Why you need to verify your identity

Identity verification is a new legal requirement. It will help to deter people intending to use companies for illegal purposes.

By law, you will need to verify your identity to confirm you are who you claim to be.

This will:

• reduce the risk of fraud
• improve transparency, trust and accuracy of information on the Companies House register

Who needs to verify

You’ll need to verify your identity if you are:

• a director
• the equivalent of a director – this includes members, general partners and managing officers
• a director of an overseas company registered in the UK
• a person with significant control (PSC)
• an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) – also known as a Companies House authorised agent
• someone who files for a company – for example, a company secretary

In most cases, you’ll only need to verify your identity once. You must not verify again unless we tell you to.

We’ll introduce identity verification at a later date for:

• people who file at Companies House
• limited partnerships
• corporate directors of companies
• corporate members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs)
• officers of corporate PSCs

Ways to verify your identity

You can only verify your identity for Companies House using the following options. Do not post or email your identity documents to us.

Using the ‘Verify your identity for Companies House’ service

This service uses GOV.UK One Login to verify your identity. It is free of charge. 

GOV.UK One Login will ask you some simple questions to find the best way for you to verify your identity. You must provide answers about yourself, not your company. Depending on your answers, you’ll then be guided to verify:

• with an app 
• by answering security questions online 
• by entering your details from your photo ID on GOV.UK One Login first, then going to a participating Post Office