UK company law changes coming into force from 18 November 2025

UK company law changes coming into force from 18 November 2025 | Tuesday 18 November 2025 | 3 min read

1. Identity verification will be mandatory for all directors, members of LLPs and people with significant control (PSCs), Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSP’s) and individuals who file for a company, such as a company secretary.
2. Directors acting without identity verification will be an additional disqualification ground for persistent breaches of company law.
3. Obligations on companies to report information to Companies House directly will replace requirements to maintain certain registers that companies and LLPs must maintain locally.

Director Compliance

All directors must verify their identity with Companies House after 18 November 2025. This can be done directly with Companies House or through an ACSP. Directors will be provided with a Unique Identification Number (UID), an 11-digit code personal to each individual.

• All new directors appointed after 18 November 2025 must provide the UID with their appointment filing, or incorporation document.
• All existing directors must provide their UID with the first confirmation statement that they file during a 12-month transitional period, commencing on 18^th November 2025.

PSC Compliance

If a PSC, that is an individual, is both a director and a PSC, they must file their UID separately for each role.

PSC’s have a 14-day period to provide their UID that varies depending on whether they are a director or not.

• If they are also a director, their 14-day period begins on the date the company’s confirmation statement is filed.
• If they are not a director, it begins from the first day of their birth month, after November. For example, if their birthday is 13^th December, their 14-day period begins on 1^st

Identity verification requirements for individuals that file at Companies House, general partners of limited partnerships, and relevant members of corporate members of LLPs will be introduced at a later date.

The above requirements also apply to individual members and PSCs of an LLP.

Implications

The failure to comply with the identity verification requirements can not only result in financial penalties but also is an additional ground for disqualification of a director for persistent breaches of company law.

New directors must ensure they also act promptly in obtaining their UID to ensure they do not fall foul of the requirement to file notice of their appointment within 14 days at Companies House. A default of this requirement means the person may not act as director until notice has been given and is also an offence for the company, the individual and any officers in default.

Registers

Companies will be required to comply with enhanced reporting obligations directly to Companies House regarding information normally kept in local registers of directors, secretaries and PSCs.

Key actions

• New directors/LLP members: must include their UID when appointed or incorporated.
• Existing directors/LLP members: must include their UID in the first confirmation statement filed after 18 November 2025.
• PSCs: have a specific 14-day filing window, which depends on either the company’s confirmation statement date or the PSC’s birth month.