Proof of ID verification for directors will be introduced on Companies House register

Proof of ID verification for directors will be introduced on Companies House register

This new verification will mean that due diligence and evidence that directors and people with significant control (PSCs) have complied with the new ID verification rules which came into effect on 18 November 2025.

Company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) will be able to check the register to see ID verification due dates for all their roles, the register will show the date verification is due, which will be accompanied by a green tick to show compliance once this has been completed.

This confirmation of compliance will be publicly available, the register will also show if a director or PSC has not verified their identity in time, and how long it has been since the due date.

At present, 1.5m people have already verified their identity out of the over six million existing directors on the register, this means that currently three quarters have not yet registered. The compliance dates are dependent on confirmation statement filing. Directors and PSCs will only have to verify their ID once.

In a briefing Companies House said it was ‘really pleased with the volume of people that have gone through the verification – more than we anticipated and more than we expected’.

The changes that have come into effect on 18 November, which means that directors and (PSCs) will by law have to start verifying their identities with Companies House.

Companies House have stressed that this date is ‘not a deadline’, instead it marks the start of a ‘12-month transition period, giving your company time to make sure all directors and people with significant control (PSCs) have verified their identity by their due dates.’

The deadline for individual directors varies depending on their confirmation statement deadline, so some will not have to verify and submit until 17 November 2026.

As part of the communication plans, Companies House will write/email to all affected directors within three weeks of their deadline for ID verification, to give them enough time to complete the process.

All correspondence will be sent to the company’s service address. For PSCs, letters will be sent to their residential address.

Penalties for non-compliance

There will be a penalty regime in place, but no details on the size of the financial sanctions have yet been announced.

Companies House has set out enforcement under ‘four broad categories.’ These include

• informing people of their obligations,
• nudging and guiding,
• dealing with non-compliance,
• and addressing fraud and criminal activity.

Informing people of their obligations, means ‘communicating with users about what they must do, how and by when’.

When ‘nudging and guiding people’ on compliance, they will signpost users to verify their identity online or to use an authorised corporate service provider (ACSP), such as an accountant or law firm.

Here at Kennedys Accountants, we are proud to be ACSP’s and will be pleased to assist our clients to ensure they are compliant.

On non-compliance if users do not comply with identity verification requirements by their due date, they will be sent a default letter. This letter will set out the offence of not complying with identity verification requirements and explain that enforcement action may ensue ‘without further notice’.

This will include prosecution through the courts, referral to the Insolvency Service and financial penalties.