What happens if a director doesn't verify their identity?

By DormantFile · Updated 24 July 2026

Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA), every UK company director must verify their identity with Companies House — and missing the deadline has real consequences, dormant company or not.

The consequences

• It's a criminal offence. Acting as a director without verifying, once your deadline has passed, is an offence for both the director and the company, and can carry financial penalties.
• You can't lawfully act. An unverified director is not permitted to act as a director once verification is required — decisions, signatures and filings are all affected.
• The register shows it. Companies House can annotate the public record to show an unverified director — visible to any bank, supplier, or customer who checks your company.
• Filings jam. The confirmation statement process requires confirming your directors are verified, so an unverified director blocks the company's own compliance.

When your deadline is

For directors of existing companies, the deadline is your company's first confirmation statement date in the transition year that ends 18 November 2026. Directors of companies incorporated after 18 November 2025 verified at incorporation, and newly appointed directors verify at appointment.

That means your personal deadline is set by your company's confirmation statement date — check it on your company's record. DormantFile tracks this date for every company you add, reminds you before it arrives, and puts it in your calendar feed, including on the free watchdog tier.

How to verify

Verification is free via GOV.UK One Login (about 10 minutes with a passport or driving licence), or through an authorised agent (ACSP) for a fee. The full walkthrough — including PSCs and what to do if One Login won't work for you — is in our ECCTA identity verification guide.