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An ACSP badge verifies identity. It does not verify your counterparty.

Since 18 November 2025, identity verification has been a legal requirement for directors and people with significant control of UK companies. There are two routes: verify directly with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), an AML-supervised firm registered with Companies House to verify identities on behalf of others. The twelve-month transition for existing directors and PSCs closes in November 2026.

OCT 21, 2026 · 2 MIN READ · BY THE KYCK DESK

What an ACSP is

Accountants, solicitors, company formation agents and other AML-supervised firms have been able to register with Companies House as ACSPs since 18 March 2025, and to verify identities from April 2025. Our Companies House briefing covers the full reform and the due dates.

The gap most people miss

ACSP verification confirms one thing: that a supervised firm checked a person is who they say they are. It is an identity gate, not due diligence. It tells you nothing about who ultimately owns the company, whether anyone in the control structure is sanctioned or a PEP, or what adverse media says about them.

Treat it as the floor, not the finish line

• Identity verified is step one. Ownership is still yours to establish: beneficial ownership through the full control structure, not only the names on the register.
• Screen the people behind the entity: sanctions, PEP status and adverse media across every controller, and again over time.
• Keep the evidence: who verified what, when and on what basis, in one audit trail you can defend.

The register tells you a company exists and that someone's identity was checked. It does not tell you the company is safe to onboard. That part is counterparty due diligence, and it stays your responsibility. KYCK runs it end to end; see KYB software and our article on the end of the transition.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Companies House launches registration of authorised corporate service providers (18 March 2025)
• GOV.UK: When you need to verify your identity for Companies House

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