Since 18 November, all UK company directors, Persons with Significant Control (PSCs), and all members of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), are legally required to complete the Companies House identity verification process. This forms a central part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) – a legislation designed to strengthen corporate governance, enhance transparency, and prevent companies from being used for illegal purposes. 

Failure to comply may lead to fines, delays, and reputational damage, making it vital for organisations – particularly those with complex ownership structures – to act now. Existing directors will have until the company’s next confirmation statement is due to fulfil these obligations, and those with multiple founders, directors, investors, or PSCs will face a more intricate process. 

Why Identity Verification is Being Introduced 

The reforms aim to modernise and secure the UK’s corporate registry system. Mandatory verification will: 

1.  Enhance transparency and improve data integrity: ensuring that individuals setting up, running, or controlling companies are accurately identified, strengthening the reliability of the Companies House register.

2. Prevent fraud and illegal activity: helping identify those attempting to use companies for fraud, money laundering, or other criminal purposes.

3. Support Anti-Money Laundering compliance: giving businesses greater confidence that the companies and individuals they interact with are genuine.

4. Facilitate digital transformation: providing a streamlined, secure identity verification system makes compliance more efficient and accessible.

5. Enable a linked-individuals account: directors, PSCs, and LLP members can link all their companies to a single account, so identity verification only needs to be completed once, regardless of how many entities they are involved in.

Who Must Comply?

Company Directors
Persons of Significant
Control (PSCs)
All members of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)
Third-party agents acting on behalf of companies
Both new and existing companies.

How to Complete Identity Verification

Companies House will offer two verification routes:

Digital Verification

This involves:

Creating a Government One Login and Companies House account
Uploading approved identification (e.g., passport or driving licence)
Taking a live facial photo
Automatic verification via secure authentication technology

The Post Office will also support aspects of this process under a government contract.

Verification Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)

An ACSP can perform verification on your behalf. These are regulated firms approved by Companies House to conduct identity checks.

Glaisyers ETL will act as ACSPs, enabling directors, PSCs, and LLP members to complete verification easily, which can be especially beneficial when:

You lack access to a smartphone
The digital service cannot verify you
Your organisation has multiple directors or PSCs requiring coordinated identity checks

Existing clients can be verified quickly, as identity documents may already be held on file.

The Administrative Impact on Companies

While essential, the new requirements may bring complexity, particularly for organisations with layered or international ownership structures. Companies must:

Maintain accurate corporate records
Ensure that reporting obligations are fully up to date
Confirm that each director and PSC understands their responsibilities and completes verification on time

Glaisyers offers end-to-end management of the verification process. They ensure all corporate records are correct, provide governance advice, and streamline reporting obligations, making compliance straightforward and stress-free. Mandatory identity verification marks a major step toward greater corporate transparency, reduced fraud risk, and improved data accuracy. To avoid penalties, companies should act now.

Stay ahead of the curve and book a discovery call with Glaisyers today to ensure your agency is fully compliant.