Companies House identity verification is progressing reasonably well, but the latest figures show that compliance among people with significant control (PSCs) is lagging considerably behind compliance among directors.
A director who is also a PSC may not realise that, even though Companies House issues them one 11-character personal code, they must submit it separately for each role they hold.
Directors
Since 18 November 2025, directors have been required to link their personal code to each directorship when filing a company’s first confirmation statement on or after that date.
- This part of Companies House’s identity verification programme is nearing completion. By 23 September, 68% of directors had notified Companies House that their identity was verified.
- However, around 18% of directors are overdue with their compliance.
Even if identity verification has been completed successfully, a director remains classed as unverified until their personal code is linked to their directorship. Newly appointed directors must provide their code during the appointment process.
Persons with significant control
By 23 September, only 56% of PSCs had submitted their personal code, while 26% were overdue. A company cannot submit its confirmation statement until all its directors have verified their identity, but PSCs are not subject to the same requirement:
- Director and PSC of the same company: For their PSC role, the person must submit their personal code through a separate service within 14 days of the company’s confirmation statement date.
- PSC but not a director of the same company: The code must be provided during the first 14 days of the PSC’s birth month. For example, someone born on 28 October must submit it between 1 and 14 October 2026.
Individuals who become a PSC should provide their personal code within 14 days of being added to the Companies House register. Companies House guidance on identity verification can be found here.