Why use Coddan for verification alongside CLG formation and administration?

Starting a Company Limited by Guarantee can be straightforward when the company information, people and identity requirements are dealt with together. Coddan can prepare your agreed formation application and provide separately instructed Companies House identity verification. After incorporation, we can also help with the administration arising from new appointments, control information and relevant company filings. You have experienced people to ask, rather than having to interpret every requirement on your own.

A Company Limited by Guarantee, also called a CLG or LBG company, has members who give a stated guarantee rather than shareholders holding shares. Directors manage the company. Some members or other individuals may also be people with significant control, known as PSCs. Those roles matter when establishing which verification and company submissions are needed; being a guarantor does not by itself create a director’s verification requirement.

You may be forming a club, association, property organisation or charitable company. Alternatively, your existing CLG may have a new committee or an approaching filing date. Tell Coddan what you need completed and whether the relevant people have already verified. We can identify the available service and the information required, including for companies formed by another provider.

Our approach keeps the work affordable and proportionate. You do not need a continuing administration service simply to order one verification, and you should not buy a fresh check merely because you have another company. Read why customers choose Coddan as their formation agent for the wider service. The benefit is a clear next step, with verification and the company’s agreed work considered together.

Coddan’s formation-agent, TCSP and ACSP roles explained

Coddan has provided company formation and business-support services since 2005. As your formation agent, we review the accepted instructions, ask about missing information, prepare the agreed documents and application, and submit the approved company particulars. That experience helps us explain why an individual’s identity check is needed and how it fits the company work you are ordering.

Coddan CPM Limited is an HMRC-supervised trust or company service provider (TCSP) for anti-money-laundering purposes. Relevant activities, including formation and address provision, require appropriate safeguards concerning customers, authority and control. These responsibilities explain why we may ask about the organisation and the person instructing us, not only for a photograph of an identity document.

We are also registered with Companies House as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), also called an authorised agent. For an instructed verification, Coddan is responsible for deciding whether the evidence and checks meet the Companies House standard. Commercial technology assists the checks; it does not take that decision away from Coddan. When satisfied, we submit the verification confirmation through our own ACSP account.

These descriptions have different purposes. Neither HMRC supervision nor ACSP registration is government endorsement or a general licence to provide legal, tax or insolvency advice. Our broader corporate-service work connects formation with agreed records, addresses and continuing administration. We explain the tasks we accept, the documents you need to supply and the outcome covered by your order, without treating registration status alone as the service.

You can ask about Coddan’s supervision and registration before instructing us. You can also keep your own accountant or solicitor while using our accepted verification or company-filing support.

Customer checks and Companies House identity verification: different purposes

There are two distinct reasons for collecting information. Customer checks help Coddan establish who is instructing us, their authority, the organisation’s relevant ownership or control and the purpose of the service. Companies House identity verification establishes the individual’s identity to the prescribed standard for applicable company roles. Information may overlap, but completing one does not automatically complete the other.

For example, a professional firm may order formation for a client while three individuals will become directors. We need to understand the firm’s instruction and the authority behind it. Each relevant director must also satisfy their Companies House identity requirement. An organisation cannot complete the live identity step instead of the person whose identity is being checked.

Similarly, a Personal Code does not tell us that a representative has authority to change your articles, appoint an officer or order an address service. Nor does an earlier identity document supplied for an address order necessarily establish that a Companies House verification confirmation has been submitted. Explain what has already been completed so we can distinguish evidence held, verification completed and a company role properly connected.

We ask for information appropriate to the accepted service and explain further requests where clarification is needed. An intermediary’s existing customer relationship does not automatically replace Coddan’s applicable checks. If your company is charitable, trustee eligibility and charity-regulator declarations remain separate again; confirming identity does not establish that someone is eligible for every appointment.

For an ordinary first enquiry, describe the task and company circumstances rather than sending confidential documents or codes. Once the instruction is established, follow the collection method we provide. This keeps the initial conversation simple while allowing the required checks to be completed properly.

