{"id":34820,"date":"2025-10-31T16:04:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T16:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/?post_type=knowledge&#038;p=34820"},"modified":"2025-10-31T16:04:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T16:04:51","slug":"companies-house-business-identity-verification","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/business-structure\/companies-house-business-identity-verification\/","title":{"rendered":"Major Companies House changes from 18 November"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two major Companies House updates are due from 18 November 2025. Make sure you comply with these changes to avoid fines or legal issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you own a limited company or are a person of significant control then you\u2019ll need to take steps to make these changes when they become mandatory from <strong>18 November 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep reading to find out what\u2019s changing and how this could affect your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-30c80bf8 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:35px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-you-need-to-know-about-companies-house-identify-verification\"><strong>What you need to know about Companies House identify verification<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">ID verification will be mandatory from 18 November 2025 (with a 12-month transition period for existing directors)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Companies House will now act as the official record of directors, secretaries, and people with significant control of your company<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">businesses will no longer need to keep internal registers of these roles, instead using Companies House<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">changes affect company directors and people with significant control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-companies-house-identity-verification\"><strong>Companies House identity verification<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies House launched voluntary identity verification on <strong>8 April 2025 <\/strong>before mandatory introduction comes in <strong>from 18 November 2025<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Directors of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/business-structure\/setting-up-a-limited-company\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1270\">limited companies<\/a> will need to prove who they are to continue running and owning their business. This change also affects those who are setting up a new limited company.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once it becomes mandatory, business owners will have 12 months to comply. Companies House is hoping this phased approach will reduce the burden on companies as they won\u2019t have to rush to meet a deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-is-companies-house-introducing-identity-verification-nbsp\">Why is Companies House introducing identity verification?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verifying the identity of those registered with Companies House will give more visibility to who\u2019s setting up and controlling companies in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The change comes as part of an update to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which aims to prevent crime and support growth in the economy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s hoped this new law will stop people setting up companies for illegal activities and reduce the risk of fraud.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/starting-out\/how-to-register-with-companies-house\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"850\">Certificate of Incorporation: registering with Companies House<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-verify-your-identity-with-companies-house-nbsp\"><strong>How to verify your identity with Companies House&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are two ways you can verify your identity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">directly with Companies House \u2013 just sign in or create a login with your <a href=\"https:\/\/signin.account.gov.uk\/sign-in-or-create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">GOV.UK One Login<\/a> (or in person at a Post Office if you can\u2019t verify online)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">through an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/companies-house-launches-registration-of-authorised-corporate-service-providers\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ASCP)<\/a>, such as your company accountant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-001\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Valid types of ID&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll need to prove your identity with photo ID. This can be one of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">biometric passport from any country<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">UK photo driving licence (full or provisional)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">UK biometric residence permit (BRP)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">UK biometric residence permit (BRC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">UK frontier worker permit (FWP)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll also need your current address and the year you moved in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies House CEO Louise Smyth CBE says: \u201cIdentity verification will play a key role in improving the quality and reliability of our data and tackling misuse of the companies register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo reduce the burden on business, the identity verification requirement for existing directors will be integrated into the annual confirmation statement update process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Changes to company registers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From 18 November 2025, companies will no longer need to hold internal registers of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">directors\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">directors\u2019 addresses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">secretaries<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">people with significant control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, you\u2019ll have to register this information with Companies House and keep it updated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It will also no longer be necessary to provide a business occupation for company directors (or equivalent) when you register their appointment with Companies House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies will also be unable to elect to hold information about the company\u2019s officers on the central register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can find out more information about all the changes <a href=\"https:\/\/changestoukcompanylaw.campaign.gov.uk\/changes-to-company-registers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">on the government website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-300-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-69910985 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:10px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-companies-house-changes-a-timeline\"><strong>Companies House changes<\/strong> \u2013 a timeline\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>8 April 2025<\/strong> \u2013 voluntary ID verification launched<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>13 October 2025 \u2013 <\/strong>business owners must switch to the GOV.UK One platform to log in to Companies House<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>18 November 2025 <\/strong>\u2013 all new limited company directors and people with significant control must verify their identity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>18 November 2025<\/strong> \u2013 companies must provide their company registers to Companies House<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>November 2025-2026<\/strong> \u2013 existing directors have 12 months to verify their identity during the transition period<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-win-for-businesses-and-a-win-for-economic-growth\">\u2018A win for businesses and a win for economic growth\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI and Digital Government Minister Feryal Clark MP supports the change, saying: \u201cEnsuring trust and transparency in the digital age is vital and today marks an important step forward.<br><br>\u201cIdentity verification at Companies House through our GOV.UK One Login service will make it easier to do business with confidence \u2013 protecting entrepreneurs, consumers, and the UK economy from fraud and financial crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBy embracing digital identity checks, we\u2019re reducing red tape while strengthening our defences against abuse of the system. This is a win for businesses, a win for transparency, and a win for economic growth \u2013 a key driver for our Plan for Change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQs \u2013 common questions about Companies House changes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Companies House identity verification?