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

By Ben Davies · Updated 25 September 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. Companies House can fine either of them directly, without going to court: £250 to £2,000 a penalty on its published scale, depending on how serious the offence is and whether it's a repeat, and capped by law at £10,000. It can also prosecute.
• 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. For how the date is worked out, with examples, see when your director ID verification deadline is.

DormantFile reads each director's status from the register every morning, shows who's verified on the company's Directors tab, and emails you before each outstanding person's date — including on the free watchdog tier. You can check any company now.

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.