United Kingdom · corporate

Can I File a Confirmation Statement Without a Verified Personal Code in the United Kingdom?

Under recent UK corporate reforms, you cannot file a confirmation statement without a verified Companies House personal code for each director. Failing to provide this code will cause your filing to be rejected, potentially exposing your company and its officers to criminal prosecution and heavy fines.

What the law says about personal codes and confirmation statements in the United Kingdom

Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), the United Kingdom has introduced a strict mandatory identity verification (IDV) regime designed to combat fraud and enhance corporate transparency. Since 18 November 2025, Companies House has updated its filing systems to enforce these rules, meaning you can no longer file a company’s annual confirmation statement without providing an 11-digit alphanumeric personal code for every active director.

The law is absolute on this point: the online WebFiling system will reject any confirmation statement that lacks the required personal codes. Under the Companies Act 2006, failing to file your confirmation statement on time is a criminal offence. This means that if a director has not verified their identity, the company is legally blocked from filing, which can quickly trigger automatic penalties and prosecution for both the company and its individual directors.

Why the system is failing stressed business owners

The transition to this new regime has created an incredibly unfair situation for honest UK business owners. While the government promoted a 12-month transition period ending 18 November 2026, the reality is that the moment your company's confirmation statement falls due, the personal code requirement becomes active. You are suddenly forced to navigate a rigid digital identity process under intense time pressure.

Worse, many directors are finding themselves locked out of the verification process due to minor typographical errors. If your date of birth or name spelling on the Companies House register differs by even a single character from your passport or driving licence, the GOV.UK One Login system will reject your verification. Correcting these database errors with Companies House can take up to 20 working days. During this time, your filing deadline does not pause, exposing you to undeserved threats of criminal liability and daily default fines.

What you can do next to protect your company

To prevent your company from falling into default, you must act immediately. Do not wait for your filing deadline. Have all directors verify their identity via the GOV.UK One Login portal to secure their personal codes. If you encounter a data mismatch, you must file a correction notice with Companies House as a matter of urgency. If your digital verification fails repeatedly, you can also complete the process indirectly using an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

Navigating these new regulatory hurdles can be overwhelming, but you do not have to handle the stress alone. You can use Caunsel to research these complex company law regulations, save your official correspondence in a secure case file, or connect with an independent lawyer who can guide you through compliance disputes.

Steps

• Check your company's confirmation statement deadline on the online Companies House register.
• Audit director and PSC records to ensure names and dates of birth match their passports or driving licences exactly.
• Have every director log into the GOV.UK One Login service to complete identity verification and obtain their 11-digit personal code.
• If there is a data mismatch, submit an online correction form to Companies House immediately, as corrections can take up to 20 working days to process.
• Input the verified personal codes into the WebFiling system to successfully submit your confirmation statement before your deadline.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until the day of the deadline to verify, which risks system crashes or discovering database mismatches too late.
• Assuming the transition period allows you to delay verification when a confirmation statement is actively due.
• Failing to verify PSCs separately, as directors who are also PSCs must provide their code twice (once on the statement, and once via the separate PSC service).

Questions people ask

What is a Companies House personal code?

It is a unique 11-character alphanumeric code issued to an individual after they successfully verify their identity using GOV.UK One Login or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

What happens if my confirmation statement is late because of a verification delay?

Failing to file a confirmation statement on time is a criminal offence. Both the company and its directors can face prosecution, court fines, and a public non-compliance note on the register.

Can a third-party agent or accountant file my confirmation statement for me without my code?

No. Even if an accountant or Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) files on your behalf, they must input the personal codes for every director on the confirmation statement.

General information only, last updated 2026-10-05. Caunsel is not a law firm and does not practise law. AI answers and this guide are not legal advice. Verify filings, deadlines, and statutes with a licensed lawyer in United Kingdom.