What This Guide Covers
- What GOV.UK One Login is and why probate now requires it
- The ID documents you need to pass the identity check
- What happens if your ID won't verify, or you don't have any
- Why multiple executors each need their own login
- How to avoid this step delaying your application
If you're applying for probate online in 2026, there's a step that catches many executors off guard before they even reach the application form itself: you now need a GOV.UK One Login. It's a small piece of government IT that can cause a surprisingly large delay if you're not prepared for it — and if you're already trying to sell an inherited property quickly, any delay at the start of the process pushes everything else back with it.
What Is GOV.UK One Login, and Why Does Probate Need It?
GOV.UK One Login is the single sign-on system the government is rolling out across its online services, replacing the older Government Gateway logins for many processes. For probate specifically, it exists to satisfy anti-money laundering (AML) rules that require HMCTS to verify the identity of everyone applying for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration online — not just take their word for who they are.
In practice, this means every executor named on an online probate application must create a One Login account and pass an identity check before the online service will let them proceed, whether they're applying alone or as one of several executors acting together.
What You'll Need to Complete the Check
The identity verification works by matching you against government-held records using documents you already have. You'll typically need the following.
Primary photo ID
A current UK passport or a photocard driving licence. Older paper driving licences or expired documents won't pass the check.
Secondary proof of address
A recent utility bill or bank statement, generally from within the last three months, confirming the address you're registering against.
A device that can complete the check
Most executors complete verification on a smartphone, since it's the quickest route through the photo and document-matching steps. It can also be done on a computer, but expect it to take a little longer.
Where This Catches People Out
Two groups of executors tend to run into trouble with this step, and it's worth knowing in advance if either applies to you.
Executors without in-date photo ID
If your passport has expired, or you've never held a driving licence, the digital identity check will fail — and HMCTS doesn't currently offer a simple workaround for verifying identity through other documents online. In that situation, the fallback is a paper application, which brings its own cost: paper probate applications are currently taking around 16 weeks to process, against roughly 4 to 5 weeks for online applications that clear identity verification without issue.
Multiple executors, multiple logins
Where a will names more than one executor and more than one of them is actively applying, each person needs their own separate One Login account and must pass their own identity check. This is a common source of delay simply because families assume one executor can act for the group digitally, when in fact each applicant's identity has to be verified individually.
None of this changes how long the substantive probate process takes once your application is actually submitted and accepted. But an identity check that fails, a missing ID document, or a second executor who hasn't set up their login yet can add days or weeks before your application even enters the queue.
Why This Matters If You're Trying to Sell an Inherited Property
Time matters if there's a property standing empty, insurance considerations to manage — a standard home insurance policy can stop providing full cover within 30 to 60 days of a property being unoccupied — or a buyer waiting on the other side of a sale.
Getting Ahead of It
The simplest way to avoid losing time to this step is to deal with it before you're ready to submit anything else. Check that every executor who needs to apply has in-date photo ID to hand, and have everyone create and verify their GOV.UK One Login account in parallel with gathering the estate's paperwork, rather than leaving it until the application itself is otherwise ready to go. If a court fee, valuation, or HMRC reporting reference is still outstanding, that's fine — the identity check can be sorted independently and in advance.