Guide

ACSP at Companies House: register, verify and keep records

How UK accountants and lawyers register as an ACSP, run the six-step Companies House ID standard, keep their status and handle clients who miss the deadline.

By Matt Collis·Updated 9 November 2026·Reviewed 9 November 2026·9 min read

An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) is an AML-supervised business, such as an accountancy practice or a law firm, that has registered with Companies House so it can verify people's identity for Companies House and, later, file on clients' behalf. To become one you need a senior person with a verified identity, your anti-money laundering (AML) supervisor's details and an approved application; to work as one you must complete every step of the Companies House identity verification standard on each check and keep the records for 7 years.

This guide sits under our Companies House identity verification hub, which covers the wider duty on directors and people with significant control (PSCs). Here we go further into the ACSP side: who can register, how the six-step standard works in practice, what keeps your status safe, and what happens to clients who leave verification too late.

Most page-one results for "ACSP Companies House" explain what an ACSP is and link to the application. Fewer explain the standard step by step, how it differs from your AML customer due diligence, or what to do with a client list as the transition closes. That is the focus here.

Who can register as an ACSP

Companies House describes ACSPs as individuals or organisations that carry out AML-supervised activity. Its examples are company formation agents, solicitors, accountants, and chartered secretaries and governance professionals. Registration opened on 18 March 2025.

You must be AML supervised in the UK. There are 25 recognised AML supervisory bodies. Companies House says an application will be rejected if you are not supervised in the UK or give incorrect membership details.
You must stay supervised. An ACSP must be registered with at least one AML supervisory body at all times. Losing that registration is a change you must report.
A senior person applies. The application is completed by someone in a senior role, such as a director, partner or sole trader.

How registration works

The senior person verifies their own identity with GOV.UK One Login.
They give the business details, the AML supervisory body and the membership number.
They pay the one-off registration fee shown on GOV.UK and confirm they understand the firm's legal responsibilities as an authorised agent.
On approval, the business gets an authorised agent account and a unique identity number.
The account owner adds the team. Account owners can manage all users, administrators can manage administrators and standard users, and standard users cannot manage anyone. Companies House says each person should sign in with their own GOV.UK One Login, never a shared one.

ACSP checks are separate from your AML checks

Companies House states that its identity checks "are different to customer due diligence checks to prevent money laundering". A client who is also a director may need both: your customer due diligence under your own AML programme, and a Companies House verification to the registrar's standard. You can collect evidence once, but you test it against two sets of rules and record each outcome separately. Document lists, record periods and the reporting step all differ.

The six steps of the Companies House standard

When you verify someone for Companies House you must meet the identity verification standard. Companies House calls the steps minimum checks and says you must complete every one.

Step 1: collect information about the person

Full name and any former names, date of birth, home address and address history for the last 12 months, and email address.

Step 2: obtain identity evidence

Choose one of two options.

Option	What the person provides	How it is checked
1. Identification document validation technology (IDVT)	One photo ID from a set list, including a biometric or machine-readable passport, a UK or the European Union (EU) photocard driving licence, an EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein identity card with biometric data, a UK biometric residence permit or card, a UK Frontier Worker permit, or an eVisa	Technology validates cryptographic features where present, and physical security features such as holograms
2. Manual checking	Two Group A photo documents, or one Group A document plus one Group B document (for example a bank statement, council tax statement or utility bill showing the current address)	A trained person checks the documents, in person or remotely

Expired, cancelled or replaced documents are generally not accepted, with listed exceptions for some passports and residence permits. Under Option 2, a person who does not live in the UK must provide at least one government-issued document.

Step 3: check the evidence is genuine

Anyone checking documents by hand must be trained to spot false documents and follow the Home Office best practice guide. Look for tampering or damage, especially where personal details appear. If in doubt, contact the issuing authority, or the relevant embassy for documents issued outside the UK.

Step 4: confirm the identity is real and belongs to the person

Check the documents confirm name and date of birth, and that the person matches the photo. For remote checks, the person must be real and their face clearly visible. To guard against synthetic identities, ask for more documents if the 12-month address history or a name change is not confirmed, and look for signs of expected activity, such as bills sent to the home address or a passport used over time.

