Registration & Exemptions, Licensing, and Inspections

The Securities Division reviews a variety of applications for registration, exemption notice filings, and licensing applications.  The Division also conducts on-site inspections.  Further information about these activities is provided below.

Note: Beginning July 1, 2006, the Division of Consumer Services administers Escrow Agents instead of the Division of Securities. Escrow related pages, forms, and links have been updated to reflect this change. Please contact the Division of Consumer Services at dcs@dfi.wa.gov or by calling 360-902-8703 with any questions.

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The staff in our Registration & Exemptions program area reviews applications for registration and exemption filings by local, national and international companies that wish to sell securities, franchises and business opportunities.

We review and analyze applications and related documents, including prospectuses, financial statements, and contracts to determine compliance with applicable requirements and ensure that adequate disclosure is provided to prospective investors. Members of our Small Business Assistance Program provide extra assistance to small companies throughout the filing process.

Click on the following links for further information regarding registration & exemptions:

Securities Registration, Notification, and Exemptions

Securities Exemptions Table

Securities FAQ

Coordinated Review

Franchise Registration

Business Opportunity Registration

Commodity Registration

Search the Files (Search the securities, franchise, business opportunity and exemption database)

Questions regarding registration or exemptions?  If you have questions about registration or exemptions, e-mail Brad Ferber (bferber@dfi.wa.gov) or call 360-902-8760 and request to speak with a Securities representative.
 

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The Securities Division licenses broker-dealers, investment advisers, securities salespersons, investment adviser representatives, agents of issuers, and franchise brokers that operate in Washington state. We review firm applications for factors such as qualifications of principals, firm disciplinary history and financial solvency. Salesperson and representative applications are generally reviewed for qualifying examinations and disciplinary background.

For more information, click on the following links:

Broker-Dealer Licensing

Investment Adviser Licensing

Questions about licensing?  For questions about broker-dealer licensing, e-mail Bruce Johnson (bjohnson@dfi.wa.gov) or call 360-902-8781.  For questions about investment adviser licensing, e-mail Nelda Shannon (nshannon@dfi.wa.gov) or call 360-902-8746.

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Our financial examiners conduct on-site inspections of broker-dealers, investment advisers, mortgage broker-dealers, debenture companies, and escrow companies.  Financial examiners conduct inspections on a risk-based examination cycle.  We also conduct "for cause" inspections in response to complaints or other indications that violations may be occurring.

Questions about inspections?  For general questions about inspections, please e-mail Joanne Jones (jjones@dfi.wa.gov) or call 360-902-8735.  Please note, however, that information concerning specific inspections is generally non-public information that may not be disclosed.

 

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Other Sites

To see other sites that may be of interest to you, see our Other Sites Page.