The new Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduces a legal requirement for the verification of the identity of individuals who are officers or PSCs of incorporated entities and those responsible for providing information in connection with such entities. The Act, aimed at addressing economic crime, introduces ID verification to improve transparency and make the information held by Companies House more accurate.
Who needs to verify their identity?
The new ID verification legislation will apply to those in the following categories:
- Company directors, including non-UK resident directors of UK companies, directors of overseas companies with UK branches, and trustees of charities that are set up as companies limited by guarantee
- Persons with significant control of registered entities (PSCs)
- Officers of registerable legal entities (RLEs)
- LLP members
- Individuals filing for a company – for example, a company secretary
How to complete ID verification
ID verification can be completed as follows:
- Using the ‘Verify your identity for Companies House’ service – this can be done using the GOV.UK One Login app or website and is free of charge. For individuals based in the UK, if you are unable to complete verification online you may be required to verify your identity in person at a participating UK Post Office.
- Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) registered with Companies House and supervised by a UK Anti-Money Laundering body. These service providers offer a fee-paying service for individuals unable to use the online or Post Office routes.
In both cases, you will be required to provide specific photographic ID – for example, a valid UK passport or driving licence, a biometric residence permit, or a national identity card.
Once your ID has been verified, you will be provided with a unique identifier (UI) number. This number will be used on all Companies House filings thereafter. If you are an existing director or PSC, you will be required to provide your UI number to connect your verified ID to the existing Companies House registers. Each individual will only ever have one UI number, which applies to all their roles.
When do the rules take effect?
The ID verification provisions are being introduced in stages which began in March 2025 and extend until the end of 2026. The key dates to note are:
8 April 2025 – Voluntary ID verification opens.
18 November 2025 – ID verification becomes compulsory for newly incorporated companies and for new directors, LLP members, and PSCs of existing companies and LLPs. Verification of the identity of directors, PSCs, and members of companies and LLPs on the register at that date will be addressed over a 12-month transition period when that company or LLP’s Confirmation Statement is filed.
Spring 2026 – ID verification required for those filing on behalf of a company and for corporate general partners of limited partnerships. Third-party agents must be registered ACSPs.
End of 2026 – Transition period ends and enforcement begins.
What if I fail to comply?
Under the Act, non-compliance is a criminal offence, meaning that by the end of the transition period it will be a criminal offence for an unverified company director to act as a director, and for a company to allow its directors to act as directors without having completed ID verification.
Non-compliance may also constitute a breach of the Companies Act 2006, which could lead to the disqualification of a director.
Additionally, individuals who have not satisfied verification requirements and who are not employed by an ACSP will not be able to make filings at Companies House.
Next steps
To ensure compliance with the new ID verification requirements, companies and LLPs should:
- Identify everyone in the entity who must verify their ID.
- Ask them to complete their personal verification and provide their UI number.
- Plan ahead by checking which filings are due on or after 18 November 2025 to avoid last-minute non-compliance issues.
- Ensure everyone subject to ID verification has valid, up-to-date ID.
Individuals who are officers or PSCs of companies or members of LLPs, or whose role involves dealing with filings on behalf of any entity should:
- Complete their own ID verification; and
- Share their UI number with the person responsible for filing their entity’s Confirmation Statement.
More information is available on the Government website: Verifying your identity for Companies House - GOV.UK
If you need further guidance on the new requirements, please contact our Corporate team.
Published 30 September 2025
