Lost Companies House WebFiling authentication code

If you have lost your Companies House WebFiling authentication code, do not fret. You can get a reminder or replacement from Companies House, or you can retrieve your code through your company formation agent (if you used one to set up your company). We explain these different options below, all of which are pretty straightforward.

What to do if you lose your company’s WebFiling authentication code

1. Contact Companies House

You can contact Companies House directly to request a reminder of your WebFiling authentication code.

Simply register for Companies House WebFiling service, or sign into your account if you already have one, then follow these three steps:

1. Select ‘Request an authentication code’, which is located at the bottom of the screen
2. Confirm the country of incorporation, enter your company number, and select ‘Continue’
3. Your company name, number, and registered office address will be displayed. Select ‘Request code’.

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Companies House will send a reminder of your authentication code or issue a new one. You should receive your code at your registered office within 3 to 5 working days.

2. Retrieve your code from your company formation agent

If you registered your company online through a company formation agent and have not changed your authentication code since incorporation, you will be able to retrieve the code by logging into your customer account on the formation agent’s website or by contacting the agent via email or telephone.

See also: How do I get my company’s unique tax reference?

If your company formation agent does not have a record of your code, or the code has expired, you will have to go to Companies House WebFiling and order a replacement code, as described above.

If you are a Rapid Formations customer, simply login to our Online Admin Portal to view your authentication code and other company details.

The Companies House WebFiling authentication code explained

All newly registered companies are issued with a Companies House WebFiling authentication code. The code comprises six alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers).

The WebFiling authentication code is posted to a company’s registered office address within approximately 5 days of company formation. It is designed as a security measure to ensure that only authorised persons are able to access and change company details.

Without this code, you will be unable to perform any online administration tasks through Companies House WebFiling or your company formation agent’s admin portal (Software Filing) .