Applying to register as a Companies House authorised agent
How to use our service to register as as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), also known as a Companies House authorised agent.
To聽verify the identity of clients for Companies House, agents must register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). This is also known as an authorised agent.
The agent must already be registered with an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory body.
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1. Check you can apply
If you are a sole trader, you can register yourself as an authorised agent.
To register a business as a Companies House authorised agent, you must have a senior role. You must be one of the following:
- director
- general partner
- partner
- member
You鈥檒l be able to add other people who work for the business to the agent account once it鈥檚 registered.
If you鈥檙e registering a corporate body
If the body is managed by its members, you must be a member of the body. Otherwise, you must be the equivalent of a director.
If you鈥檙e registering an unincorporated entity
If the body is managed by its members, you must be a member of the body. Otherwise, you must be a member of the governing body.
2. Verify your identity
You鈥檒l need to聽verify your identity for Companies House聽before you can use the online service to register an authorised agent.
If you have not verified before you start your application, we鈥檒l ask you to do it when you start.
3. Tell us about the business
The details you need to give will depend on the type of business you鈥檙e registering.
Limited companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs)
You鈥檒l need to tell us the:
- company number
- company authentication code
- correspondence address
- email address for correspondence
We鈥檒l also ask which聽business sector聽you work in. This is optional.
We鈥檒l check your AML supervisory body holds the company name that鈥檚 shown on the聽Companies House register. If the AML registration is in a different name, you鈥檒l need to update this before you apply.
Sole traders
This could mean you are self-employed and registered with HMRC for Self Assessment.
You鈥檒l need to tell us:
- your name
- your business name, if you have one
- your date of birth
- your nationality
- the country you live in (if you live in the UK, you鈥檒l need to tell us which part)
- your correspondence address
- your email address for correspondence
- if your supervisory body holds your name, your business name, or both
We鈥檒l also ask which聽business sector聽you work in. This is optional.
Other types of business
If you鈥檙e registering:
- a limited partnership (LP)
- a partnership
- a corporate body (not including limited companies or limited liability partnerships)
- an unincorporated entity (not including sole traders)
You鈥檒l need to tell us the:
- business name
- business address (this must be in the UK)
- correspondence address
- email address for correspondence
If you are registered with the AML supervisory body with your own name, you鈥檒l need to give your name. Otherwise, we鈥檒l check the AML supervisory body holds the business name.
We鈥檒l also ask which聽business sector聽you work in. This is optional.
4. Tell us the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) registration details
The business must be registered with a聽UK AML supervisory body.
You鈥檒l need to tell us the:
- names of the supervisory bodies the business is registered with
- AML membership numbers or IDs
We鈥檒l confirm the supervisory body has the same name and membership number for your business. If the details do not match, we鈥檒l reject your application.
It may take us longer to confirm these details if you have only recently registered with the AML supervisory body.
How to find your membership number
Depending on your supervisory body, you may be able to find this on:
- your practising certificate
- communications from the supervisory body
- the supervisory body鈥檚 online register
Your AML supervisory body may have a different name for it, such as:
- a firm ID or number
- a regulation ID
- an AML ID
You should contact the AML supervisory body if you need to check your details.
5. Confirm your legal responsibilities
You鈥檒l need to confirm you accept your legal responsibilities as an authorised agent.
Once registered, authorised agents must:
- always be registered with at least one UK AML supervisory body
- tell us about any changes to the authorised agent鈥檚 details
- keep records and provide more information about filings with Companies House if requested
For more information about the authorised agent鈥檚 responsibilities and how to comply, read the聽guidance for authorised agents.
6. After you鈥檝e registered
If your application is accepted, we鈥檒l register your business as an authorised agent.
We鈥檒l create an authorised agent account for the business. You鈥檒l be able to access this and services for authorised agents when you sign in to your Companies House account.
Read the聽guidance for authorised agents聽to find out how to manage your agent account, including how to add other users.
What information we鈥檒l publish online
We will not publish information to show that a business has registered as an authorised agent.
However, if we need to suspend a business from acting as an authorised agent, or if a business stops being an authorised agent, we鈥檒l publish the:
- name of the business or sole trader
- status - to show if it has been suspended, or if it has stopped being an authorised agent
- date the status changed
If a person uses an authorised agent to verify their identity, we鈥檒l show some information about the agent that has verified them.
When the person connects their verified identity to our records, we鈥檒l show the:
- name of the authorised agent
- names of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory bodies the agent is registered with
Updates to this page
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You can now apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent.
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The new launch date for the service to register as a Companies House authorised agent has been confirmed as Tuesday 18 March 2025 after a short delay. The service to voluntarily verify your identity will be available on Tuesday 8 April 2025.
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The launch of the service to register as a Companies House authorised agent has been postponed. We鈥檒l update this page when a new date is confirmed.
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