Companies House will start marking the public register to show when an individual’s identity is verified. New secondary legislation (SI 2025/1116) requires the registrar to add an annotation once verification is confirmed, extending the approach across companies, LLPs and unregistered companies. For boards, company secretaries and ACSPs, this turns identity checks into a visible compliance outcome.

The trigger is the Companies House notice confirming verification, either after a direct application or when an ACSP files a verification statement. From that point, the register will display a note that the individual’s identity is verified; behind the scenes, the person also receives a unique identifier (their personal code). The code is used in filings but kept private.

Timing aligns with the wider identity verification roll‑out. Companies House has confirmed legal duties begin on Tuesday 18 November 2025, followed by a 12‑month transition. New directors must verify at appointment; existing directors confirm verification at their next confirmation statement. PSCs follow appointed windows within that year. Plan your filings around those dates.

LLP changes arrive in parallel. The instrument updates how the Companies Act framework applies to LLPs, requiring the registrar to annotate where an LLP member’s identity is verified and tying filings to the unique identifier. It also trims near‑term data points: nationality for individual members and service addresses for corporate members are paused until Companies House implements them later, while designated‑member status must be stated.

Unregistered companies are brought under the same annotation regime. The registrar can add notes where material is confusing or misleading, where a director is subject to sanctions‑based disqualification, or where a person has not complied with an information notice. SI 2025/1116 adds the new “identity verified” note for unregistered companies as well.

What appears on the public record versus what stays private matters for investor relations. The public will see that a director, PSC or LLP member is verified; they will not see the personal code. Filings that state an individual is verified must include the unique identifier, as allowed by Companies Act 2006 section 1082 and the registrar regulations. Keep the code secure and share it only when required for filings.

Transitional mechanics for unregistered companies are set out clearly. Where an individual became a director before the relevant start date, the company must deliver an identity verification statement for that person with its next confirmation statement during the transition period. The offences that bar acting while unverified kick in after the delivery window closes, if the company has not complied.

For LLPs, the substituted transitional rule says the LLP must file an identity verification statement for each existing individual member at the same time as its next confirmation statement within the transition year. If that statement is overdue at the start, a short grace period applies before the acting‑while‑unverified offence bites. Secretariat teams should map member lists to confirmation statement timetables now.

ACSPs sit at the centre of execution. When an ACSP verifies an individual, it must deliver a verification statement with prescribed supporting information. The registrar will then send the individual a notice and allocate or confirm the unique identifier. ACSPs face 14‑day update duties and offences for failures to provide information, so firms should refresh process controls and record‑keeping.

Non‑compliance risk is real. Acting as a director while unverified is an offence, and the company and any officer in default may also commit an offence. For LLPs, the mirrored prohibition applies to members. These rules don’t invalidate acts taken, but they do carry fines and reputational risk-especially once the register highlights who is verified.

A practical example helps. Suppose your company’s confirmation statement date is 9 January 2026. Each existing director should complete verification ahead of that filing and provide their personal code in the statement. If an existing PSC is also a director, their 14‑day window aligns with that confirmation statement date; if they are not a director, the 14‑day window starts on the first day of their month of birth as shown on the register.

Market Pulse UK view: treat this like a year‑end close. Build a role‑by‑role tracker of directors, PSCs and LLP members; schedule verification tasks; and decide upfront whether to use GOV.UK One Login (free) or an ACSP. The annotation will quickly become a hygiene signal to lenders, counterparties and auditors-being visibly “verified” is the new baseline.