Key points
  • Around six to seven million directors and PSCs must verify their identity with Companies House, but only roughly a third have done so around six months into the 12-month transition period, reported in 2026.
  • PSCs with an August birthday now have a live 14-day window to submit their verification code, since PSC verification windows open on the first day of the individual's birth month.
  • The transition period runs until 17 November 2026, after which Companies House is expected to begin compliance activity against unverified individuals.

Roughly six months into the 12-month transition period for mandatory Companies House identity verification, only around a third of the estimated six to seven million directors and PSCs required to verify have reportedly done so.

Who has to verify, and by when

Identity verification applies to company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) — broadly, anyone who owns or controls more than 25% of shares or voting rights in a UK company. The transition period runs until 17 November 2026, giving existing directors and PSCs a 12-month window from launch to complete verification before Companies House is expected to start compliance activity against those who haven't. New directors and PSCs registering after the rules took effect must verify at the point of registration, not on a rolling window.

Why August birthdays matter specifically

For PSCs who aren't also directors, the verification window doesn't open all at once — it opens on the first day of the individual's birth month, and stays open for 14 days. That means anyone with an August birthday has a live window right now to submit their verification code, and missing it doesn't remove the obligation, it just means dealing with it outside the designated window, which is likely to be less straightforward once the transition period tightens toward its 17 November 2026 deadline.

Worth knowing Verification is reported as quick in practice — most commonly completed via the GOV.UK Identity Document Checking App in around 2.4 minutes on average. The one-third completion rate at the halfway point looks concerning on its face, but the process itself isn't the bottleneck; it's more likely that directors and PSCs simply haven't got round to it yet.

What happens if you miss your window

Compliance activity against unverified individuals is expected to begin after the transition period ends on 17 November 2026. Companies House hasn't published detailed enforcement mechanics for every scenario, so the practical advice for any small business owner who is a director or PSC is the same regardless of your birth month: verify now rather than waiting for your specific window, since the process takes a few minutes and removes any risk of falling foul of the November deadline.

The process is relatively pain-free.

— Harrison Drury, via its own client briefing, 2026

What's still uncertain about enforcement

Companies House has confirmed that compliance activity begins after the 17 November 2026 transition deadline, but the exact form that activity will take — penalties, restrictions on filing, removal from the register — for individuals and companies who haven't verified isn't yet fully detailed in public guidance. The one-third completion figure is also a reported estimate at the six-month mark rather than an official published statistic, so treat it as directionally indicative rather than precise. Business owners should check GOV.UK directly for the current enforcement position rather than relying solely on this snapshot.

Common questions

What is Companies House identity verification?

It's a mandatory process requiring UK company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) to verify their identity with Companies House, typically via the GOV.UK Identity Document Checking App, as part of reforms to reduce fraud on the companies register.

When does the Companies House identity verification transition period end?

The transition period runs until 17 November 2026, after which Companies House is expected to begin compliance activity against directors and PSCs who haven't verified.

When does my Companies House PSC verification window open?

For PSCs who are not also directors, the verification window opens on the first day of your birth month and stays open for 14 days. PSCs with an August birthday have a live window now.

How long does Companies House identity verification take?

Verification is reported to take around 2.4 minutes on average when completed via the GOV.UK Identity Document Checking App, the most common method used so far.

How many directors and PSCs still need to verify with Companies House?

As of roughly the six-month mark of the 12-month transition period, only around a third of the estimated six to seven million directors and PSCs required to verify had reportedly done so.

In short

Only around a third of the six to seven million directors and PSCs required to verify their identity with Companies House had done so by roughly the halfway point of the 12-month transition period, which ends 17 November 2026. PSCs with an August birthday now have a live 14-day verification window. Verification typically takes about 2.4 minutes via the GOV.UK app, so there's little reason to leave it until closer to the deadline.

Based on reporting by Harrison Drury, 4 Aug 2026.

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