Lost your Companies House personal code? What directors should check before filing

A missing Companies House personal code can block a director appointment or a confirmation statement, even when the individual believes identity verification is complete. The recovery route depends on how they verified, so requesting a company authentication code is not the right fix.

The personal code is an 11 character identifier issued to a verified individual. It belongs to that person, not their company. Someone verified through GOV.UK One Login should check Manage account using the same email address; someone verified through an authorised agent may need to check the email address the agent supplied.

Once the code is found, a filing can still fail if the details do not match Companies House records. This guide separates code retrieval from those record corrections, role-specific filing requirements and replacement of a compromised code. It does not replace the broader identity-verification process. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.

Personal code or company authentication code?

A Companies House personal code is an 11 character code given to a person after successful identity verification. It is personal to that director or PSC, even if they hold roles at several companies.

That is different from the company authentication code. The company authentication code is the company's own six character code for online filing. It has a separate recovery process and should not be confused with a director's or PSC's personal code.

In practice, a company can need both. For example, a confirmation statement may require the company authentication code or other filing access credentials and each director's personal code before the filing will be accepted.

How to find the personal code, depending on how identity was verified

If the person verified using GOV.UK One Login, Companies House guidance on personal codes says they should sign in to their Companies House account and go to Manage account. They need to use the same email address that was used when they verified. If verification was completed after 8 July 2026, Companies House also sends the personal code by email after a successful verification.

If Manage account has no code, first confirm that the identity check actually succeeded and that you signed in using the same email used for verification. Creating an account or starting a check is not the same as finishing verification. Do not substitute the company authentication code or another director's personal code. If verification succeeded and the code is still missing, use Companies House help. If an ACSP verified the person, follow the separate ACSP route below.

If the person completed GOV.UK One Login verification at a Post Office, the practical result is the same. Once verification is successful, the personal code can be viewed through the Companies House account under Manage account.

If the person verified through an ACSP and already saved the personal code to a Companies House account, they can sign in and go to Manage account to view it. Otherwise, check the email address the ACSP provided: Companies House sends the code there. If the code has not arrived or went to the wrong address, contact the ACSP and ask what address was used. If it supplied an incorrect address, ask it to contact Companies House to correct that.

Someone who verified through an ACSP can also save the personal code into a Companies House account for easier access later. To do that, they sign in or create sign-in details using the email address that received the code, confirm they have verified their identity, and enter the personal code and date of birth.

If you want broader background on the verification system, see our guide Companies House Identity Verification: What UK Businesses Need To Know.

Check whether this filing needs the code now

An existing director provides their personal code in the company's next confirmation statement. A new director provides it with the appointment or incorporation filing. Companies House will not accept a confirmation statement until all directors have verified their identity, so a missing code can block the filing rather than merely delay one person's admin.

If the same person is also a PSC, they must provide the code separately for that role in the applicable 14-day window using the PSC verification-details service. Check the dates for that PSC on the Companies House register and use the current role-specific guidance; an early confirmation statement does not move the PSC window.

The individual uses the same personal code across companies and roles after verifying once. Finding that code is different from deciding which role-specific filing needs it today. A director of two companies may use one code but still needs to supply it for each company's relevant confirmation statement.

Why a filing can fail even when the code exists

A blocked filing can be caused by a details mismatch rather than a missing verification. Companies House may ask the individual to confirm their date of birth when the personal code is used, and the identity details may not connect if they do not match Companies House records.

First check for a typing error in the code. If you are authorised to file online for the company, use Companies House WebFiling to check the date of birth held for the director or PSC. If it is wrong, follow the official date-of-birth correction guidance. The corrective filing depends on how the person was added to the register, and the change must be processed before the identity details can be connected.

If an ACSP verified the person and supplied incorrect details, contact the ACSP. It may need to update the verification details it provided.

If your filing problem sits inside a wider annual filing issue, our guide Filing A Confirmation Statement: A Legal Guide For UK Companies may help you map the rest of the process.

What to do if the code may have been compromised

Do not keep using a personal code that has been shared too widely or sent through an insecure channel. If you think it has been compromised, contact Companies House to request a replacement. It can cancel the old code and email a new one.

It is better to treat this as a credential replacement issue than to keep circulating the original code around a business or adviser chain. There is no need to guess at self-reset workarounds that may not apply.

If the problem is the company's six character authentication code instead, use the Companies House route for company authentication codes for online filing. Losing one code does not let you recover the other, and the two codes are not interchangeable.

Keep the recovered code accessible without spreading it

Companies House allows you to share a personal code with someone who files on your behalf, such as an accountant. Give it only to the person handling the identified filing, through a controlled channel, and avoid open group chats, shared spreadsheets and generic mailboxes. If you cannot control where a shared code has gone, use the Companies House replacement route above rather than circulating it again.

When outside help is worth it

Routine code retrieval usually does not need a lawyer. But support can be useful where a filing is blocked by several directors, a complicated PSC structure, outdated Companies House records, or uncertainty about the right appointment or confirmation statement route.

Key Takeaways

• The individual's 11 character personal code is different from the company authentication code.
• For GOV.UK One Login verification, check Manage account using the original email address. For an ACSP, check a previously saved code in Manage account or the email address the agent supplied.
• Directors and PSCs must provide the code through the relevant role-specific filing route; finding it does not complete every requirement.
• A blocked filing may involve a mistyped code or incorrect date of birth, rather than missing verification.
• Contact Companies House for a replacement if the personal code may be compromised.

If you need help coordinating director verification, correcting company records, checking a PSC position, or rescuing a stalled filing in England and Wales, Sprintlaw's legal team can help alongside your accountant or company secretary. Call 08081347754 or email team@sprintlaw.co.uk.