Companies House ID Verification Rules: What Contractors Need to Know for November 2025

Contractors: Be Ready for Companies House ID Checks from November 2025

If you’re a company director, you’ll want to mark 18th November 2025 in your diary. From that date, every UK company director and Person With Significant Control (PSC) must go through identity verification with Companies House.

This isn’t one of those changes you can ignore or delay. Without verification, your company won’t be able to file its confirmation statement — which means filings grind to a halt, and penalties start stacking up.

Why this is happening

The new process is part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Its aim is simple: to make UK companies harder to misuse and to reduce fraud. For contractors and small business owners, it just means a new box to tick — but it’s a crucial one.

What you need to know

1. Everyone has to do it

• All company directors will need to verify their identity.

• If you run more than one company, you only need to verify once. You’ll get a personal code you can reuse across all your roles.

• New directors or anyone setting up a company after November 2025 must verify straight away.

2. The process has two parts

• Step 1: Verify your identity either through GOV.UK One Login or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) like your accountant or solicitor.

• Step 2: Link your verified identity to your company by using your personal code and submitting a verification statement.

Once you’ve got your code, it’s yours for good — no need to repeat the full process for each company.

3. Deadlines are tied to your company’s filings

Although the rules kick in from 18th November 2025, the deadline for each director depends on when the company’s next confirmation statement is due.

👉 Example: If your next confirmation statement is due on 31st March 2026, you must complete verification before then.

Don’t cut it fine. With Companies House fees already higher since March 2024, late filings could be an expensive mistake.

4. Watch out for mismatched details

Verification will fail if your ID documents don’t match the information already on the Companies House register.

Check now for:

• Wrong dates of birth

• Spelling mistakes or typos in names

• Missing middle names

Get these corrected early to avoid hold-ups when the rules go live.

The bottom line

From 18th November 2025, directors can’t sidestep identity checks. The rules are firm: no ID verification means no company filings.

Take a few minutes now to:

• Check your Companies House records

• Confirm your next confirmation statement date

• Decide whether you’ll verify through GOV.UK or an ACSP

Contractors who act early will breeze through the change. Those who wait risk fines, delays, and unnecessary stress.