Verification before forming a new CLG

Before ordering, decide who will be the proposed directors and initial guarantor-members, and explain the actual voting and control arrangements. The same person can hold more than one role. Coddan considers these details alongside the chosen jurisdiction, addresses, guarantee and articles when preparing the accepted application. Identity verification supports that preparation; it does not choose the company’s people or governing rules for you.

For a new company registration, Companies House requires the Personal Code for each individual director. Tell us early whether each proposed director already has a valid code or needs verification. The rules for a new individual PSC allow the code to be provided when added to the register or within fourteen days afterwards. We establish the applicable action rather than treating director and PSC submissions as identical.

If verification through Coddan is required, allow time for the individual to complete the invitation and for us to review the evidence. A late response, unclear document or inconsistent personal detail can hold up preparation. Giving us complete information makes the work quicker, but neither an online order nor a completed Credas step guarantees that incorporation can proceed immediately.

You approve the company’s proposed appointments, purposes, membership arrangements and application information. Coddan undertakes the agreed preparation and submission. The company exists only after Companies House registers it and issues the incorporation certificate; a Personal Code is not an incorporation certificate or an appointment document.

Check the selected formation order for inclusions. Guidance about identity requirements and verification performed by Coddan are different services. Verification, incorporation and any PSC-related submission must be identified expressly. Our CLG formation-requirements guide explains the other information needed before registration.

Verification after incorporation and during company maintenance

Your CLG’s people can change after registration. A new director may need verification before their appointment filing, while someone becoming an individual PSC has their own requirements. An existing director may need to supply their code through the applicable Confirmation Statement. Tell Coddan the role, relevant dates and work required so we can distinguish a new check from use of an existing verification.

During the current transition following the introduction of mandatory verification on 18 November 2025, existing directors connect their identities through the relevant company Confirmation Statement. PSCs have separate applicable periods. Check the individual’s actual position, particularly where several companies or roles are involved, rather than assume the next annual filing deals with everything.

Verification is not automatically repeated each year. A Confirmation Statement checks company information; annual accounts report financial information. A registered-office change, member admission or dormant-accounts instruction does not by itself mean every person must buy a fresh identity check. Separate customer checks may nevertheless be relevant to the service being instructed.

For an incoming committee, supply the company number, current officer information, relevant decisions and any approaching deadline. Explain who has already verified and who is newly appointed. Coddan can review the instructed company work and prepare the accepted appointment or filing documents, while the company obtains the necessary approvals and supplies accurate particulars.

You can use us for an existing company even if another provider formed it. Choose CLG officer-change support for appointments and changes, or ongoing CLG maintenance through Coddan for wider administration. Continuing work, deadline reminders and future submissions apply only where the accepted service provides them.

Directors, PSCs and people holding both roles

A director manages the company and has statutory responsibilities. A person with significant control meets one or more legal control conditions. A CLG can have PSCs despite having no share capital: voting rights, rights to appoint or remove a majority of directors, and other relevant influence or control can matter. A founder’s title or a place on the committee is not, on its own, the complete answer.

Someone who is both a director and a PSC normally verifies their identity once, but must provide the code separately for the applicable roles. A director-related submission does not automatically complete the PSC action. Tell us both capacities and the company concerned so the accepted instruction covers the necessary work.

For an existing PSC who is also a director of that company, the transitional fourteen-day period starts after the company’s Confirmation Statement date. For an existing PSC who is not its director, the relevant period is the first fourteen days of their birth month. New PSCs have different timing. Use the current Companies House timing guidance to check the applicable circumstances.

Membership requires its own attention. Your company’s articles and register of members establish who has been admitted and which rights they hold. An ordinary guarantor-member is not automatically a PSC, although a change in membership rights can alter control. We need the real arrangements, not an assumption that all members have identical roles.

For a charitable CLG, directors may also be charity trustees. Company verification does not replace trustee eligibility checks or relevant charity obligations. If the control position or an appointment is disputed, settle it with appropriate advice before making declarations. Coddan can then undertake the agreed administration against the established facts.

