Quick answer
To check whether a broker is regulated, identify the legal entity named in the account agreement, find the regulator and licence details it claims, then search the regulator’s official register. Match the entity name, licence status, permitted services, customer jurisdiction and website domain. Company registration is not the same as authorization to provide investment services. If a claim cannot be matched, treat it as unresolved and contact the regulator using its official details before sending money.
Key takeaways
- Search the exact account-serving legal entity, not only the brand name.
- Verify current status, permissions, customer type, jurisdiction and official domain.
- A company registry entry does not establish financial-services authorization.
- A missing warning-list entry does not prove that a firm is regulated or legitimate.
How to Check Broker Regulation in 5 Steps
- Find the exact legal entity. Read the client agreement, account opening disclosures and footer legal notice. Record the complete company name and registered address.
- Find the claimed regulator and licence number. Note the country, registration number, entity name and any stated permissions.
- Search the regulator’s official register. Navigate to the regulator independently instead of using a link supplied only by the broker.
- Confirm the licence belongs to the same entity. Match the legal name and number, then compare the official website, trading names and contact details.
- Check permissions, jurisdiction and warnings. Confirm the firm can provide the specific service to customers in your location, and review official warnings or restrictions.
Save the register result and the date you checked it. Registry records can change, and a check is a snapshot rather than continuous monitoring.
Company Registration Is Not the Same as Broker Regulation
A company registry can confirm that a legal entity has been incorporated or recorded. That does not, by itself, show that the company is authorized to provide a regulated investment service. Financial authorization is checked through the relevant regulator’s records and depends on the specific activity and jurisdiction.
Likewise, a regulated parent company does not automatically mean every brand, subsidiary, website or product is covered by the same permission. Identify the entity that will actually contract with you and hold the account.
How to Check a Broker With the FCA
For a UK financial service, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recommends using its Firm Checker or Financial Services Register to check whether a firm is authorized and has permission for the service. Search the legal entity, then compare its status, permitted activities, trading names, website and contact details with the broker’s own account documents.
The FCA notes that some individuals may be appointed representatives of an authorized firm and that registration and authorization are not identical. Check the relevant firm and service rather than relying on a person’s profile or a brand claim alone. The FCA consumer guidance was updated on 22 September 2026.
How to Check a Broker With ASIC
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Professional Registers Search includes Australian Financial Services licensees and authorized representatives. ASIC says the registers can be searched by company or individual name, licence or registration number, ACN or ABN. Its records can show status, start date, website addresses and licence conditions.
Check that the register entry is for the AFS licence or role relevant to the product, not another unrelated registration. Compare the official website and conditions, and confirm that the entity is authorized for the service being offered.
How to Check a Broker With CySEC
For a firm claiming authorization from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), use CySEC’s official investment-firm information. Search for the exact legal name and compare the available firm details with the account agreement. Check current authorization status and any listed trading names or domains rather than relying on a certificate image.
If the firm says it serves customers in another country, verify the relevant cross-border permissions and the local rules that apply to you. Do not assume that a CySEC entry answers every jurisdictional question.
How to Check a Broker With FINRA or the SEC
In the United States, FINRA BrokerCheck is a free tool for researching brokerage firms and investment professionals. The SEC and North American Securities Administrators Association’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) site provides information on investment adviser firms and representatives, including registration and disclosure information.
These tools cover different types of firms and professionals. A search result is not an endorsement. Check the firm’s role, regulator, registration type, services and exact domain, and use the appropriate tool for the product or service in question.
How to Check Other Regulators
Use the official financial regulator for the jurisdiction and service involved. In Canada, the CSA’s National Registration Search provides information on firms and individuals registered with securities regulators; CIRO also offers dealer and advisor lookup resources within the scope it describes. In other countries, start from the government or regulator’s own website and follow its link to the live register.
A regulator may use terms such as licensed, registered, authorized or approved for different legal categories. Read the record’s definitions and permissions rather than treating those words as interchangeable.
How to Spot a Clone Broker
A clone firm copies the identity of a genuine regulated business to make an unauthorised website appear legitimate. It may use the same licence number but a different web address, a slightly altered legal name, a false office address or contact details that are not in the regulator’s record.
- Type the regulator’s web address yourself and search its register directly.
- Compare the broker’s exact domain, telephone number and email with the official record.
- Use the contact details published by the regulator, not only those supplied by the firm.
- Check for small spelling differences, extra words or a different domain ending.
- Be wary of a firm that links to a real licence record but will not match its legal entity.
What Does “Regulated” Actually Tell You?
A valid authorization can establish that a named entity is subject to a regulator’s framework for specified activities. It does not mean that every product is low risk, that all customer assets are protected in every circumstance, or that an investment will make money. The scope of protection depends on the entity, product, customer classification and jurisdiction.
BrokerSafari’s research methodology explains how we separate regulator records from provider claims and other evidence. You can browse the broker research directory for reviews that show source and entity details.
What If You Cannot Verify the Licence?
Do not assume that a failed search proves fraud: names can differ, records can be hard to search and a firm may use another legal entity. But do treat the claim as unresolved. Do not rely on the licence statement or send money until you have confirmed the entity and permissions through the regulator’s official channel.
Keep the legal name, licence number, domain and screenshots of the claim. Contact the regulator through the contact information on its official website and ask whether the entity and website match its record. A firm’s absence from a warning list is not proof of authorization.
Official Register Checks at a Glance
| United Kingdom | FCA Firm Checker and Financial Services Register. |
|---|---|
| Australia | ASIC Professional Registers Search for AFS licensees and other listed roles. |
| Cyprus | CySEC official investment-firm information. |
| United States | FINRA BrokerCheck for broker-dealers and professionals; SEC/NASAA IAPD for investment advisers. |
| Canada | CSA National Registration Search and CIRO resources, depending on firm and role. |
Sources and further reading
- FCA — How to check if a firm or individual is authorised (updated September 22, 2026)
- FCA — Warning List of unauthorised firms
- ASIC — Professional registers search
- CySEC — Investment firms
- FINRA — About BrokerCheck
- SEC / NASAA — Investment Adviser Public Disclosure
- Canadian Securities Administrators — Registration search