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Coddan CPM Ltd. – Company Registration Agent in the UK

Empowering Integrity: How Identity Verification Transforms Corporate Compliance for Businesses. Building Trust: The Vital Importance of Identity Verification in Strengthening Corporate Ethics

Step 1
Identify Who Needs Verification
Step 2
Choose Your Verification Route
Step 3
Gather Required Documents and Information
Step 4
Complete the Verification Process
Step 5
Receive and Link Your Personal Code
Step 6
Maintain Corporate Records
Companies Registry's e-Services Portal Identity Verification Strengthening Corporate Compliance: The Essential Role of Identity Verification for Companies House

WHY IDENTITY VERIFICATION MATTERS

Understand the role of identity verification in the Companies House framework

Companies House identity verification is a legal requirement for applicable individuals. It is intended to deter identity misuse and improve the transparency, trust and accuracy of information on the Companies House register. This page explains what verification contributes to that framework, what it does not complete and how it fits alongside the individual's wider company responsibilities.

What identity verification contributes to the register

Verification helps establish that an individual is who they claim to be. This supports more reliable identification of people acting in applicable company roles and reduces opportunities for identities to be used without proper confirmation. It does not guarantee that every company record is accurate or prevent every form of fraud.

What remains separate after identity verification

After successful verification, Companies House issues the individual's personal code. Providing that code for an applicable director or person with significant control role is a separate step. Incorporation, appointment, a Confirmation Statement and any other related company filing also remain separate corporate events.

Choose a verification route according to the individual's circumstances

An eligible individual may use the free Companies House service through GOV.UK One Login or may choose a supported route through an ACSP. Where an ACSP route is used, applicable technology checks and the ACSP's professional review and responsibility are distinct parts of the process. Professional support is available where suitable and selected; its availability does not mean that paid support is required.

Coddan CPM Limited is registered with Companies House as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. This status does not mean that Companies House endorses Coddan's services or any particular outcome.


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If you answered YES to any of these, don't use the government portal. Use the Coddan Compliance Gateway. Identity verification exists to protect the integrity of the UK company register — and for directors with more complex profiles, meeting that standard properly requires more than a basic check. Coddan CPM's Professional Attestation™ ACSP Identity Verification Suite delivers a premium verification service for directors, Persons with Significant Control (PSCs), LLP members, and international entrepreneurs who require more than a standard document check. As a regulated Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), we combine secure Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) with experienced compliance professionals who review each application for accuracy, consistency, and regulatory compliance. Choose between our Standard Verification Service or a priority Fast-Track option.

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Incorporate with Confidence: Securing the Future of Your Business through Compliance.

Part 2: One-Time Identity Verification for Companies House. Creating a Secure Future: Embracing One-Time Identity Verification for Companies House

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Whether you're forming a new UK company, accepting a director appointment, or updating an existing corporate record, completing verification properly supports the wider purpose it was introduced for — a more transparent, trustworthy company register. We support both UK residents and international applicants, with practical guidance where documentation is more complex. Our experienced team helps you fulfil this requirement correctly, reducing delays and contributing to a cleaner, more accountable system. For just £40, the Identity Verification Bundle delivers efficient, properly handled compliance with a real purpose behind it. Fast Verification. Genuine Compliance. Trusted ACSP Expertise.



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Simply provide your identity documents and proof of address via our secure verification portal, and our compliance team will handle the process from submission to completion. Where documentation is complete and no additional verification is required, most applications are processed within one business day. If further information is needed, our team will contact you promptly to help keep your application moving. Whether incorporating a UK company, accepting a director appointment, or updating an existing record, Fast-Track Expert ID Verification™ delivers properly handled compliance, completed with genuine urgency. Priority Processing. Genuine Compliance. Trusted ACSP Verification.



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THE EXPLANATORY ROLE OF THIS PAGE

The role of Companies House identity verification in corporate transparency

Start with what the requirement is intended to establish

Companies House identity verification is a legal requirement for applicable individuals. Its purpose is to make it more difficult for a person to use a false or misappropriated identity and to improve the transparency, trust and accuracy of information on the Companies House register.

This page explains that role. It does not replace current Companies House guidance, diagnose every verification problem or assume that professional support is required.

REGISTER INTEGRITY

What identity verification contributes to the Companies House register

Why reliable identification matters

Identity

It helps establish that an individual is who they claim to be.

