On 18 March 2025, Companies House will launch our new ‘Apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent’ service. Find out how to get your business ready.
Service launch
We recently published a blog post on what third-party providers, such as accountants and legal professionals, need to know about becoming an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), also known as an authorised agent. Since then, we’ve been busy developing the registration service.
The ‘Apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent’ service launches on 18 March 2025. Third-party providers who plan on carrying out identity verification checks on behalf of clients for Companies House will need to register as an ACSP from this date.
From spring 2026, third-party providers will also need to be registered as an ACSP to make any filings on behalf of other companies.
There will be a fee of £55 to register as an ACSP.
Completing the registration process
To register as an ACSP, businesses must be supervised within the UK by an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory body. There are currently 25 supervisory bodies in the UK. When registering as an ACSP, businesses will need to provide their AML supervisory body membership number.
The ACSP registration process will need to be completed by someone who holds a senior role within the business, such as a director. During the registration process, they will be asked to verify their identity through GOV.UK One Login.
After an ACSP registration has been completed, a digital account and a unique identity number will be provided.
Once the account has been approved, other employees of the ACSP can then be added to the account. These employees will not have to verify their identity, but will be allowed to carry out services on behalf of the ACSP, such as identity verification checks and filing accounts for clients.
Get ready to register
There are 4 key things you can do to prepare your business for ACSP registration:
- Make sure you understand the upcoming changes to UK company law under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.
- Review and update your identity verification processes to make sure they meet the new requirements.
- Confirm you’re Anti-Money Laundering regulated in the UK, and locate your membership number ready for your registration.
- Register as an ACSP from 18 March 2025.
Verifying your clients’ identity
From 8 April 2025, company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) will be able to voluntarily verify their identity for Companies House.
Directors and PSCs will be able to verify their identity directly through GOV.UK One Login, or through a third-party provider who has registered and been approved as an ACSP.
If you’re a third-party provider who plans to carry out identity verification checks on behalf of clients, you can prepare by registering once the ‘Apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent’ service launches on 18 March 2025.
For now, only providers that plan to verify the identity of clients need to register. In the future, all providers that file with Companies House on behalf of clients will need to register as an ACSP.
The importance of staying compliant
In the future, if an ACSP is found to be noncompliant (for example if they lose their AML supervision status) Companies House may suspend their account whilst any misconduct is investigated.
Companies House may also cease their status as an ACSP if they are deemed unfit to carry out ACSP functions. Public notices will be published when an ACSP has been suspended or removed. It’s important to make sure your business stays compliant with the legislation, even after the registration process is complete and approved.
Read the full guidance on GOV.UK to help you with your responsibilities as an ACSP, including:
5 comments
Comment by Adrian posted on
We are already registered as an authorised agent for submissions made under the Register of Overseas Entities. Will we have to register separately as an ACSP, or will our existing registration for ROE services transfer to the new system?
If a new registration is required, will this replace/supercede our existing authorised agent registration, or will separate registrations continue for the 2 systems?
Comment by Luke C posted on
Hi Adrian,
Thank you for your comment.
If you are already registered as a ROE agent, this registration is still valid. You will need to register separately as an ACSP in the future when the requirements relating to presenters begin.
We will publish guidance about how and when to do this, giving you time to prepare.
Comment by Fran posted on
Hi Are all directors of the company required to complete identity verification before submitting the ACSP registration, or is it sufficient for just one of them to do so?
How long will your team generally take to process the approval of the ACSP registration once the application is received?
Thanks!
Comment by Luke C posted on
Hi Fran,
Thanks for your question.
Only the director who is submitting the application will need to verify their identity in order to register the business as an ACSP. Eventually all directors will need to verify their identity, which we will soon provide more information on.
Timings for approval depend on how easily we can identify whether applicants are AML supervised. This process can take longer if further checks are required.
Comment by process server orlando florida posted on
I have been having problems like this! So happy to have read this, big help!