Quick Answer: Every PSC must verify their identity and connect that verified identity to each PSC role by providing their Companies House personal code and verification statement. The important part is timing: each PSC gets a specific 14-day window, and it is not the same for everyone.
You verify your identity, receive your personal code, send it to Companies House, and you’re done.
Sounds like a five-minute job, especially if you’re in the process of UK company formation or have recently been involved in forming one and are now being added as a PSC.
Except there’s one detail that can easily trip people up: you cannot simply provide the code whenever you feel like it.
As part of PSC identity verification, Companies House gives each PSC a specific 14-day period to connect their verified identity to their PSC record.
So, if you’re a PSC or responsible for company compliance, here’s what the 14-day rule actually means.
What Is PSC Identity Verification?
A Person with Significant Control, or PSC, is generally someone who owns or controls a company. This can include someone holding more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, someone able to appoint or remove a majority of directors, or someone otherwise exercising significant influence or control.
Under the newer Companies House identity-verification regime, individual PSCs must verify their identities.
Following successful verification, the individual is issued a unique Companies House personal code. That code is then used to connect the verified person to the roles they hold on the Companies House register.
You can normally verify directly through Companies House using GOV.UK One Login or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). You generally verify your identity once and use the same personal code for relevant Companies House roles.
The PSC 14-Day Window: When Does Yours Start?
Here’s where the rule becomes important.
Every PSC has a 14-day period during which they must provide their personal code and identity-verification statement. But Companies House does not give every PSC the same deadline.
If You Are Both an Existing Director and PSC
If you were already a PSC and are also a director of the same company, your PSC window starts the day after the company’s confirmation statement date.
For example:
- Confirmation statement date: 31 March 2026
- PSC verification window: 1 April–14 April 2026
Filing the confirmation statement early does not bring that 14-day period forward. And here’s an easy detail to miss: being verified as a director does not complete the PSC requirement.
Each role requires a separate submission of your personal code. The director code is provided through the confirmation statement process, while the PSC requirement is completed through the PSC verification service.
If You Are an Existing PSC but Not a Director
Different rule.
If you’re a PSC but not a director of that company, your 14-day period generally falls within the first 14 days of your birth month. If your birthday is 24 February, for example, your PSC period would run from 1 February to 14 February during the applicable transition period.
If You Are a New PSC
If you become a new PSC, you can provide your personal code when you’re first added to the Companies House register or within the applicable 14-day period.
Companies House sends new PSCs a direction letter indicating the relevant period. Rather than guessing the date, check the Companies House register or sign in to the PSC verification service for the deadline applying to you.
How to Provide PSC Verification
Once you’ve verified your identity and received your personal code, you need to connect it to your PSC role.
The official gov.uk guidance provides PSC verification through the online service titled “Provide identity verification details for a person with significant control (PSC).”
To provide PSC verification, you’ll generally need:
- Your sign-in details
- The company number
- Your Companies House personal code
The service identifies the company’s PSCs and allows the relevant personal code and verification statement to be submitted. A trusted person, the company, or an ACSP may also provide the details on the PSC’s behalf.
If you’re looking to provide identity verification details for a person with significant control, don’t confuse identity verification itself with connecting the personal code to the PSC record. They are related steps, but completing the first does not automatically complete the second.
Can You File PSC Companies House Details Early?
Not always. For an existing PSC with a prescribed 14-day window, Companies House says the personal code can only be provided once that period has started. So if you’re preparing to file PSC Companies House verification details, first check your actual dates rather than assuming that earlier is automatically better.
Companies House lets you check the specific 14-day period through its register and the PSC verification service.
What If You Cannot Meet the 14-Day Deadline?
There is a little breathing room, but only if you act before the clock runs out. If you cannot provide identity verification details for a PSC within the required period, you can request a 14-day extension through the same online service.
The important condition is that the extension request must be made before your current verification deadline passes. Do not wait until day 15 and assume an extension can simply fix the problem afterward.
What Happens If a PSC Does Not Comply?
This is a legal requirement, not an optional Companies House housekeeping task. If a person continues as a PSC after the applicable deadline without complying with the identity-verification requirements, they may be committing an offence.
Companies House also warns that non-compliance may lead to a financial penalty or fine, and a note may be displayed against the person’s name on the public register.
That makes the sensible approach fairly simple: verify early enough to obtain your personal code, check your actual PSC window, and submit the required details while that window is open.
Business Globalizer Support
If you’re dealing with PSC identity verification as part of UK company formation or ongoing compliance, Business Globalizer provides end-to-end UK business support services.
This includes UK company formation, registered office address, ACSP support, UK tax filing, UK VAT registration, business bank account assistance, and Companies House compliance assistance. With tailored and customized solutions, we help directors and PSCs understand verification requirements, avoid missed deadlines, and correctly submit identity verification details with confidence.
Before We Call It a Day
The tricky part of PSC identity verification isn’t getting a personal code. It’s knowing when that code must be connected to your PSC role. A director-PSC, a PSC who is not a director, and a newly registered PSC can all have different dates. So don’t circle a random 14-day period on the calendar.
Check the Companies House register, confirm your actual window, and provide identity verification details for a PSC within those dates. And if something genuinely prevents you from meeting the deadline, request the available extension before the deadline passes. Fourteen days is enough time, provided you’re watching the right fourteen.
Key Insights
- Identity verification is now a legal requirement for individual People with Significant Control (PSCs).
- Every PSC has a specific 14-day period to provide their Companies House personal code and verification statement.
- The start date depends on whether the person was already a PSC before 18 November 2025 and whether they are also a director.
- Existing PSC-directors generally have a 14-day window starting the day after the company’s confirmation statement date.
- Existing PSCs who are not directors generally use the first 14 days of their birth month.
- New PSCs can provide their code when added to the register or within the period stated by Companies House.
- If you cannot meet the deadline, you can request a further 14-day extension, but you must request it before the existing deadline expires.
FAQs of PSC Identity Verification
How do I submit identity verification details for a PSC?
Answer: First verify the PSC’s identity and obtain their Companies House personal code. During the applicable 14-day period, use the official Companies House PSC service to submit the code and verification statement. The PSC, company, trusted person, or an ACSP can provide the details where permitted.
When do I need to provide PSC verification?
Answer: It depends on the PSC. An existing director-PSC generally has a period beginning the day after the company’s confirmation statement date. An existing PSC who is not a director generally uses the first 14 days of their birth month. New PSCs should follow the period specified by Companies House.
Do I need a different Companies House personal code for each company?
Answer: No. Once your identity has been successfully verified, you receive a personal code that can be used to connect your verified identity to the relevant Companies House roles you hold. You must still provide it separately for each applicable role.
If I’m both a director and PSC, do I submit my code twice?
Answer: Yes, for the two separate roles. Providing your code as a director through the confirmation statement does not satisfy your PSC requirement. You must also connect the code to your PSC role through the appropriate PSC service.
Can I provide identity verification details for a PSC before the 14-day window?
Answer: For an existing PSC subject to a prescribed window, Companies House says the personal code can only be provided once that 14-day period has started. Check your dates on the Companies House register or through the PSC service.
Can the PSC 14-day deadline be extended?
Answer: Yes. If the details cannot be provided on time, a 14-day extension can be requested through the Companies House service. The request must be submitted before the existing verification deadline expires.
What happens if I miss my PSC identity verification deadline?
Answer: Continuing as a PSC without meeting the identity-verification requirements after the deadline may constitute an offence. Companies House also warns of potential financial penalties or fines and a public-register note against the PSC’s name.