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies House identity verification is the process of checking that limited company directors are who they say they are. Most businesses will verify online, but verification in the Post Office is available to those who can\u2019t use the online service.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When does Companies House identity verification become mandatory?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies House ID verification becomes mandatory from 18 November 2025. The government hasn\u2019t yet published an exact date.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who needs to verify their identity with Companies House?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You need to verify your identity with Companies House if you\u2019re a:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">limited company director<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">person with significant control&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">authorised corporate service provider (ACSPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens if I don&#8217;t verify my identity?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a legal requirement and not verifying your identity means you\u2019ll be committing an offence, which could result in a penalty or fine.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don\u2019t complete the identity verification then you won\u2019t be able to file accounts for your business or start a new company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do sole traders have to verify their identity on Companies House?&#8217;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sole traders aren\u2019t affected by this change. They use a different business structure and aren\u2019t registered on Companies House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, if a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/starting-out\/sole-trader-vs-limited-company\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1532\">sole trader decides to transition to a limited company structure<\/a> then the ID verification process will apply.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does the ID verification mean for company directors?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Company directors will be required to verify their identity to continue running their limited company. You\u2019ll need to do this by 18 November 2025 (if you haven\u2019t done so already). There\u2019s a 12-month period to allow for the transition, but it\u2019s a good idea to get everything set up as soon as possible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other important changes you need to know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other updates you need to know include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">PO Boxes are no longer allowed to be used for your registered office \u2013 you\u2019ll need a real UK postal address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">your company needs a registered email address&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Companies House fees increased on 1 May 2024<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">limited partnerships will need to file through Authorised Corporate Service Providers by spring 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">accounts must be filed using commercial software by 1 April 2027 \u2013 web and paper filing will no longer be possible&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read more about <a href=\"https:\/\/changestoukcompanylaw.campaign.gov.uk\/changes-at-a-glance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">changes to company law<\/a> on the UK government website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-30c80bf8 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:35px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-companies-house-changes-5-key-takeaways\">Companies House changes \u2013 5 key takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Identity verification becomes mandatory from 18 November 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">The change is designed to reduce fraud and increase transparency of who runs and controls companies in the UK<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">The easiest way to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/guidance\/verify-your-identity-for-companies-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">verify is online<\/a> with your GOV.UK One Login&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Companies are no longer required to maintain internal maintain statutory registers, instead providing this information to Companies House<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article is intended as a guide. Check <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/collections\/companies-house-guidance-for-limited-companies-partnerships-and-other-company-types\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Companies House guidance<\/a> if you\u2019re unsure about anything.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><em>This article was first published on 9 April 2025 and updated in July, August, and October 2025.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More guides for company directors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/business-structure\/legal-changes-for-small-businesses-2025\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"33310\">10 legal changes impacting small businesses in 2025<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/business-tax\/new-tax-laws-for-businesses\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"32064\">5 new tax laws for businesses in 2025<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/starting-out\/how-to-register-a-business-name-uk\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1129\">How to register a business name \u2013 and how to protect it<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/business-insurance\/faq\/is-business-insurance-a-legal-requirement\/\">Is business insurance a legal requirement?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-upsell-001\" class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-94e519ba wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Ready to set up your cover?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">As one of the UK&#8217;s biggest <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"5152\">business insurance<\/a> providers, we specialise in <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/public-liability-insurance\/\">public liability insurance<\/a> and protect more trades than anybody else. Why not take a look now and build a quick, tailored quote?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/quote.simplybusiness.co.uk\/business\">Start your quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-end\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Identity verification will become mandatory for business owners by autumn 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":3055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sb_hreflang":"","sb_hreflang_url":"","disable_breadcrumbs":false,"sb_breadcrumbs":[],"sb_reviewed_by":"catriona-smith","sb_review_date":"","sb_enable_content_gating":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336,110],"hidden-category":[],"coauthors":[24],"class_list":["post-34820","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-structure","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Major Companies House changes from 18 November<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Limited company directors must verify their identity with Companies House, which will become mandatory from 18 November 2025.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/business-structure\/companies-house-business-identity-verification\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Major Companies House changes from 18 November\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Identity verification will become mandatory for business owners by autumn 2025.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/business-structure\/companies-house-business-identity-verification\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Simply Business UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-31T16:04:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/starting-a-business-as-a-foreigner.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"815\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"582\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Major Companies House changes from 18 November\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"Rosanna Parrish\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/business-structure\/companies-house-business-identity-verification\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/business-structure\/companies-house-business-identity-verification\/\"},\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Rosanna Parrish\",\"description\":\"Rosanna Parrish is a Copywriter at Simply Business specialising in side hustles \u2013 as well as all things freelance, social media, and ecommerce. 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Starting her career in health insurance, she also worked in education marketing before returning to the insurance world. <a href=\\\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rosannaparrish\/\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noopener\\\">Connect with Rosanna on LinkedIn.<\/a>\"},\"headline\":\"Major Companies House changes from 18 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