Companies House is moving all accounts to GOV.UK One Login. Learn how the new sign-in rollout impacts limited company contractors, agencies, and teams and what credentials you’ll need to sign in to the portal
The next time you sign in to your Companies House account or someone’s account you manage, things will look different if you don’t already have a GOV.UK One Login, which will now become the main sign-in option.
The sign-in screen will change in late August 2026, according to a government statement, so things might look different or a bit confusing, especially if you think you can use your Government Gateway information. That’s for HMRC, not Companies House. That said, you can use a GOV.UK One Login to access the HMRC portal.
In the interim period, users will see a prominent One Login prompt at the top and the legacy login pushed to the bottom. This can confuse team members and clients about which set of credentials they are supposed to use.
The good thing is if you already have a Companies House account, you can keep signing in with your existing details for now. This option will be further down the sign-in page. However, all new users will need a GOV.UK One Login to access Companies House services.
This change is to the sign-in process only; you are not being asked to verify your identity. That’s another separate requirement Companies House account holders must do each year.
What is GOV.UK One Login?
GOV.UK One Login lets you access government services using a single email address and password. Signing in requires your email address, password, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) via an authenticator app or SMS. It also makes your Companies House account more secure. Over time, it could be adopted into other departments you need to access, such as HMRC and DVLA.
Who does this impact?
If you run your freelancing business through a UK limited company (Personal Service Company) and update your confirmation statements, registered office address, or officer details yourself, you should create a GOV.UK One Login linked to your personal mobile number/authenticator app to access the service right away if you haven’t already.
The same goes for Company Directors and Secretaries, pretty much anyone responsible for corporate governance who files updates directly on GOV.UK.
However, this change, while helping to combat fraud, has more friction and inconvenience for certain freelancers. These include small business teams and agencies, such as recruitment agency owners, freelance bookkeepers, accountants, and virtual assistants.
Era of shared users for Companies House is over
All freelance service providers must ensure they have their own dedicated individual accounts and set up proper delegated/authorised access for each client, rather than borrowing client login credentials.
This is where it gets tricky. Many small agencies, bookkeepers, and virtual assistants rely on a shared mailbox (e.g., finance@company.com) to manage filings. Because One Login ties Multifactor Authentication (MFA) to an individual phone or authenticator app, logging in from multiple devices or locations will trigger lockouts or require endless code-forwarding.
Therefore, if your team shares a Companies House account, this week start planning how you will manage access when GOV.UK One Login is compulsory. To avoid disruption, each person who needs access should create their own Companies House account linked to their own GOV.UK One Login. Sharing an account after linking to GOV.UK One Login can trigger security controls that lock users out.
Here’s what you need to sign in to the Companies House portal
You’ll need the email address and password you used the last time you accessed the portal. This will either be your GOV.UK One Login details or your legacy Companies House / WebFiling account credentials.
If using GOV.UK One Login, you will need access to your authenticator app or phone to receive a security code.
To unlock the Company record, you will need the following:
- Company Registration Number (CRN): This is the 8-character alphanumeric number assigned to the company (e.g., 12345678 or SC123456).
- Company Authentication Code: A 6-character alphanumeric code issued by Companies House. This acts as the company’s digital signature and gives you permission to make filings online. If you do not have this and you have an accountant, they should have it saved. If not, things go a bit old school, whereby you can request a reminder via the sign-in portal, but Companies House will post it physically to the company’s registered office address (it cannot be provided over the phone).
You will also need to go through Identity Verification and provide specific details to make updates.
- Director / PSC Personal Code: Depending on what you are changing, you will also need the relevant operational details, such as your Director / PSC Personal Code. This is an 11-character code issued to verified individuals, required when appointing or updating details for Directors or Persons with Significant Control (PSCs). Again, ask your accountant for this information if you don’t have it.
Recap of what you need to know:
- New primary Login: Starting in late August, GOV.UK One Login becomes the main sign-in method
- Grace period for existing users: If you already have a standard Companies House account, you can continue using your existing login details for now (located lower down the sign-in page), but it will eventually become mandatory for all users
- New users: Anyone creating an account now must use GOV.UK One Login
- Security requirements: Signing in will require an email, password, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) via SMS or an authenticator app. You will also need your specific codes assigned to your company and PSC.
- No identity verification (yet): This update only affects the sign-in mechanism; it does not require ID verification at this stage
Have you started using GOV.UK One Login? Have you had difficulty accessing your Companies House account to update your information and verify your ID?
💬Share your thoughts or concerns in the comments section.
