ID2 Form Explained: Identity Verification for Companies

Sometimes a company is party to a property deal with no conveyancer acting. Then HM Land Registry needs to know who is handling it for the company. That is what an ID2 form is for, and it is what our ID2 verification service handles.

What is an ID2 form?

An ID2 form is HM Land Registry’s certificate of identity for a body corporate. A company cannot turn up to an appointment itself. So the form verifies the person acting for it instead, usually a director or company secretary.

It does two jobs at once. It confirms the company still exists, and it confirms your right to act for it.

When does your company need an ID2 form?

You are likely to need one if your company is:

• Buying or selling a property without a conveyancer
• Transferring, surrendering or granting a lease
• Registering or discharging a mortgage
• Making a first registration of unregistered land

Each of these applications changes the register. So HM Land Registry wants the same fraud checks a solicitor would make. The ID2 provides them when nobody else does.

Do you need an ID2 if you already have a conveyancer?

No. A solicitor or licensed conveyancer running the deal checks your ID as part of their service. So you only need a separate ID2 once your company runs the application itself.

Who can complete an ID2 form?

The people who can verify an ID1 can verify an ID2 as well. The form’s own list covers a solicitor, a licensed conveyancer, a notary public and a barrister. It also covers a CILEX Conveyancing Practitioner, a Chartered Legal Executive and a CLC-regulated Licensed Probate Practitioner.

A lawyer practising outside the UK can verify you too. But they must send proof that they may practise in their own country. The rules sit in Practice Guide 67.

Our guide to who can verify your identity covers who is shut out, including why a paralegal never can.

Who can act for the company?

One named person completes the ID2 for the company. Section A asks for their name, their address and their connection with the company. So you state your role on the form, whether you are a director, a secretary, a member or a trustee.

The form does not insist on a director. Instead, it asks for evidence of your authority to act for the company. In practice that means a board resolution, or a letter on company paper signed by a director or secretary.

One small detail catches people out. The work phone number on the form must be a landline, not a mobile.

What evidence does your company need to provide?

This depends on what kind of body your company is. The verifier ticks one of three boxes on the form. Each box asks for different evidence.

Type of body	Evidence about the body	Evidence of authority
UK company	An original company search, dated in the last three months, showing the company has not been dissolved	Evidence of your authority to act for the company
UK body that is not a company	Evidence that the body still exists	Evidence of your authority to act for it on this application
Non-UK company or body	Evidence that the body is the same one named as the owner, where it is the seller, landlord, borrower or lender	Evidence of your authority to act for it

Also, you need your own photo ID and proof of address. That is the same evidence an ID1 needs. Our guide to what ID documents you need lists what HM Land Registry accepts.

Companies, LLPs and other corporate bodies

A body corporate is wider than a company. Charities, right-to-manage companies and residents’ management companies use the ID2 too. For those, the form asks for proof that the body still exists, rather than a company search.

An LLP sits between the two. It is registered at Companies House, so a search showing it has not been dissolved is easy to get. Authority usually comes from the LLP agreement or the designated members.

Overseas companies

A company registered outside the UK can still use an ID2. But the evidence differs, because there is no Companies House search to get. Instead, the verifier needs proof that the company is the one named as owner.

But your authority to act for it is still needed as well.

There is also a separate rule, which has nothing to do with the ID2. Since August 2022, an overseas entity must register with Companies House before it buys, sells or transfers UK property. It then gets an overseas entity ID.

HM Land Registry will not register the deal without that ID. Practice Guide 78 sets out how it works.

We do not handle that registration or its checks. Those must be done by a UK agent supervised under the money laundering rules. Instead, we verify you and complete the ID2.

Does your director live abroad? Overseas verification is a fixed £99, covering the video call, your form, and the extra coordination and postage involved. Our guide to verifying from overseas explains how the call works from any country.

Three things to know before your appointment

• You cannot sign it electronically. HM Land Registry takes no kind of electronic signature on an ID form.
• A video call means an ID5. The verifier then fills in an ID5 instead of the checking part of the ID2, not as well as it.
• Everyone named needs their own form. Where two or more people are party to the deal, each one fills in a separate form.

How long is an ID2 form valid?

Like an ID1, an ID2 must be signed no more than three months before you lodge your application. So if your deal runs long, you need a fresh appointment and a new company search to match. Read how long an ID1 form is valid for how that three months is counted.

Common questions

What counts as evidence of my authority to act for the company?

The form asks for evidence of your authority, but sets no fixed list. So a board resolution or a signed letter on company paper is the usual route. Send us a copy first, and the solicitor will confirm it is enough.

Do we need an overseas entity ID as well as an ID2?

If your company is registered outside the UK, then usually yes. The two are separate. The overseas entity ID comes from Companies House, and HM Land Registry will not register the deal without it.

Can I sign the ID2 electronically?

No. HM Land Registry takes no electronic signatures on ID forms. So your ID2 must be signed by hand.

Does a bank or building society need to complete an ID2?

No. A UK bank or building society sits outside the rule, just as a conveyancer does. So the ID2 covers everyone else who lodges these applications alone.

Can a director need to complete both an ID1 and an ID2?

Yes, in some cases. Sometimes a director also acts personally, as a guarantor or as an owner in their own name. Then they may need an ID1 for themselves as well as an ID2 for the company.

Is an ID2 needed for land worth less than £6,000?

No. The same exemption applies as for an ID1. HM Land Registry does not require an ID2 where the land is worth no more than £6,000.

What is the difference between an ID2 and an ID1?

An ID1 verifies a private individual. An ID2 verifies a company or other corporate body, plus the person acting for it. If the check happens by video call, that is recorded on an ID5 form as well.

Can more than one person from the same company need to verify?

Yes. If more than one director or representative is named on the application, each one needs their own verified ID2.

How much does ID2 verification cost?

ID2 verification is a fixed £79, the same as ID1, which includes your ID5 video verification in the same appointment. The price you see is the price you pay. Our guide to what an ID1 check costs compares that with other firms.

How your video verification works

1. Book a time. Book online now and pay securely, or message us on WhatsApp first if you have a question. Same-day, evening and weekend appointments are often available.
2. Verify by video call. Then a solicitor checks your ID and the company’s details on a short, secure call. This is the ID5 process.
3. Get your forms. So your signed, stamped ID2 and ID5 are sent to you the same day.
4. Send to Land Registry. Then submit your ID2 and ID5 alongside your company’s application.

Related reading

Not sure which form applies to you? Browse all our ID1, ID2 and ID5 guides. Or start with What Is an ID1 Form? if an individual is also named on the application.