Director "not verified" on Companies House: what it means and what to do

You have looked up a company and one of its directors shows as not verified. That is a real ECCTA status, not a data glitch - here is exactly what it means, how urgent it is, and what happens next.

What does it mean when a director shows as not verified?

It means that person has not yet completed identity verification under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) - either directly through GOV.UK One Login or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) - so Companies House cannot yet confirm they are who the register says they are. Verification is a one-off check against a real person, not a recurring renewal - once it is done, it stays done unless Companies House flags a specific concern.

Is it currently illegal for a director to be unverified?

Not on its own, not yet. Before 18 November 2026, an unverified director's more immediate risk is a blocked confirmation statement: Companies House already rejects a CS01 filing if any current director has not verified. See our guide on what happens when a filing is rejected for this reason if that is the situation you are already in.

What changes on 18 November 2026?

Acting as a director (or a PSC) without having verified becomes a criminal offence, and Companies House can flag or move towards striking off a company for persistent non-compliance across its officers. Companies House estimates six to seven million individuals need to verify during the transition, so an unverified director next to a company you deal with is common today - the question is whether it is still unverified close to the deadline.

How does a director fix an unverified status?

Verify once through GOV.UK One Login - a photo ID and likeness check that takes a few minutes - or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider such as an accountant or company formation agent who verifies on their behalf. Corporate PSCs - companies rather than individuals - are not affected; this is a check on people, not entities.

How do you spot an unverified director before it becomes your problem?

Check the company on the Companies House register, or run it through Registrum's free ECCTA checker, before you sign a contract with the company, extend it credit, or appoint one of its directors to your own board. Our guide to checking verification status walks through where to look and how to read the result. If you are responsible for more than a handful of companies, checking one at a time does not scale - our guide for accountants managing a client book covers building that list and keeping it current.

Send us your company list and get back a gap report showing exactly which directors are still unverified, ranked by confirmation statement date, so you can chase the right people before a filing gets rejected.