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 · Reviewed
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. New directors have had to verify since 18 November 2025 — you cannot take up an appointment without it. Existing directors verify as part of the company's next confirmation statement, inside a 12-month transition that ends in mid-November 2026, so at the time of writing every director who has not yet verified has a hard date approaching. People with significant control verify on their own timetable, tied to when their PSC status arose.
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.
Official sources
Sources checked .
Guidance, not advice. Reviewed against gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk sources.