Companies House Verification 2026 and ACSP Compliance

Published on 3rd Mar 2026

If you're a director of a UK company, the way you file documents with Companies House is changing. Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), Companies House is rolling out a mandatory identity verification regime that affects every company director, every Person with Significant Control (PSC), and every professional agent who files on your behalf.

If you use a solicitor or accountant to handle your Companies House filings, they will need to be registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) from spring 2026, or they will no longer be able to file for you.

If you're an existing director who hasn't yet verified your identity with Companies House, you have until 18 November 2026 to do so. Miss that deadline and you risk criminal prosecution, civil financial penalties, and potentially having your company struck off the register.

This article explains what the changes mean for your business, what you need to do, and why working with a company law solicitor is the most effective way to stay compliant.

Mandatory Identity Verification

All new company directors and PSCs must have identity verification. If you were appointed as a director on or after 18 November 2025, you must verify your identity before or at the point of appointment. Your unique Companies House personal code must be included in the appointment filing.

If you were already a director on 18 November 2025, you must verify your identity and provide your personal code before your company files its next confirmation statement after that date. Companies House has confirmed this transition window runs for 12 months, so the hard deadline for all existing directors and PSCs is 18 November 2026.

If you become a PSC on or after 18 November 2025, you must provide your personal code within 14 days of being added to the register. Missing these deadlines is not a minor administrative issue. Companies House has confirmed it will issue civil financial penalties and, where non-compliance persists, will pursue criminal proceedings. In the most serious cases, it can apply to have your company struck off the register entirely.

Identity verification is a one-time process. Once you have verified, you get a unique personal code that stays with you. If you are a director or PSC of multiple companies, you do not need to verify again. You need to make sure your code is submitted in connection with each company at the right time.

How to Verify Your Identity with Companies House

There are two ways in which to verify your identity with Companies House as a company director or PSC. You can go through the GOV.UK One Login and use a biometric passport or UK driving licence. You can also verify in person at certain Post Office branches.

The second way to verify your identity is through a registered ACSP, like Nicholas & Co. A registered ACSP is authorised to carry out checks on your behalf and confirm your identity to Companies House. This route is particularly useful if you are based overseas or your documentation does not meet the requirements of the online route. This method of verification can take the task off your busy work schedule.

Changes to ACSP in Spring 2026

From spring 2026, any third-party agent that files documents at Companies House on behalf of a client must be registered as an ACSP. This covers everything from confirmation statements, annual accounts, director appointment forms, and all other statutory filings. It is not simply about identity verification.

The official Companies House guidance describes the mandatory deadline as "no earlier than November 2026", but professional bodies including ICAEW and ICAS are treating spring 2026 as the practical planning deadline.

Identity Verification and Anti-Money Laundering Checks

Many directors assume that if their solicitor or accountant already carries out anti-money laundering (AML) due diligence checks on them, Companies House identity verification is more of the same. It is not.

AML checks are risk-based. Your adviser assesses the level of risk that you present as a client and decides how thorough the checks need to be. Companies House identity verification works differently: the standard is fixed and applies identically to everyone, regardless of risk. There is no professional judgement, no discretion, and no ability to scale back the process for lower-risk individuals. In practice, this means that an ACSP must follow a prescribed, step-by-step process, check specified documents, and record and retain evidence in a specific way.

Manual verification requires at least two valid forms of ID, and the person carrying out the check must be trained to Home Office standards — training that is entirely separate from standard AML qualification. If your adviser has not specifically prepared for this, they cannot simply rely on their existing AML procedures.

What Are the Risks of Identity Verification with Companies House

The new regime introduces some very specific risks that directors need to understand.

Your filing gets rejected

From spring 2026, Companies House will refuse to accept filings from unregistered third parties. If your agent has not registered as an ACSP in time and tries to file your confirmation statement or accounts, those documents will not go through. Depending on how close you are to a statutory deadline, that could put your company in breach of its obligations and trigger enforcement action.

You miss your own verification deadline

The 12-month transition period for existing directors and PSCs is not a single universal deadline. Each person's deadline is tied to their company's specific confirmation statement cycle. If you are a director of more than one company, you may have different deadlines running at the same time. Miss any one of them and you could be committing a criminal offence.

Your records don't match your ID

This is a common problem that directors and PSCs can run into. If the name or date of birth on your Companies House record does not match what is on your passport or driving licence, such as a name change or a filing error, the verification will not go through cleanly. That needs to be fixed before you attempt to verify, not after.

You cannot use the online route The GOV.UK One Login verification service is not available to everyone. Directors based overseas, politically exposed persons, and those with non-standard documentation will need to use an ACSP instead. If you do not identify these individuals early and make arrangements, you will hit the deadline unprepared.

Your ACSP gets it wrong

Firms acting as ACSPs carry legal responsibility for the accuracy of their identity checks. If an ACSP incorrectly verifies someone who turns out to be fraudulent, there are serious professional liability, insurance, and regulatory consequences for that firm. That is why the quality of your ACSP matters as much as whether they are registered at all.

Why You Should Work with a Solicitor for Identity Verification

There are five clear reasons why instructing a company law solicitor can be the best route to take for identity verification.

  1. 1. Solicitors can act as your ACSP. Law firms regulated by the SRA are eligible to register as ACSPs, as Nicholas & Co has already done. That means that we can handle both your identity verification and your Companies House filings together, rather than managing multiple agents with different responsibilities and deadlines.
  2. The deadlines can be complicated. If you have multiple directors or PSCs, or if any of them are directors of other companies, the verification deadlines will vary between individuals. We can map out every deadline that applies to your business, flag who needs to act first, and make sure nothing is missed.
  3. Your records may need fixing before you can comply. Nicholas & Co can audit your current Companies House filings, identify any discrepancies between your records and your directors' or PSCs' identity documents, and correct them before they become a problem at the point of verification.
  4. There are consequences to non-compliance. Criminal prosecution, civil financial penalties, and the threat of being struck off are the stated enforcement approach of a regulator with new powers and a clear mandate to use them. Getting professional support to manage your compliance gives you a proper audit trail and demonstrates that your business took its obligations seriously.
  5. This is not the last change. ECCTA is a multi-year programme. Software-only filing of annual accounts is expected to be mandated from 1 April 2027. Further changes for limited partnerships are expected before the end of 2026. Compliance is an ongoing commitment, not a one-off task.

What is the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) 2023?

The ECCTA received Royal Assent in October 2023. It is the biggest shake-up of Companies House since corporate registrations were first introduced in 1844. The government's aim is straightforward: stop UK companies being used to hide dirty money, improve the accuracy of the public register, and empower Companies House to enforce its rules.

Until now, Companies House largely accepted what companies told it and published the information without much scrutiny. Companies House is moving from a passive register to an active gatekeeper, with new powers to verify identities, query filings, and penalise non-compliance.

The changes are being rolled out in stages through this year.

What Can Company Directors Do Now?

Speak to us so that we can review who in your business needs identity verification and to put this in motion before the deadline. We can ensure your filing is accurate and keeps you compliant with the changes.

We have already supported many businesses through this process, from across all industries and with complex challenges. Our team at Nicholas & Co are on hand to support your identity verification with Companies House. Get in touch today.