Accountability

It supports the connection between verified people and the corporate capacities in which they act.

Register confidence

It contributes to more reliable information, but does not guarantee that every company record is accurate or eliminate every form of fraud.

What identity verification can—and cannot—establish

A defined legal function, not a universal compliance solution

Identity verification concerns the identity of the individual. It does not, by itself, determine whether a proposed appointment is valid, whether a filing is complete or whether every continuing company obligation has been satisfied.

The appropriate outcome may be verification, use of a Personal Code, a role-related action, a separate corporate event, another legitimate route or nothing further.

Verified identity, corporate roles and the Companies House record

A verified identity belongs to the individual. The individual may hold several roles and may be connected with more than one company, but each applicable role-related requirement still has to be addressed through the relevant Companies House process.

One successful verification does not automatically complete every director role, PSC role, appointment or company filing associated with that person.

Who is currently required to verify

Identify the individual’s actual role before applying the requirement

Current Companies House guidance covers directors, applicable equivalent officers, directors of overseas companies registered in the UK, people with significant control and individuals registering as Authorised Corporate Service Providers. Individual LLP members may fall within the applicable equivalent-officer requirements.

Requirements for people who file, limited partnerships, corporate directors, corporate LLP members and officers of corporate PSCs are described by Companies House as later phases unless and until the relevant requirement is officially commenced.

ROLE-DEPENDENT TIMING

Why the applicable timing depends on the person’s role

Existing directorThe Personal Code is provided through the applicable Confirmation Statement process for each company.
New directorThe code is provided through the applicable incorporation or appointment process.
PSCA separate 14-day period applies, with its dates determined by the person’s circumstances.
Overseas company directorThe applicable requirement is connected with the anniversary of the UK establishment’s registration.

Why there is no single deadline for every role

Commencement is not the same as one universal completion date

Mandatory identity verification commenced for relevant cohorts on 18 November 2025, but that date did not create one identical deadline for every director, PSC or company. The applicable date can depend on a Confirmation Statement, appointment, incorporation, PSC circumstances, birth month or entry on the Companies House register.

Participants should check the applicable dates on the Companies House register and current GOV.UK guidance rather than relying on a blanket November 2026 statement.

What happens after successful identity verification

Companies House issues the successfully verified individual with a unique Personal Code. The code is personal to the individual rather than to one company.

Receiving the code is not the same as providing it for an applicable corporate role. The person should keep it secure and use it through the relevant Companies House process.

Identity verification, the Personal Code, role linkage and company filings

Four related but separate stages

  1. 1. VerificationThe individual’s identity is checked through an applicable route.
  2. 2. Personal CodeCompanies House issues the code following successful verification.
  3. 3. Role-related actionThe code is provided for each applicable role through the relevant process.
  4. 4. Corporate eventFormation, appointment or filing remains a separate legal and administrative event.

Incorporation and director appointments remain separate corporate events

Verification may be required in connection with forming a company or appointing a director, but completing the identity check does not incorporate the company or complete the appointment. Each event has its own information, authority and filing requirements.

Director and PSC role requirements must be addressed separately

A person can be both a director and a person with significant control of the same company. The same Personal Code belongs to that individual, but it must be provided separately for the director and PSC roles through the applicable processes.

Completing one role-related step does not automatically complete the other.

Example: an individual living overseas

An individual living outside the UK may need to verify because of a role connected with a UK company. Overseas residence does not, by itself, establish that the case is complex or that paid support is required.

The appropriate route depends on the person’s actual role, documents and circumstances, together with the options supported at the time.

Example: one individual holding more than one corporate role

A verified individual may be a director of several companies and a PSC of one or more of them. The identity normally belongs to the same person and the Personal Code remains personal to them, but each company and role must be considered under the process that applies to it.

LEGITIMATE VERIFICATION ROUTES

The free Companies House route and the ACSP route

Choose according to suitability, not pressure

Free Companies House serviceThe direct service uses GOV.UK One Login and may guide the individual to an app, security questions or an applicable Post Office route.
Authorised-agent routeAn individual may ask a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider to verify their identity. The provider may charge for that professional service.

Neither route is universally right for everyone. Support being available does not mean support is required.