Step 5: keep records

Keep copies of the documents you checked, evidence of the checks and records of any failed attempts for 7 years from the date you complete verification. Failed attempts are kept for 7 years too.

Step 6: decide and report

Decide whether you are satisfied the person is who they claim to be. If so, use the Companies House online service to give the person's details, say which documents you used, give the reference number, expiry date and country of issue where they apply, and confirm you met the standard. You do not upload copies of the documents.

Using a technology provider

You may use a commercial identity verification provider. You stay responsible for the decision. Companies House expects you to confirm which steps the provider completes, do any remaining steps yourself, and be able to explain why the provider's process is appropriate. Failing to meet the standard can lead to suspension or removal of your authorised agent status.

Keeping your ACSP status

Tell Companies House about changes to your details within 14 days. Companies House calls this a legal requirement.
Be ready to provide details of your filings, your identity checks or evidence that you meet your responsibilities when asked.
If your status is suspended, you have 28 days to provide the requested information and your users lose access to ACSP services. Clients whose identity you verified may need to verify again.
Failing to comply is an offence. For a sole trader, that person is responsible. For other businesses, all officers, such as directors, are responsible and could face a fine or prosecution.

What happens to clients who miss the transition

Identity verification became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025, which started a 12-month transition for existing directors and PSCs. GOV.UK does not print an end date; commentary gives 17 or 18 November 2026. In practice each person's deadline is tied to their company:

Existing directors give their personal code in the company's next confirmation statement, for each company they direct.
PSCs who are also directors provide their PSC verification within 14 days, starting the day after the confirmation statement date.
PSCs who are not directors have a 14-day window in their birth month, starting on the 1st of that month.

When a deadline is missed, Companies House sends a default letter explaining the offence and warning that enforcement may follow without further notice. Its published approach says it is unlawful to act as a director without completing verification, that the company is also in breach, and that the routes include financial penalties, referral to the Insolvency Service and prosecution. Cases are more likely to be treated as serious after 3 or more offences over 5 years. Mishcon de Reya reported the first prosecutions in September 2026, including a co-director who had verified on time but was prosecuted for failing to take reasonable steps to stop an unverified director acting.

For an ACSP, the practical work is a list: every client director and PSC, their company's confirmation statement date, and whether they have a personal code. Start with the earliest dates and anyone already past them.

What comes next

Companies House plans to require identity verification for anyone presenting documents, and to require third-party agents who file for companies to be registered ACSPs. It says ACSP-only filing will start no earlier than November 2027 and that it will give at least 6 months' notice. Firms that file for clients and have not registered still have time, but the registration, team set-up and process design take longer than the filing change itself.

What StackGo does here

StackGo does not verify identity for Companies House on a firm's behalf, does not submit verifications through the Companies House service and does not issue personal codes. Those happen through GOV.UK One Login or through your own ACSP process. IdentityCheck supports the customer due diligence side: a biometric check of a government ID document plus a live selfie with liveness (see Verify), and screening against politically exposed person (PEP), sanctions and adverse media sources with ongoing monitoring (see Screen). If you are considering any technology for your Companies House checks, the standard requires you to confirm which of the six steps it completes and do the rest yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be an ACSP to verify my clients for Companies House?

Yes. Third-party providers who verify identities for Companies House must register as ACSPs first. Clients can also verify themselves through GOV.UK One Login.

Can an ACSP verify someone remotely?

Yes. The standard allows remote or in-person checks, provided the person's face is clearly visible so it can be compared with the document photo, and every step is completed.

Does our AML customer due diligence count as a Companies House verification?

No. Companies House says its checks are different to customer due diligence checks. You can reuse evidence, but you must meet the Companies House standard and report it through its service.

How long must ACSPs keep identity records?

7 years from the date verification is completed, including records of failed attempts.

What happens if a director has not verified by their confirmation statement?

Companies House can send a default letter, issue financial penalties, refer the matter to the Insolvency Service or prosecute. The company is also in breach.

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