Companies House Authentication Code: How to Get or Recover It

Your Companies House authentication code is a six-character code used to authorise online filings for your company. You’ll need it for filings such as your confirmation statement, annual accounts and changes to your registered office.

It belongs to the company, rather than to you personally. It’s different from the personal code you receive after completing Companies House identity verification.

This guide explains how to get your authentication code, recover it if it’s missing and keep it safe.

What is a Companies House authentication code?

A company authentication code contains six characters made up of letters and numbers. Companies House treats it as the digital equivalent of a company officer’s signature for online filings.

Each company has its own code. If you run several companies, keep a separate record for each one.

The same company authentication code is used across Companies House WebFiling, the Find and update company information service, and compatible commercial filing software.

Your Government Gateway account doesn’t replace it. Government Gateway is used for HMRC services, while Companies House has its own filing systems.

If you’re still setting up your company, our guide to registering a limited company which explains the information you’ll need before incorporation.

How to Register a Limited Company in the UK

How to get your Companies House authentication code

If you’ve recently incorporated, check the correspondence sent to your company’s registered office and any records received at incorporation.

If you don’t have the code, you can request it through Companies House:

1. Sign in to Companies House WebFiling using GOV.UK One Login.

2. Choose the option to request an authentication code.

3. Enter your company number and follow the instructions.

4. Check that you can receive post at your registered office.

Companies House sends the code by post to your registered office. It can take up to 10 working days to arrive, and delivery may take longer during busy periods.

If your company already has a code, Companies House sends a reminder of the existing code.

Don’t wait until a filing deadline is close before requesting it. Having the code ready is part of being prepared to file.

Read the official company authentication code guidance for the current process.

Can you receive the code at your home address?

If you can’t access your registered office, Companies House has a service for sending an authentication code to an active officer’s home address.

The officer’s current home address must already be held by Companies House. You can’t view or update that address through the request service.

You cannot use this service if the company:

• Has filed a document online in the previous 30 days.

• Is not based in the UK.

• Is not a limited company or limited liability partnership.

• Has been dissolved.

Delivery takes around 10 working days.

If your registered office is outdated or you can no longer receive correspondence there, deal with that separately too. Recovering the code doesn’t correct the address on the register.

Authentication code vs Companies House personal code

These codes have different purposes:

Signing in with GOV.UK One Login is another separate step. Creating or connecting a sign-in account does not, by itself, complete Companies House identity verification.

Existing directors provide their personal codes through the relevant confirmation statement filing during the transition that began on 18 November 2025. New directors provide their codes when appointed or when incorporating a company.

People with significant control, or PSCs, have a separate requirement to provide their personal codes. If you’re both a director and a PSC, completing the director step doesn’t automatically complete the PSC step.

What do you need your authentication code for?

Common online filings that use the company authentication code include:

• Confirmation statements.

• Annual accounts.

• Director appointments, resignations and changes to their details.

• Registered office changes.

• Share allotments and updates to PSC information.

Each filing has its own requirements. Having the authentication code doesn’t replace any personal codes, declarations or supporting information needed.

You will need to provide the authorisation code to FOUNDRS in order for us to file on your behalf

How to change or cancel your authentication code

You can change or cancel your code through Companies House WebFiling.

Changing it is sensible if someone who is no longer authorised to file for the company still knows it. That might be a former accountant, employee or director.

Choose a code that is difficult to guess, and tell anyone who still needs to file on the company’s behalf. Once the change takes effect, they must use the new code.

If you believe the code has been compromised, act promptly and contact Companies House if you need help.

How to keep your authentication code safe

Treat the code with the same care as a bank card PIN. Someone who knows it can use it to submit changes to your company’s details online.

Keep it in a secure password manager or another appropriate protected system. Share it only with people you trust and authorise to file for the company.

Companies House will never ask you to disclose your authentication code over the phone. If someone claiming to represent Companies House asks for it, use the official fraud reporting guidance.

Your personal code should also be kept confidential, although you can share it with an authorised agent who needs it to file on your behalf.

Will you still need the code when accounts filing changes?

The government has announced that, from April 2028, all UK-registered companies will need to file annual accounts through commercial software. Companies House’s web and paper accounts filing routes will close.

Web filing will remain available for non-accounts filings, including confirmation statements and director updates.

Your company authentication code is currently required for commercial software filings too. Moving to software doesn’t mean you can stop keeping track of it.

See the Companies House accounts filing announcement for the planned changes.

Keeping company information organised with FOUNDRS

FOUNDRS helps you keep company information and documents organised, receive compliance reminders and submit supported filings, including confirmation statements and registered office changes, from your company dashboard.

If you’ve already incorporated elsewhere, you can import your company into FOUNDRS. Identity verification helps us confirm who you are, check that you’re a director and establish your authority to instruct filings on the company’s behalf.

For the wider checklist, read our guide

What Happens After You Register a Limited Company?

This guide is for general information and isn’t legal, tax or accounting advice. Check current Companies House guidance or speak to a qualified adviser about your company’s circumstances.