Dear PrimaryContact],

As you may be aware, Companies House has introduced a new identity verification regime under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, with a voluntary window for directors and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) opening on 8 April 2025, mandatory checks for all new director and PSC appointments due to begin in autumn 2025, and a requirement for all third‑party providers to register as Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) from spring 2026. To ensure seamless compliance and avoid any filing delays, we will be requesting ID documentation from any clients for whom we do not already hold verified identification.

What the Change Means

Legislative Background

Companies House’s new regime stems from powers granted by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, designed to improve the quality and reliability of the register and deter misuse of company identities.

Key Requirements

• ACSP Registration Service launched on 18 March 2025, enabling third‑party providers to register as authorised agents for identity verification.

• A registration fee of £55 applies per business when you sign up as an ACSP

• From 8 April 2025, individuals (directors/PSCs) can voluntarily verify their identity directly through GOV.UK One Login or via an ACSP.

• In autumn 2025, identity verification will become mandatory on incorporation and new appointments of directors/PSCs, with a 12‑month transition period for existing officers.

• From spring 2026, all third‑party providers filing any document on behalf of a company must be registered as an ACSP.

What We’re Doing

Our ACSP Status

We have completed our ACSP registration and are now authorised to carry out Companies House–compliant identity verifications on behalf of our clients  .

Identity Verification Process

To meet the new standards, we will:

1. Request Certified ID Documents

   • Acceptable documents include passports, driver’s licences or national ID cards, as specified in the ACSP rules 

    

2. Perform Verification

   • We will compare the document details (name, date of birth, expiry date, country of issue) against Companies House requirements.

    

3. Notify Companies House

   • Once verified, we will submit the required metadata via the Companies House Identity Verification Service to record your verification  .

    

Next Steps

Action Required

If we do not already hold verified identification for you, please provide a clear, certified scan or photo of one of the accepted identity documents by Friday 2 May 2025. You can upload these securely via our client portal (link below).

Support

Should you have any questions about these new requirements or need assistance with the upload process, please contact your usual advisor or reply to this email. For further reading, you may also find our external guide helpful (thirdfort.com).

Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to ensure full compliance with Companies House’s enhanced identity‑verification framework.

Kind regards,