Identity verification at Companies House has been a legal requirement since 18 November 2025. Here is the short version for company directors.
- Every existing director must verify and give their Companies House personal code when the company files its next confirmation statement — so most companies meet this in the twelve months to 18 November 2026.
- The company cannot file its confirmation statement until all directors are verified.
- People with significant control have their own 14-day window to provide a code and verification statement.
- Continuing to act as a director unverified after your deadline is an offence, with financial penalties possible.
- Verify once, as a person, through GOV.UK One Login or an authorised agent. One code covers all your roles.
Practical point: chase the quiet directors early — the retired parent, the adult child, the spouse on the board since 2004. And if a director is unwell or abroad, filings can stall, so it is worth knowing who could act in your place.
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Six short reads each week on tax, Wills, family wealth and running a business, from John Ireland. Since 1996, three decades of protecting families.