Verified Directors: Coming Soon to a Bureaucracy Near You

If you thought being a company director was all about power lunches, signing documents with a flourish, and occasionally saying things like, “Circle back on that,” then I have news for you. Companies House has decided that directors now need to verify themselves. Yes, that’s right. Being a director no longer just requires a shiny title and a LinkedIn profile photo taken in 2011. You’ll now need to prove you are who you say you are - because apparently, “trust me, I’m a director” is no longer cutting it.

The idea is simple: if you want to run a company, you must prove you exist as a real human being and not, say, a dog with a laptop or a sock puppet named “Steve.” On the one hand, this makes sense. On the other hand, it does raise some excellent questions. What if your entire career has been built on never showing your face? What if you’ve been hiding in spreadsheets like some sort of Excel-dwelling cryptid? Worse still, what if you have no idea where your passport is?

Now, the verification process is expected to involve some form of ID checks. So, directors may soon find themselves holding their driving licence up to a webcam, trying to get the angle just right while the system insists, “Please remove glare.” Because nothing says “business leader” quite like struggling to line up your face with a digital oval that beeps disapprovingly every time you blink.

And let’s not forget the potential chaos in boardrooms up and down the country. Imagine it: the CEO calls an emergency meeting not to discuss strategy or investors, but because Barry from Accounts has been locked out of the verification portal for the third time. “Without Barry, the company can’t legally function,” they’ll whisper, as Barry sits in the corner, sweating over whether his utility bill is dated within the last three months.

The Clock Is Ticking

Here’s where it gets fun: the official rollout date is November 2025. That means directors across the land now have a year to practice looking photogenic under fluorescent lighting. Existing directors will have a deadline to get verified or risk being struck off - possibly the first time in history that procrastinating over paperwork could cost you your company.

Picture it: November 2025 rolls around and Companies House is suddenly flooded with thousands of frantic directors, all trying to upload blurry selfies at 11:59 p.m. It’s going to be like the last day of tax returns, except instead of accountants pulling all-nighters, it’s board members desperately shouting, “Why won’t it recognise my face?!”

No Verification, No Confirmation Statement

And just in case you were planning to wing it, here’s the kicker: from November, you won’t even be able to file your annual confirmation statement unless your identity is verified. That’s right - no verification, no statement. Which means no “business as usual.” Think of it as the corporate version of being carded at the bar. You may have a multi-million-pound company, but unless you’ve flashed your ID at Companies House, you’re not getting served.

Of course, there are upsides. With directors having to verify themselves, gone are the days when companies could be run by mysteriously shady figures registered at addresses that turned out to be kebab shops. Soon, every director will have a nice digital badge of authenticity, like a Twitter blue tick but less embarrassing. You’ll be able to say, “Yes, I’m a verified director,” and people might actually be impressed - rather than assuming you just pay £8 a month for clout.

Some are calling this the dawn of a new era of corporate transparency. Personally, I’m calling it the dawn of directors learning how to use a webcam properly. But maybe that’s for the best. If you’re steering the financial future of a company, the least you can do is figure out how to upload a JPEG.

So, fellow directors, dig out your passports, dust off your driving licences, and brace yourselves. November 2025 is coming - and Companies House is waiting to see if you’re real.

Because at Companies House, the future is verified.