Your Companies House personal code is the 11-character code Companies House gives you once your ID has been verified. It's what people usually mean when they search for their Companies House personal identification number - and it's the code you'll be asked for when your company files its confirmation statement, or when you're a PSC (Person with Significant Control).
You get the code by verifying your ID, either through the government's GOV.UK One Login service or through an ACSP (Authorised Corporate Service Provider) such as directorverifications.com. With us it's £24.99 per person, and the price is the same whatever passport you hold, whatever your nationality is and wherever in the world you live- with no app to install and no GOV.UK One Login needed. Once we've verified your ID, Companies House emails your 11-character personal code direct to your inbox.
Get verified for £24.99 · Get Fast Track, same day, for £39.99
What is a Companies House personal identification number?
Companies House doesn't call it a personal identification number. It calls it a personal code - you'll also see it called an 11-character personal code or an 11-character code - and in its own words: "This is an 11 character code that is given to a person once they've verified their identity." So if you've been asked for your Companies House personal identification number, your personal ID number, your personal identification code or your Companies House verification code, this is the code they mean. It isn't a PIN for a bank card, and it isn't something you choose yourself.
Your code is 11 characters long - a mix of letters and numbers - and it's set out in three groups, like this: XXX-XXXX-XXXX.
The code belongs to you, not to your company - GOV.UK's words are "The code is personal to you, not your company or a company you work for." And you only ever need one: "You will use the same personal code each time you need to confirm you're verified." One 11-character personal code covers every company you're a director or a PSC of - and you use the same code forever.
Companies House codes: which one do you need?
Companies House gives out more than one code, and it's easy to confuse them. Only one of them proves your ID has been verified.
| Code | What it does | Who it belongs to |
|---|---|---|
| Personal code, 11-character personal code or 11-character code - the code this page is about | 11 characters. Proves to Companies House that your ID has been verified | You, personally |
| Company authentication code | 6 characters. Authorises information filed online for the company | The company - it's posted to the registered office |
| Company number | Identifies the company on the Companies House register - sometimes called the company registration number or company ID number | The company |
If somebody asks for "your code" and you're not sure which one they mean, ask. When it's about verifying your ID, it's always the personal code, which is the same as the 11-character personal code or 11-character code.
How to get your Companies House 11-character personal code
There are exactly two ways to verify your ID for Companies House, and Companies House accepts either of them equally.
Through GOV.UK One Login. It's free, but you have to set up a GOV.UK One Login and usually install an app on your phone, and it's built around UK documents and UK addresses, so it turns away a lot of people who hold non-UK passports or live outside the UK. And if it refuses you, you don't get a second government attempt - you may find yourself locked out of GOV.UK One Login for weeks or even months. The Post Office route is closed to you as well once the GOV.UK One Login has refused you. If it does verify you, Companies House will email your code directly to your inbox. You can also find your code by signing in to Companies House and going to "Manage account".
The second way of verifying your identity is through an ACSP such as directorverifications.com. This is all you need to know:
- You sign up by clicking "Get verified for £24.99" on our website and paying for us to verify your ID.
- An email reaches your inbox automatically, usually immediately or within a minute or two.
- You click "Start Verification" in that email, then scan a government-issued ID document and your face using your smartphone camera, your desktop PC camera or your laptop camera.
- We submit your verified ID information to Companies House.
- Companies House emails your 11-character personal code direct to your inbox.
There's no app to install, no GOV.UK One Login, no UK address needed and nothing for you to post. If our automated, AI-powered check cannot verify your ID, a member of our team reviews your documents by hand. That's included in the price - we'll never charge you twice.
Our standard service takes 24 to 48 hours. Fast Track is same day, seven days a week, as long as your payment and your ID document both reach us before 5pm.
How much a Companies House personal code costs - and why your passport doesn't change the price
Standard ID verification is £24.99 per person, and Fast Track, same day, is £39.99 per person. The prices are per person whose ID we verify, not per company, and the price you see is the price you pay - no hidden extras.