Already verified? Using your existing Personal Code

Tell us before ordering if you have already verified through Companies House or another ACSP. Companies House says you should not verify again unless asked to do so. A further directorship does not ordinarily require another verification: the same Personal Code is used for relevant appointments. What may still be needed is supplying it for the particular company or role.

For example, a person who is already a verified director of an association may join the board of a residents’ CLG. The appointment still needs the proper company decision and filing, but the individual should not assume a new identity check is required merely because the company is different. Give Coddan the appointment information and explain the existing verification position.

The Personal Code belongs to the individual. It is different from the company authentication code used for company filing access and from software presenter credentials used by the submitting account. Having one of these does not mean you have the others. Do not use the company’s authentication code in place of a director’s Personal Code.

Keep your code safe. Supply it to a trusted provider only where needed for an authorised filing, following the agreed method. If you cannot find it, follow the Companies House account or recovery guidance rather than immediately buying another verification. If you think it has been compromised, contact Companies House about replacement.

Where details do not match, establish whether the difficulty concerns the code, the company record or the verification information. Further correction may need a separate instruction. Read Companies House guidance on using and managing Personal Codes and tell us about the difficulty before we prepare the filing.

Information, identity evidence and the customer’s participation

The individual needs to provide accurate identity information. The Companies House ACSP standard requires full and former names, date of birth, home address, address history for the last twelve months and email address. Coddan also needs the contact information used to arrange the Credas invitation. Check spelling, dates and contact details carefully; these should describe the person being verified, not a company’s correspondence arrangements.

Your home address is not automatically your director service address or the company’s registered office. A professional address service does not replace information required for the identity check. Tell us about changes of name or residence so relevant evidence can be considered, instead of omitting earlier details because they differ from the current company record.

Coddan’s supported checks can include passports from selected countries, UK or EU driving licences and appropriate national identity cards, subject to the applicable evidence requirements and supported document. Address evidence may include bank statements or utility bills, with council-tax evidence relevant in the UK. Confirm suitability before relying on a particular document; these examples do not promise that every document or issuing country is accepted.

You personally complete the requested evidence steps and liveness selfie. An administrator or adviser can coordinate the instruction, but cannot complete the live check as you. If the invitation, device or evidence causes difficulty, contact Coddan with a description of the problem and follow the instructions for any additional material.

You do not need to understand the technology to participate properly. Supply the requested facts, use the agreed evidence method and respond to questions. Coddan reviews what is provided and undertakes its accepted verification work. Do not send another person’s documents, change facts to match a form or assume that payment replaces the evidence requirement.

The Credas checks, Coddan’s review and manual ACSP submission

Coddan combines digital evidence collection with human review and responsibility for the verification confirmation. This is what makes the service more useful than an unexplained upload link. You know who is handling the instruction, why further information may be requested and how the check relates to your company work.

First, we review the order. We establish the individual, company context and accepted service, then arrange the Credas check using the required personal and contact details. The individual receives the invitation by email or SMS and follows the requested document and liveness steps. Completing those steps supplies evidence for review; it is not an automatic Companies House submission.

Next, Coddan reviews the evidence. We consider the result and any further information needed. A successful software response does not remove our responsibility to be satisfied that the standard has been met. If details conflict or evidence is unclear, we explain the additional information required. Follow the requested upload or contact method rather than repeatedly submitting different details without explanation.

When satisfied, we manually submit the confirmation through our Companies House ACSP account. Credas does not automatically send it. Companies House then issues the Personal Code. Staff review and submission take place during working hours; online access does not mean an overnight compliance decision or a guaranteed completion time.

If the evidence cannot establish identity to the required standard, Coddan cannot report successful verification. We explain the outstanding issue within the accepted service, without promising that more documents will necessarily resolve it. Required records of checks and evidence are retained for seven years; an unsuccessful attempt is not treated as if no checks occurred. Further service or a different supported approach must be discussed, not assumed.

