Why 1 in 5 Companies Still Have an Unverified PSC (And the Code Mistake Behind It)

Where to go to verify or fix your status

If you already know you need to act, here is the shortest route through the process. There are three moving parts, and people often complete the first and forget the other two.

Verifying your identity. You can verify in one of two ways: directly with Companies House using GOV.UK One Login, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider such as an accountant or company formation agent. Both routes meet the same standard. You verify once, and Companies House issues you a single personal code tied to you as an individual.

The director step. Your personal code is provided on your company’s confirmation statement, submitted through WebFiling or by your agent. WebFiling will ask for the code of every registered director before it lets you complete the statement.

The PSC step. This is separate. After the confirmation statement, you provide the same code again through the GOV.UK service named “Provide identity verification details for a person with significant control”. This links your verified identity to your PSC role specifically.

The sections below walk through checking your current position and fixing anything that is still outstanding.

How to check whether your PSC is overdue

You can confirm the verification status of every director and PSC on the free public register in under a minute.

1. Search for your company on the Companies House register.
2. Open the People tab.
3. Look at the identity verification status shown next to each director and each PSC.
4. Read what it says. A green tick means that role is verified and linked. A “due from” and “due by” date means action is still needed.

Here is the tip that matters most: check the PSCs, not only the directors. Companies House data suggests this is exactly where the missing step sits. A company can show a fully verified director and still carry an overdue PSC, even when they are the same person.

How to verify your identity for Companies House

You need to verify only once, whatever roles you hold across however many companies. The single personal code you receive then works for all your current and future appointments.

Verifying directly through GOV.UK One Login

This route is free and self-service. You confirm your identity using a photo ID document, such as a biometric passport, and complete the on-screen checks through GOV.UK One Login. Most people finish in one sitting.

One point trips people up here. If you verify through One Login, your personal code is not emailed to you. You sign in to your Companies House account and open “Manage account” to view it. Use the same email address you used to verify.

Verifying through an accountant or ACSP

Accountants, solicitors, and company formation agents that are supervised for anti-money laundering can act as Authorised Corporate Service Providers and verify your identity for you. This often runs more smoothly for overseas directors and PSCs, where document compatibility or connection quality can complicate the direct route. The checks an ACSP carries out must meet the same standard as verifying directly.

What you receive afterwards

Once verified, you get one personal code. It belongs to you as a person, not to a particular role or company. That single detail is the source of most confusion, which brings us to the mistake behind the overdue figures.

The personal code mistake behind most overdue PSCs

Here is the direct answer: verifying your identity and providing your personal code are two different actions. Verifying happens once. Providing the code happens for each role you hold. If you are a director and a PSC, that means submitting the same code twice, in two different places.

Why one verification is not the same as one code submission

People reasonably assume that once they have verified, Companies House has everything it needs. In practice, verification only produces the code. You still have to attach that code to each role on the register. Providing it as a director does not automatically apply it to your PSC role.

You provide the same code twice, in two different places

• As a director: the code goes on your company’s confirmation statement.
• As a PSC: the same code goes through the “Provide identity verification details for a person with significant control” service, within the 14-day window that applies to your PSC role.

Two roles, two submissions, one code. Miss the second and your PSC status stays open on the register, even though your director status shows a green tick.

The trap for owner-managed companies

Consider a common setup. Someone runs a limited company as its sole director and owns all the shares. That makes them both a director and a PSC of the same company. They verify, put their code on the confirmation statement, and reasonably believe the job is done. On the register, the director role clears but the PSC role does not, because the separate PSC submission never happened. Most of the 20% figure is made up of exactly this kind of oversight, not people who have ignored the rules.

How to fix an overdue PSC verification

The fix depends on where you are starting from.

• You have already verified and have your personal code. You only need to submit it against your PSC role. Use the “Provide identity verification details for a person with significant control” service. You will need your personal code, your Companies House sign-in details, and the company number. If you are a PSC of more than one company, repeat this for each company.
• You have not verified at all yet. Complete verification first, through GOV.UK One Login or an ACSP as described above, then provide the code for both roles.
• Your accountant filed your confirmation statement. Ask them directly whether they provided the PSC personal codes as well as the director codes. Filing the confirmation statement covers the director side. It does not, on its own, complete the separate PSC step.

You can find your accountant through your usual contact, or see [our company secretarial and filing services] if you would prefer this handled for you.

Why this matters (and what the 20% figure really means)

First, a point of accuracy. The Companies House figure describes companies with an overdue PSC, not directors who failed to verify. Around one in five companies is affected, and Companies House reports that nearly five million individuals have verified so far. The organisation has estimated that six to seven million people in total will need to verify by mid-November 2026.

The purpose behind all of this sits in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Identity verification is intended to make it harder to set up or run companies using fake or stolen identities, which protects honest business owners from being impersonated and makes the register more reliable for anyone who depends on it.

There are practical reasons to close the gap promptly. An unverified status is visible to anyone who looks at your company on the register, including clients, suppliers, and lenders, and it can raise questions you would rather not invite. More seriously, failing to meet your verification requirements on time is an offence. GOV.UK states that consequences include a financial penalty, a note against your name on the public register, and being unable to make filings for your company or start a new one. Since an unverified director also blocks the confirmation statement, the problem tends to spread to your other obligations if it is left unresolved.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the director code covers the PSC role. It does not. The PSC submission is separate.
• Checking directors but not PSCs. The overdue status usually sits on the PSC role, so check both on the People tab.
• Waiting for your personal code by email after using One Login. It is not emailed. View it under “Manage account”.
• Assuming the rules apply to corporate directors and corporate PSCs now. Identity verification for limited partnerships, corporate directors, corporate members of LLPs, and officers of corporate PSCs will be introduced at a later date.
• Leaving it until the confirmation statement is due. Verifying and providing your codes early avoids a last-minute scramble and the risk of a rejected filing.