Is My Companies House Personal Code the Same as My Company Number?

No. Your Companies House personal code and a company number are completely different things. Here is a clear explanation of what each one is and how they are used.

What is a Companies House personal code?

Your personal code is an 11-character alphanumeric code (e.g. ABCD-1234-EFG) issued to you personally after you verify your identity with Companies House. It identifies you as a verified individual and is used to link your identity to your company roles.

• Issued to: an individual
• Purpose: identity verification
• Format: 11 characters (letters and numbers)
• How you get it: by verifying your identity through GOV.UK One Login or an ACSP

What is a company number?

A company number is the unique identifier assigned to a company when it is incorporated at Companies House. It is typically 8 characters (e.g. 12345678 or SC123456 for Scottish companies) and identifies the company on the register.

• Issued to: a company
• Purpose: identifying the company on the register
• Format: 8 characters (numbers, sometimes with a prefix)
• How you get it: automatically assigned at incorporation

Why do people confuse them?

Both are codes issued by Companies House, and both are used in filings. The confusion often arises when someone is asked to “provide your code” during a filing - they may not know whether this means their personal code, the company number or the authentication code.

What about the authentication code?

There is also a third code: the authentication code, a 6-character code issued to the company for online filing. This is different from both the personal code and the company number.

• Personal code - identifies you (the individual)
• Company number - identifies the company
• Authentication code - authorises online filings for the company

Get your personal code

If you need to obtain your personal code, start your identity verification with Companies House ID Verification for a fixed £19.