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Registering as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) is a new requirement that will help us to know who鈥檚 filing information on the public register.

ACSPs are also known as Companies House authorised agents.

An authorised agent can be a business (for example, a limited company or partnership), or a person who files on behalf of others (sole trader).

To register, agents must be supervised by a UK Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory body. For example, this could include:

• company formation agents
• solicitors
• accountants

Who needs to register as an authorised agent

For now, only agents that plan to聽verify the identity of clients for Companies House聽need to register.

In the future, all agents that file with Companies House on behalf of clients will need to register.

To apply, you must have a senior role in the business. For example, you must be a director if you鈥檙e registering a limited company.

Sole traders can register themselves as an authorised agent.

Read the聽guidance on applying to register as an authorised agent聽to find out how to apply.

Legal requirements for authorised agents

Companies House authorised agents must comply with the following legal requirements.

1. The agent must always be registered with at least one Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory body.
2. The agent must tell us if there is a change to any of the information we hold about the agent. They must do this within 14 days.
3. If we request it, the agent must provide more information:
   • about the agent鈥檚 filings with Companies House
   • about identity checks, if the agent verifies someone鈥檚 identity for Companies House
   • to prove the agent is complying with their legal responsibilities
4. The agent must keep records of any identity checks for 7 years, if they have verified someone鈥檚 identity for Companies House.

Who鈥檚 responsible for complying with the legal requirements

If you鈥檙e a sole trader and have registered yourself as an authorised agent, you are responsible for making sure you comply.

For other businesses, all officers are responsible. This means all directors, or anyone whose roles and responsibilities correspond to that of a company director.

What happens if an agent does not comply with legal requirements

The agent will be committing an offence if they do not comply with legal requirements. This means the sole trader, or all company directors (or equivalent) could receive a fine or face criminal prosecution.

We may also suspend or cease (stop) the authorised agent鈥檚 status. This would prevent the agent from being able to file or verify people鈥檚 identities for Companies House.

If we need to suspend an authorised agent

We鈥檒l send an email to the agent鈥檚 correspondence email address with information about what to do next.

We may need to ask the agent to provide more information or records about their filings. The agent will have 28 days to do this.

Users that have been added to the authorised agent account will not be able to access services for the authorised agent while it is suspended. This means they will not be able to:

• file as an authorised agent
• verify people鈥檚 identity for Companies House

People who have had their identity verified by the agent for Companies House may need to verify their identity again. We will contact anyone who needs to do this.

We鈥檒l also publish information to show that the authorised agent has been suspended. We鈥檒l publish the agent鈥檚 name, status and the date it was suspended.

If we need to cease an authorised agent鈥檚 status

We will send an email to the agent鈥檚 correspondence email address to let them know we鈥檝e ceased (stopped) their status. This will mean they are no longer registered as an authorised agent with Companies House.

The agent will not be able to file on behalf of clients, or verify people鈥檚 identities for Companies House.

We will:

• close the agent鈥檚 online account 鈥� any users who have been added will no longer have access
• publish the agent鈥檚 name and the date we ceased their status
• contact anyone whose identity the agent has verified, if they need to verify again

How to use your authorised agent account

You鈥檒l be able to access the authorised agent account when you sign in to your Companies House account.

Add and remove users

When you add people who work for the agent to the account, they will not need to verify their identity.

All users you add to the account will be able to:

• file on behalf of clients
• verify people鈥檚 identities for Companies House

You can manage what users can do by selecting their role when you add them to the account. There are 3 roles users can have for an authorised agent:

• account owners 鈥� can update the authorised agent鈥檚 details, and add and remove all users
• administrators 鈥� can add and remove administrators and standard users
• standard users 鈥� cannot add and remove other users

You can remove users from the account at any time. Once you remove a user, they will no longer be able to access the account or services for the authorised agent.

Update the authorised agent鈥檚 details

An account owner must tell us if there are any changes to the information we hold about the authorised agent. This includes if the agent is no longer registered with an AML supervisory body.

To tell us about changes, an account owner must email [email protected] using the same email address as they use to sign in. They鈥檒l need to use the subject line 鈥楿pdate ACSP details鈥�.

In the email, they鈥檒l need to include the:

• authorised agent鈥檚 name and number
• details they need to update 鈥� they鈥檒l need to confirm the current details and tell us what the new ones are
• date the details changed

In the future, account owners will be able to tell us about changes by updating the details on the authorised agent鈥檚 online account.

Close the authorised agent

To close the authorised agent, an account owner will need to send an email using the subject line 鈥楥lose an ACSP鈥�. They鈥檒l need to confirm:

• the authorised agent鈥檚 name and number
• their role for the agent, for example if they鈥檙e a director, partner or sole trader
• they want to close the authorised agent

Services for authorised agents

All users that have been added to an authorised agent account will be able to access services for authorised agents when they sign in to their Companies House account.

Tell Companies House you鈥檝e verified someone鈥檚 identity

From 8 April 2025, you can use this service to tell us when you鈥檝e verified someone鈥檚 identity for Companies House.

If you use this service, you must keep records of the identity checks you do for 7 years.

File as an authorised agent

From spring 2026, you鈥檒l be able to file on behalf of clients as an authorised agent.