What an Authorised Corporate Service Provider is responsible for

Professional responsibility remains with the ACSP

When verifying an individual, an ACSP must meet the Companies House identity-verification standard. If it uses a commercial platform, it must still be satisfied that the required steps have been completed and be able to explain and evidence its decision.

Coddan CPM Limited is registered with Companies House as an ACSP. This status describes its authorised-agent role; it does not imply endorsement by Companies House or guarantee any result.

Technology checks and the ACSP’s professional decision

Separate the checks from Coddan’s responsibility

Within Coddan-supported verification, applicable identity and document checks are performed through verification technology. Coddan reviews the resulting information and decides whether it is satisfied that the Companies House standard has been met.

After a successful result and that professional satisfaction decision, Coddan submits the required verification information through its authorised-agent account. The use of verification technology does not create an alternative route outside the Companies House standard.

International documents and overseas circumstances

Document suitability depends on the available route

An overseas address, international passport or different naming convention may affect which route and evidence can be used. It does not automatically make the person unsuitable for the free route or require professional assistance.

Where documents or records do not align, the discrepancy should be understood before another attempt or route is selected.

Companies House identity verification is separate from AML, KYC and CDD

Different compliance purposes must remain distinct

Documents and information may overlap, but Companies House identity verification has a different legal and operational purpose from anti-money laundering, Know Your Customer and Customer Due Diligence processes. Completing one does not automatically complete the others.

When identity verification is not the task that remains

Identify what has already happened before choosing a destination

The remaining job may concern the Personal Code, a director or PSC role, an appointment, company formation, a Confirmation Statement, another filing or a discrepancy in the company record. Those destinations should be considered on their own terms.

If the individual has already been verified

In most cases, Companies House says an individual should verify only once and should not verify again unless instructed. The next question is whether the Personal Code or an applicable role-related action remains.

If a verification attempt has not succeeded

An unsuccessful attempt does not prove that one particular paid route is required. First establish what failed: the document, image, personal information, address history, record consistency or route suitability. A supported retry, clarification or another legitimate verification route may then be appropriate.

If the Personal Code or role-linkage step remains

Move to the code or role destination

A person who has already verified should not be returned automatically to another verification service. The appropriate destination may instead explain the Personal Code or the process for providing it for a director or PSC role.

If an appointment, formation or filing remains

Use the destination for the actual corporate event

Identity verification can interact with a corporate event without becoming that event. Once the person’s verification position is understood, the appointment, formation or filing should be completed through its appropriate route.

When nothing further may be required

Completion is a legitimate outcome

If the applicable verification, Personal Code and role-related requirements have already been completed and no connected corporate event remains, another Coddan service may not be necessary.

Related Companies House identity-verification destinations

Professional support should follow identification of the remaining task. It should not be selected merely because identity verification appears somewhere in the wider circumstances.

Ask Coddan to identify the appropriate destination

Check current Companies House guidance before acting

Regulatory information can change

Roles, commencement stages, supported evidence and individual dates should be checked against current official guidance. Regulatory guidance for this reconstruction was checked on 11 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions about the role of identity verification

Understanding the requirement

It is intended to deter identity misuse and improve the transparency, trust and accuracy of information on the Companies House register.
The requirement presently applies to specified roles, including directors, applicable equivalent officers, PSCs and individuals registering as ACSPs. Current official guidance should be checked for the person’s precise role.
Yes, where that route is suitable for your circumstances. The direct Companies House service uses GOV.UK One Login and is free.
A registered ACSP may agree to verify an individual, must meet the Companies House standard and remains responsible for its professional decision. It may charge for the service.
It is the unique identifier Companies House provides after successful verification. It belongs to the individual, not to one company.
No. The code must still be provided for each applicable role through the relevant Companies House process.

Applying the requirement to your position

You must provide the Personal Code separately for the director and PSC roles through their applicable processes.
No. The applicable timing depends on the person’s role and circumstances. PSCs have separate 14-day periods, and directors use processes connected with confirmation statements, appointments or incorporation.
Yes, using an appropriate route and suitable evidence. Overseas residence does not automatically require a paid service.
The discrepancy should be identified and understood. Verification of the person and correction of a company record are related but separate tasks.
Normally no. Companies House says that in most cases a person verifies once, but the Personal Code must still be provided for each applicable role.
Coddan may provide supported identity verification or help identify a different professional destination. The appropriate support depends on what has already happened and what remains unresolved.