How to Verify a Series 7, 63, or 65 License

Authorizes the purchase and sale of virtually all types of securities: stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, and more. Required for most retail brokerage roles. Must be sponsored by a FINRA member firm — individuals cannot hold a Series 7 independently.

Series 63 — Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination

Required in most states alongside the Series 7 to sell securities in that state. Covers state securities regulations and the Uniform Securities Act. Required by approximately 40 states; a few states accept the Series 66 instead.

Series 65 — Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination

Required to act as an investment adviser representative (IAR) — someone who provides investment advice for compensation. Necessary for fee-based registered investment advisers (RIAs). Does not require broker-dealer sponsorship. Covers investment adviser regulations and fiduciary responsibilities.

Series 66 — Uniform Combined State Law Examination

Combines the Series 63 and Series 65. Taken alongside the Series 7, the Series 66 allows a representative to both sell securities and provide investment advice in most states. More efficient for dual-registered advisors than holding separate Series 63 and 65.

Series 6 — Investment Company and Variable Products Representative

More limited than Series 7 — authorizes sale of mutual funds, variable annuities, and variable life insurance only. Common in insurance-adjacent financial services roles. Does not permit sale of individual stocks, bonds, or options.

SIE — Securities Industry Essentials

Introductory-level exam covering basic securities industry knowledge. Can be taken without firm sponsorship. Not a standalone license — must be paired with a "top-off" exam (Series 7, 6, etc.) to be registered. Introduced in 2018.

Step 1: Go to brokercheck.finra.org

Navigate to FINRA's BrokerCheck at brokercheck.finra.org. No account is required. The tool is available to the public at no cost.

Step 2: Search by name or CRD number

Enter the individual's name and, optionally, their firm or location. For a faster, unambiguous search, ask the candidate for their CRD number — a unique identifier assigned to every registered broker or adviser. The CRD number appears on their registration documents and in FINRA correspondence.

BrokerCheck also searches for firms (broker-dealers and investment advisers). Toggle between "Individual" and "Firm" in the search interface.

Step 3: Review the full report

The BrokerCheck report includes:

• › Registrations: Current and past FINRA and state registrations
• › Exams passed: All qualifying exams, with dates
• › Employment history: Registered employer history for the past 10 years
• › Disclosures: Regulatory actions, customer complaints, arbitration awards, civil/criminal history, financial events (bankruptcies, liens)

Current registration status

A securities license is not portable — it must be maintained through a registered firm. An individual with a lapsed registration (no current employer of record in CRD) cannot legally sell securities or provide investment advice until re-registered. Check that registrations are current, not terminated.

Disclosure history

Any disclosures — including customer complaints, regulatory sanctions, or financial events — appear in a separate section. Disclosures are not disqualifying on their own, but the nature and number matter. Review them carefully. FINRA rules require firms to review and act on disclosures when hiring.

Barred or sanctioned status

Individuals who have been barred from the securities industry by FINRA will appear in BrokerCheck with a "bar" notation. Barred individuals may not be associated with any FINRA member firm in any capacity. This is a hard stop for hiring.

Gaps in employment history

BrokerCheck shows employment history at registered firms going back 10 years. Unexplained gaps may indicate employment outside the securities industry — or, in some cases, periods of suspension or termination that warrant follow-up.