If your company’s confirmation statement date has passed and a director has not verified their identity, you are not alone. At 30 June 2026, only 55 per cent of director appointments and 42 per cent of PSC appointments on the UK register had been verified. This guide explains what really happens when a Companies House identity verification deadline is missed, what the penalties are, and how to catch up quickly.
First, is it really your deadline?
Many people believe 18 November 2026 is their deadline. It is not. The 12-month transition period runs from 18 November 2025 and closes on 17 November 2026, and Companies House does not treat that as a personal deadline for anyone.
Your real date depends on your role:
- Directors: your company’s next confirmation statement. Companies House will not accept it until every director named on it has verified.
- PSCs who are not directors: the first 14 days of your birth month.
- PSCs who are also directors: the confirmation statement rule.
You can type your company name into our deadline checker and see your confirmation statement date in about 30 seconds.
What happens on the day you miss it?
Nothing happens automatically on the day. The clock does not stop either.
If a confirmation statement is not filed because a director has not verified, Companies House sends a warning notice first. If you act within 28 days of that notice, no penalty is charged.
If you do not act, the published penalty tariff for a missed confirmation statement is £500 to £1,500. In the end, a company that keeps missing its filings can be struck off the register. You can read Companies House’s own approach here: Companies House approach to financial penalties.
Enforcement is real. On 16 September 2026, the first directors were prosecuted for identity verification offences, including one for letting a co-director act unverified. You can read the GOV.UK announcement.
How do I know if Companies House has written to me?
Companies House writes to the registered office address and, where it has one, emails the registered email address. If your company uses a UK address service, check that your mail is being forwarded or scanned to you, and that the registered email address is one you actually read. Many directors abroad miss warning notices simply because the letter sits unopened at a UK address. If you are unsure, ask your address provider whether anything from Companies House has arrived in the last few months.
Why one director holds up the whole company
The confirmation statement is filed for the company, but it lists every director. If one director has not verified, the whole statement waits. That is why co-directors, accountants and company secretaries often order verification for each other.
At Launchese, you can order for a co-director at checkout. They receive their own secure link and upload their own documents.
How fast can I catch up?
That depends on the route.
- The free GOV.UK app can be quick if you have a chipped passport and a phone with NFC.
- Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), Launchese Standard takes up to three working days, and Express is same-day on a working day.
- After an ACSP files your verification, Companies House emails your personal code itself, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Once every director has a personal code, the confirmation statement can be filed.
What if a director cannot be reached?
Sometimes the problem is not the rule but a person. A co-director has moved, changed their phone number, or simply does not answer. Until they verify, the confirmation statement waits.
Start by sending them the facts in writing: the company’s confirmation statement date, the free GOV.UK route, and the option of an ACSP. Many people delay because they think it is complicated or that they need a UK passport. It takes about ten minutes, from anywhere.
If a director is no longer involved in the company, speak to an accountant or company secretary about whether the register needs updating. Changes to directors must be reported to Companies House within 14 days.
What about PSCs who are not directors?
A person with significant control (PSC) who is not a director does not wait for the confirmation statement. They give their personal code within the first 14 days of their birth month. A PSC born in November, for example, has from 1 to 14 November.
If that window has already passed, the PSC should verify as soon as possible and give their code. Companies House contacts people who have not provided a code, and enforcement has started.
Your catch-up checklist
- Check your company’s real confirmation statement date.
- List every director and PSC on the statement and ask who has a personal code.
- If you received a warning notice, note the date: you have 28 days from it.
- Verify every director who has not, through the free route or an ACSP.
- File the confirmation statement as soon as every director has a code.
Talking to your accountant
If an accountant or company secretary files your confirmation statement, tell them as soon as each director has verified. They cannot file until every director on the statement has a personal code, and they may not know who has finished.
A short message with each director’s name and the date they verified saves days of back and forth. Personal codes belong to the person, not the company, so a director with several companies only verifies once and uses the same code everywhere.
If your accountant is also an ACSP, they may be able to verify you directly. If they are not, or if they only verify UK residents, an ACSP that works with directors abroad can verify you and file the result, and your accountant can then file the statement as normal.
Frequently asked questions
Will my company be struck off straight away?
No. Strike-off is a last step after repeated missed filings and warnings, not something that happens on the day.
Is the penalty up to £5,000 or £10,000?
The published tariff for a missed confirmation statement is £500 to £1,500. Higher figures you may see quoted are caps or ceilings that overstate what is normally charged.
I am a PSC but not a director. Does this apply to me?
Your own window is the first 14 days of your birth month. If you have missed it, verify now.
Can I file the confirmation statement first and verify later?
No. Companies House will not accept the statement until every director on it has verified.
Where Launchese fits in
Launchese is registered with Companies House as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), number AP020671, and supervised by HM Revenue and Customs for anti-money-laundering purposes. If your date has passed, Express verifies you the same working day once your documents are complete. A person reviews every case, and if we cannot verify you, you are not charged. Once your directors are verified, Launchese can also prepare and file the confirmation statement.
Prefer to talk it through? Book your free 15-min advisory call today.
Related reading
- Companies House identity verification for overseas directors: the real deadline and your three options
- Proof of address from outside the UK: what counts, in any language
Sources
- Companies House approach to financial penalties
- Companies House management information: identity verification, April to June 2026
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. For anything beyond the rules explained here, check with a qualified professional.
