directors and PSCs Can Verify Ahead of Mandatory Requirements

The 8 April launch began with a voluntary verification period.

Directors and PSCs could complete their checks in advance of the planned mandatory regime, allowing companies and individuals time to prepare before identity verification became a legal requirement.

Companies House expected the requirement to become mandatory later in 2025 and said that more than six million individuals would need to comply during the 12 months following mandatory implementation.

For existing directors, Companies House planned to integrate verification into the annual confirmation statement process in order to phase implementation and reduce the immediate administrative burden on businesses.

The scale of the programme therefore made identity verification one of the most significant operational changes to UK company administration in recent years.

Two Routes to Companies House Identity Verification

Individuals were given two principal routes for completing verification.

The first allowed a person to verify directly with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login.

The second allowed verification through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. ACSPs are regulated intermediaries such as company formation agents, accountants and legal professionals that register with Companies House and can perform identity checks meeting the required standard. Companies House began accepting ACSP registrations in March 2025, shortly before the identity-verification service went live.

Companies House stated that the same level of assurance should apply whether verification is performed directly or through an ACSP.

For company formation specialists and corporate service providers, this created a direct operational role in the new verification framework.

Identity Becomes Part of UK Company Formation

The reform has particular significance for company formation.

Once mandatory requirements are fully implemented, identity verification is intended to become part of the process for new directors and PSCs connected with UK companies. This means that incorporation and corporate appointments will increasingly involve not only submitting information about an individual but establishing that individual’s verified identity.

The change is important for registered agents, company formation providers, accountants, legal professionals and corporate administrators because identity checks become connected to the validity and reliability of information submitted to Companies House.

It also reinforces the wider policy direction established by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act: strengthening the reliability of the companies register and making it harder to use false or stolen identities in connection with UK corporate structures.

Why Companies House Identity Verification Matters

Companies House identity verification changes a fundamental assumption of the UK company-registration system.

The register is no longer evolving solely as a repository of information supplied by companies. It is becoming a system in which the identities of the people behind those companies are subject to formal verification.

For corporate and compliance professionals, the practical implications include new onboarding procedures, additional identity-checking obligations, increased interaction with ACSP requirements and the need to manage verification as part of company formation and ongoing corporate administration.

The April 2025 launch therefore marked the beginning of a significant structural change in UK corporate transparency. With millions of directors and PSCs expected to come within the regime, verified identity is becoming an integral component of how UK companies are formed, administered, owned and controlled.

Official source: Companies House, “Companies House starts to verify identities,” published 8 April 2025.