The Companies House personal code: who needs one and when
The 11-character code you get after verifying your identity — what it is for, the ECCTA deadlines, and how it differs from the company authentication code.
By PromptFiling · Published · Updated
What the personal code is
The personal code is an 11-character code Companies House gives a PERSON once they have verified their identity. It belongs to you for life, across every company you are involved with, and its job is to connect your verified identity to your roles — director, person with significant control — on the register. It is not the company authentication code. That one is 6 characters, belongs to the company, and signs filings. The two get confused daily, partly because both arrive from Companies House and both are called 'code'.
Who must verify, and by when
Identity verification became law under ECCTA on 18 November 2025. New directors verify before appointment — you cannot take up a directorship without a personal code. Existing directors provide their code with the company's next confirmation statement, so the 12-month transition that began on 18 November 2025 ends in November 2026, and from that statement on a company cannot file it until every director is verified. People with significant control have a 14-day window tied either to the confirmation statement date (if they are also a director) or to their birth month. The full deadline table, the two verification routes and the consequences of missing the date are in our guide to Companies House identity verification; this page is about the code itself.
How verification works
Two routes. The free one is GOV.UK One Login: photo ID plus a likeness check, done from a phone in minutes when the documents are in order. The other is through an authorised agent (an ACSP — typically an accountant or formation agent registered for the purpose), who verifies you and confirms it to Companies House. Either way the outcome is the same: your identity is marked verified and your personal code is issued.
Where the code gets used
You quote it when you are appointed to a company, when your details are confirmed at the confirmation statement, and in filings that need to identify you as a verified person. Treat it like the credential it is: Companies House advises giving it only to someone acting for you, such as your agent. It does not replace the company authentication code — a company filing its accounts still needs that 6-character code regardless of how many of its directors are verified.
Personal code vs authentication code, side by side
Personal code: 11 characters, issued to a person, one per lifetime, proves identity. Authentication code: 6 characters, issued to a company, one per company, signs filings and arrives by post to the registered office. A sole director filing dormant accounts will end up holding both — and needing both, for different steps of the same year's paperwork.
Questions people ask
Where do I find my Companies House personal code?
It is shown to you once you have verified your identity — on screen in the GOV.UK One Login journey, or from the authorised agent who verified you. Companies House does not post it to the company; if you have lost it, sign back in to the verification service to retrieve it.
How do I get a Companies House personal code?
Verify your identity: free through the 'Verify your identity for Companies House' service on GOV.UK One Login, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. The 11-character code is issued at the end of either route.
Is the personal code the same as the company authentication code?
No. The personal code is 11 characters and belongs to you for life; the authentication code is 6 characters, belongs to the company and is posted to its registered office. You need the personal code at the confirmation statement and the authentication code to file anything online.
Do I need a personal code for each company?
No — one code per person, used for every company. You do, however, provide it to each company separately, in each company's confirmation statement.
Official sources
Sources checked .
Guidance, not advice. Last updated , checked against gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk sources.