Receiving the Personal Code and completing the applicable company filing

Companies House sends the Personal Code to the individual’s email address supplied in the verification confirmation. Ensure you can access that address and check spam or junk folders if the message is missing. Coddan does not generate the code. If it does not arrive, contact us to check the submitted email details and follow the appropriate Companies House assistance route.

Receiving the code establishes the next practical step; it does not complete every company obligation. A new director’s code is used with the appropriate incorporation or appointment filing. Existing directors and PSCs have the applicable separate processes. Agree which submission Coddan will undertake and what the company or individual will arrange themselves.

For an instructed filing, the company supplies accurate facts, the necessary authority and approval of the prepared information. Coddan undertakes the accepted preparation and submission. We distinguish delivery from acceptance, and identify the resulting filing evidence covered by the order. If Companies House raises a question or the particulars do not match, further information or correction may be needed.

Completing Credas does not automatically connect your identity to every appointment. Ask Coddan about the next action if you are unsure whether verification, the director-related submission or the PSC step has been completed. Explain which company and role you mean so we can consider the relevant instruction.

Keep the relevant confirmations with your company records and tell the responsible person what remains outstanding. The CLG director and PSC verification specialist provides fuller guidance, while Confirmation Statement filing support covers that company task. Verification does not replace accounts, HMRC work or charity-regulator responsibilities.

Support for overseas customers and international professional partners

Coddan serves UK and overseas customers forming or administering UK CLGs. Tell us where the relevant individuals live, which documents they hold and what company action is required. Residence abroad does not remove applicable identity requirements, but supported evidence and practical arrangements need consideration. We do not promise universal country coverage or acceptance of every overseas document.

Our company-formation portal is available 24/7, allowing you to start the formation order at a convenient time. Credas invitations support the agreed remote checks, with Coddan’s review following during working hours. Under an agreed address service, the customer portal also provides access to correspondence already scanned and uploaded. These are different functions; the formation software does not automatically complete every verification or maintenance filing.

International accountants, formation agents and corporate-service providers can discuss verification and UK administration for their clients. Identify the instructing firm, client company, individuals, roles and deadlines. Agree who coordinates contact, obtains company approvals and supplies the required information. Each individual still completes their own check, while Coddan performs its applicable customer checks and accepted review.

Partnership pricing for separately instructed identity verification can be discussed. Explain your anticipated work and client circumstances; we confirm the scope and charges before proceeding. Coddan submits accepted work using its own credentials. A partnership does not lend our ACSP registration or presenter credentials, reduce the verification standard or guarantee success.

Read our CLG secretarial and filing services for professional partners or discuss a UK company-administration and ACSP partnership with Coddan. Keep initial enquiries descriptive; confidential client evidence follows through the agreed method. Support for other UK company types can be discussed through that route.

Agreeing the work, written service agreements and contacting Coddan

Start with the job, not the most extensive package. You may need one individual verified, a formation application prepared, a new appointment filed or continuing help with company administration. Tell Coddan what has already happened, who is involved and any approaching deadline. We explain the available work, information needed and charges before you proceed.

A written service agreement is available for direct customers and professional partners. It records the accepted work, responsibilities and charges by reference to the order. Ask for it before work begins if your committee, organisation or firm requires a written record. Identify the contracting customer and their authority rather than assume a proposed company can already instruct work before incorporation.

Separate the services clearly. Verification performed by Coddan, incorporation, director or PSC submissions, address provision and continuing administration are not automatically one purchase. A formation package’s identity guidance does not necessarily include our separately instructed verification service. Equally, a verification order does not purchase every subsequent filing, annual renewal or company-secretary appointment.

You supply accurate information, complete the individual checks and provide the approvals required for company work. Coddan performs the review, preparation and submission it accepts. Directors retain their statutory responsibilities. This shared participation makes the process straightforward without suggesting the customer does nothing or the provider has taken over every obligation.

Explore Coddan’s CLG director and PSC identity-verification service for the relevant instruction, or use the CLG secretarial-services hub for later administration. To discuss your circumstances first, contact Coddan. A short explanation of the company, roles and task is enough to begin the conversation; evidence and confidential codes can follow through the agreed process.