When we checked the published prices in September 2026 they ran from about £25 to £150 and upwards per person, so our £24.99 price sits at the bottom of that range. Some agents don't disclose their price at all unless you contact them and ask - a major hassle, and not something many people will bother with when a clearly priced, good-value option such as ours is right in front of them. Some ACSPs also charge a good deal more if your passport isn't British.
We charge the same £24.99 whoever you are, whatever your nationality is and wherever in the world you live. There's more in our guide to how much an ACSP costs.
Get verified for £24.99 · Get Fast Track, same day, for £39.99
Where you'll need your personal code
You only verify your ID once, but you'll be asked for your personal code more than once.
- If you're a director, GOV.UK says "you'll need to provide your personal code in your company's next confirmation statement filing". You'll also need it if you're being appointed as a director.
- If you're a PSC and not a director, you provide the code through a separate Companies House service called "Provide identity verification details for a PSC", within the first 14 days of your birth month. Nothing in the confirmation statement tells you this service exists or that you'll need to file your 11-character personal code there.
- If you're both a director and a PSC of the same company, you provide the same code twice: once in the confirmation statement, and once through the PSC service, within 14 days starting from the day after the company's confirmation statement date.
We don't submit your 11-character personal code to Companies House for you, and no ACSP will - that submission requirement will always be your task. The dates are set out in full in our guide to the two PSC deadlines, and there's more on the code itself in our guide to the Companies House personal code.
That doesn't mean you have to do the filing yourself. GOV.UK says "You must keep your code safe, although you can share it with people if they file on your behalf" - so it's fine to give it to the accountant or company secretary who files your confirmation statement.
Lost your personal code, or it never arrived?
- If you verified through GOV.UK One Login, sign in to Companies House and go to "Manage account" to view your code. If you verified after 8 July 2026, it was emailed to you as well.
- If you verified through an ACSP, Companies House emailed it to the address the ACSP gave for you, so check your spam folder first if you haven't received it. If it isn't there, GOV.UK's advice is to "contact the ACSP who verified you and check what email address they provided" - so if it was us, get in touch and we'll check. We never receive your code from Companies House ourselves, so we can't look it up or resend it.
- If you think somebody else has your code, Companies House can change it: "We will send you the new code by email and cancel your previous code." You'll need to contact Companies House to ask.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Companies House personal code the same as a personal identification number?
Yes. Companies House calls it a personal code, but it's what people usually mean when they search for their Companies House personal identification number: the 11-character code you get once your ID has been verified.
Is a Companies House verification code the same as a personal code?
Yes. When people say verification code they nearly always mean the 11-character personal code that Companies House gives you once your ID has been verified. The one it isn't is the company authentication code, which is six characters and belongs to the company rather than to you.
How much does it cost to get a Companies House personal code?
Nothing, if GOV.UK One Login verifies you. With directorverifications.com it's £24.99 per person, or £39.99 for same-day Fast Track - the same price whatever passport you hold or wherever you live. Either way, it's Companies House that issues the code.
My passport isn't British. Can you still verify me?
Yes. Many of our customers hold non-UK passports, and a good many of them live outside the UK. What's more, you don't need a UK address to use our service.
Do I need a new personal code for each company?
No. You verify yourself, not each company. One 11-character personal code covers every company you're a director or a PSC of, and you'll use the same code each time you're asked for it.
How long does it take to get my personal code?
Our standard service takes 24 to 48 hours. Fast Track is same day, seven days a week, as long as your payment and your ID document both reach us before 5pm. Once we've verified your ID, Companies House emails your 11-character personal code direct to your inbox.
What if the automated check can't verify my ID?
If our automated, AI-powered check cannot verify your ID, a member of our team reviews your documents by hand. That's included in the price - we'll never charge you twice.
Can directorverifications.com tell me my personal code?
No. Companies House emails it to you directly and we never see it. If it hasn't arrived, get in touch and we'll check the email address we gave Companies House.
