Permitted Uses

By using BrokerCheck or the BrokerCheck data, users agree to comply with BrokerCheck’s Terms of Use.

The BrokerCheck Terms of Use permit use of BrokerCheck data for investor protection, academic, compliance or regulatory purposes. The Terms of Use do not permit use of BrokerCheck for other purposes (with limited exceptions), and it may not be used in violation of the law.

You can use BrokerCheck for personal and professional use to find an investment professional; review the background of your current investment professional; assist in judicial or arbitral proceedings; comply with securities or financial services laws, rules and regulations; or for similar uses consistent with promotion of just and equitable principles of trade and protection of investors and public interest.

In addition, if your use is for investor protection, academic, compliance or regulatory purposes, you may copy and compile BrokerCheck data, including by using data mining or similar tools, provided that such tools do not interfere with the proper working of BrokerCheck.

For example:

  • An academic researcher might use BrokerCheck data in a research paper looking at the geographic distribution of brokerage firms;
  • An insurance firm might use BrokerCheck data to confirm that an individual has the registration necessary to sell the firm’s products; 
  • A state licensing authority might use BrokerCheck data to verify information provided by an applicant; or
  • An attorney or accountant might use BrokerCheck data in performing a review for an investor client.

If you choose to redistribute or publish BrokerCheck data, you must also take each of the following actions:

  • Identify BrokerCheck as the source of the information.
  • Provide links to BrokerCheck and the BrokerCheck Terms of Use.
  • Notify the recipient that their use of BrokerCheck data is subject to the Terms of Use.
  • Provide a process for reporting and correcting errors or outdated data.
    For example, an information vendor may provide BrokerCheck data to investors for investor protection purposes. In these cases, if an error in the data is reported to the information vendor, the information vendor must have a process to timely correct the error (if introduced by the information vendor) or to refer the error to FINRA (if the error is in the BrokerCheck data).
  • Disclose when the BrokerCheck data was compiled.
  • Ensure the BrokerCheck data is current and up to date when it is distributed or published.

Please see Sections 4 and 5 of the BrokerCheck Terms of Use for more detailed information on permitted uses.

Academic researchers may direct any inquiries regarding academic use of BrokerCheck or related FINRA data to [email protected].

Restrictions on Use

Other restrictions apply to use of BrokerCheck data even if the use would otherwise fall under the permitted uses described above. For example:

  • You may not alter or modify the factual content of the BrokerCheck data.
  • You may not use BrokerCheck data for unsolicited marketing of goods or services.

For a complete list of restrictions, please see Section 6 of the BrokerCheck Terms of Use.

Please note that any use of BrokerCheck or BrokerCheck data is governed by the Terms of Use, not this summary. If you have additional questions about the BrokerCheck or the Terms of Use, please contact us at [email protected].