Director ID Checks Can Block Filings
Director ID Checks are now part of Companies House compliance. Directors need to verify their identity and use their Companies House personal code when required.
A routine confirmation statement can now be blocked if the directors are not ready.
For many small limited companies, this is not just a legal change. It is another annual task that needs to be tracked, checked and completed before the filing deadline.
Director ID Checks
Director ID Checks were introduced as part of wider Companies House reforms. From 18 November 2025, identity verification became a legal requirement for new and existing company directors and people with significant control. Companies House described this date as the start of a 12 month transition period for existing directors and PSCs.
For existing directors, the practical trigger is the company’s next confirmation statement. A director needs to provide their Companies House personal code as part of that filing from 18 November 2025. If a director is appointed from that date, the code is needed as part of the appointment filing or company incorporation process.
The personal code belongs to the individual, not the company.
This matters where someone is involved in more than one company. A director only needs to verify their identity once, but the same personal code must then be used for each relevant company role or appointment.
The confirmation statement process has therefore become stricter. Companies House guidance says the filing must include a personal code for each director, and the company must confirm that the directors have verified their identity. A company may be unable to file its confirmation statement unless all directors are verified.
PSCs also need to verify their identity and provide their personal code. Where someone is both a director and a PSC, the same person may need to connect their verified identity to more than one role.
The key point is simple. Director ID Checks are no longer background admin. They now sit directly inside routine company compliance.
How it impacts you
For owner managed companies, the risk is easy to underestimate. The confirmation statement is often treated as a quick annual filing, especially where nothing has changed.
That approach is now riskier. If one director has not verified their identity, has lost their personal code, or has not shared it with the person handling the filing, the confirmation statement may not be completed on time.
One missing director code can delay the whole company filing.
This can be especially awkward for companies with more than one director. It can also affect directors who run several companies. A person may have a trading company, a property company and a dormant company. Each company still needs its own compliance managed properly.
Companies House says a confirmation statement must be filed at least once every year. Its guidance also warns that Companies House may issue a financial penalty and the company may be struck off if the confirmation statement is not filed.
For small business owners, this is where company admin, Accounts Preparation and Corporation Tax Returns need to be seen together. The confirmation statement is a separate Companies House filing, but it depends on the same discipline. Someone needs to know what is due, when it is due, and what information is needed before the deadline.
What you can do
Start by checking your next confirmation statement date. Do not wait until the filing deadline. Companies House lets you check a company’s confirmation date and filing deadline on the public register.
Next, list every current director and PSC. Each person should complete identity verification and keep their Companies House personal code somewhere secure.
Do the ID checks before the confirmation statement is due, not when the filing is already urgent.
Then check the company record before filing. Review directors, PSCs, registered office, registered email address, share details and SIC codes. If something is wrong, deal with the correction before confirming that the company record is accurate.
If someone else files for the company, such as an accountant, make sure they have the information they need. The personal code belongs to the individual, but it can be shared with a trusted person who files on behalf of the company.
Ledgr Accountants can help small companies keep this process organised. This includes Confirmation Statement support, Company Amendments, Accounts Preparation and Corporation Tax Returns.
The aim is simple. Keep your company records clean, avoid last minute filing problems, and make sure Director ID Checks do not become the reason your company falls behind.
Ish Mukit
Senior Accountant
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