How to verify directors via GOV.UK One Login

What is GOV.UK One Login?

GOV.UK One Login is the central identity service for UK government online services. A single One Login account identifies a citizen across multiple government services including Companies House.

For Companies House identity verification it does the work of checking photo ID, confirming likeness through a short video selfie, and issuing the verified identity record back to Companies House.

Who can verify through One Login?

Self-verification through One Login works best for:

• UK-resident directors with a valid UK passport, UK photocard driving licence or biometric residence permit.
• Directors comfortable using a smartphone or laptop.
• Directors who can complete the process unsupervised within the same week your firm tells them about it.

It is harder for overseas directors without UK-issued ID, for elderly directors uncomfortable with smartphone-based verification, and for any director without a quiet ten minutes to complete the steps in one sitting.

For those clients, your firm should consider the ACSP route instead.

What does the director need to have ready?

• Photo ID. A current UK passport, UK photocard driving licence or biometric residence permit. The ID needs to be physically in front of them, not a scanned copy.
• A smartphone with a working camera. Front and rear cameras both used during the process.
• An email address they can access immediately. One Login sends verification codes during sign-up.
• About fifteen minutes of uninterrupted time. The actual process is shorter but allowing fifteen minutes covers retries and unexpected steps.

How long does the process take?

Between five and fifteen minutes for most individuals in a single sitting.

The variance comes from whether the photo ID is captured cleanly on first attempt, whether the video selfie passes likeness on first attempt, and whether the individual has already set up a One Login account from a prior interaction with another government service.

What does the One Login process actually look like?

Walk your client through these steps:

1. Go to signin.account.gov.uk. If your client already has a One Login account from a previous government service, they sign in. If not, they create one with an email address and password.
2. Complete email verification using the code One Login sends to that address.
3. Start the identity verification flow specifically for Companies House. One Login presents the options.
4. Photograph the photo ID. The on-screen guidance covers framing and lighting. Most retries are due to glare on the ID.
5. Record a short video selfie. One Login asks the individual to follow simple on-screen prompts to confirm likeness.
6. Wait a few seconds for the checks to complete. On success, One Login displays a confirmation screen with the issued Personal Code.
7. One Login also sends a confirmation email containing the Personal Code reference.

What happens when verification succeeds?

Three things happen at once:

• The director receives an eleven-character Personal Code on screen and by email.
• Companies House records the verified identity against the One Login account.
• The Personal Code needs to be linked to each appointment the individual holds. This linking step is what proves the right verified person is acting in the right role at the right company.

For your firm to track and link the Personal Code to the right confirmation statement deadline, you need the client to forward you the One Login confirmation email or share the Personal Code reference. Store the reference in masked form. For more on how to handle Personal Codes safely, see Personal Codes explained.

What if my client cannot verify through One Login?

Common reasons it fails:

• ID not recognised. Older passports, expired driving licences and damaged ID documents are the most common cause.
• Likeness check fails repeatedly. Lighting, camera quality and head positioning are the usual culprits.
• Overseas director without UK-issued ID. One Login does not currently handle every overseas ID type.
• Accessibility constraints that make smartphone-based verification impractical.

For each of these, the fallback is the ACSP route. Your firm performs the identity check itself under ACSP authorisation and issues the Personal Code through Companies House on the client's behalf. See the ACSP registration guide for what that involves.

How do I track that the verification has happened?

For each director and PSC, you need to capture:

• Verification status: pending, in progress or verified.
• The Personal Code reference, stored masked. Never the full code.
• The Personal Code expiry date.
• The One Login confirmation email or screenshot.
• The confirmation statement deadline the verification is linked to.

Multiplied across a typical accountancy firm's client base of one hundred companies and three to four officers each, that is several hundred records to keep current throughout the transition window. The full workflow is covered in the Companies House IDV 12-month transition checklist.