1023.220—Customer identification programs for broker-dealers.

(a) Customer identification program: minimum requirements— (1) In general. A broker-dealer must establish, document, and maintain a written Customer Identification Program (“CIP”) appropriate for its size and business that, at a minimum, includes each of the requirements of paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(5) of this section. The CIP must be a part of the broker-dealer's anti-money laundering compliance program required under 31 U.S.C. 5318(h).

(2) Identity verification procedures. The CIP must include risk-based procedures for verifying the identity of each customer to the extent reasonable and practicable. The procedures must enable the broker-dealer to form a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of each customer. The procedures must be based on the broker-dealer's assessment of the relevant risks, including those presented by the various types of accounts maintained by the broker-dealer, the various methods of opening accounts provided by the broker-dealer, the various types of identifying information available and the broker-dealer's size, location and customer base. At a minimum, these procedures must contain the elements described in this paragraph (a)(2).

(i) (A) Customer information required. The CIP must contain procedures for opening an account that specify identifying information that will be obtained from each customer. Except as permitted by paragraph (a)(2)(i)(B) of this section, the broker-dealer must obtain, at a minimum, the following information prior to opening an account:

(1) Name;

(2) Date of birth, for an individual;

(3) Address, which shall be:

(i) For an individual, a residential or business street address;

(ii) for an individual who does not have a residential or business street address, an Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) box number, or the residential or business street address of a next of kin or another contact individual; or

(iii) for a person other than an individual (such as a corporation, partnership or trust), a principal place of business, local office or other physical location; and

(4) Identification number, which shall be:

(i) For a U.S. person, a taxpayer identification number; or

(ii) for a non-U.S. person, one or more of the following: A taxpayer identification number, a passport number and country of issuance, an alien identification card number, or the number and country of issuance of any other government-issued document evidencing nationality or residence and bearing a photograph or similar safeguard.

Code of Federal Regulations

Note to Paragraph (a)(2)(i)(A)(4)(ii): When opening an account for a foreign business or enterprise that does not have an identification number, the broker-dealer must request alternative government-issued documentation certifying the existence of the business or enterprise.

(B) Exception for persons applying for a taxpayer identification number. Instead of obtaining a taxpayer identification number from a customer prior to opening an account, the CIP may include procedures for opening an account for a customer that has applied for, but has not received, a taxpayer identification number. In this case, the CIP must include procedures to confirm that the application was filed before the customer opens the account and to obtain the taxpayer identification number within a reasonable period of time after the account is opened.

(ii) Customer verification. The CIP must contain procedures for verifying the identity of each customer, using information obtained in accordance with paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section, within a reasonable time before or after the customer's account is opened. The procedures must describe when the broker-dealer will use documents, non-documentary methods, or a combination of both methods, as described in this paragraph (a)(2)(ii).

(A) Verification through documents. For a broker-dealer relying on documents, the CIP must contain procedures that set forth the documents the broker-dealer will use. These documents may include:

(1) For an individual, an unexpired government-issued identification evidencing nationality or residence and bearing a photograph or similar safeguard, such as a driver's license or passport; and

(2) For a person other than an individual (such as a corporation, partnership or trust), documents showing the existence of the entity, such as certified articles of incorporation, a government-issued business license, a partnership agreement, or a trust instrument.

(B) Verification through non-documentary methods. For a broker-dealer relying on non-documentary methods, the CIP must contain procedures that set forth the non-documentary methods the broker-dealer will use.

(1) These methods may include contacting a customer; independently verifying the customer's identity through the comparison of information provided by the customer with information obtained from a consumer reporting agency, public database, or other source; checking references with other financial institutions; or obtaining a financial statement.

(2) The broker-dealer's non-documentary procedures must address situations where an individual is unable to present an unexpired government-issued identification document that bears a photograph or similar safeguard; the broker-dealer is not familiar with the documents presented; the account is opened without obtaining documents; the customer opens the account without appearing in person at the broker-dealer; and where the broker-dealer is otherwise presented with circumstances that increase the risk that the broker-dealer will be unable to verify the true identity of a customer through documents.

(C) Additional verification for certain customers. The CIP must address situations where, based on the broker-dealer's risk assessment of a new account opened by a customer that is not an individual, the broker-dealer will obtain information about individuals with authority or control over such account. This verification method applies only when the broker-dealer cannot verify the customer's true identity using the verification methods described in paragraphs (a)(2)(ii)(A) and (B) of this section.

(iii) Lack of verification. The CIP must include procedures for responding to circumstances in which the broker-dealer cannot form a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of a customer. These procedures should describe:

(A) When the broker-dealer should not open an account;

(B) The terms under which a customer may conduct transactions while the broker-dealer attempts to verify the customer's identity;

(D) When the broker-dealer should file a Suspicious Activity Report in accordance with applicable law and regulation.

(3) Recordkeeping. The CIP must include procedures for making and maintaining a record of all information obtained under procedures implementing paragraph (a) of this section.

(i) Required records. At a minimum, the record must include:

(A) All identifying information about a customer obtained under paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section,

(B) A description of any document that was relied on under paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section noting the type of document, any identification number contained in the document, the place of issuance, and if any, the date of issuance and expiration date;

(C) A description of the methods and the results of any measures undertaken to verify the identity of a customer under paragraphs (a)(2)(ii)(B) and (C) of this section; and

(D) A description of the resolution of each substantive discrepancy discovered when verifying the identifying information obtained.

(ii) Retention of records. The broker-dealer must retain the records made under paragraph (a)(3)(i)(A) of this section for five years after the account is closed and the records made under paragraphs (a)(3)(i)(B), (C) and (D) of this section for five years after the record is made. In all other respects, the records must be maintained pursuant to the provisions of 17 CFR 240.17a-4.

(4) Comparison with government lists. The CIP must include procedures for determining whether a customer appears on any list of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations issued by any Federal government agency and designated as such by Treasury in consultation with the Federal functional regulators. The procedures must require the broker-dealer to make such a determination within a reasonable period of time after the account is opened, or earlier if required by another Federal law or regulation or Federal directive issued in connection with the applicable list. The procedures also must require the broker-dealer to follow all Federal directives issued in connection with such lists.

(5) (i) Customer notice. The CIP must include procedures for providing customers with adequate notice that the broker-dealer is requesting information to verify their identities.

(ii) Adequate notice. Notice is adequate if the broker-dealer generally describes the identification requirements of this section and provides such notice in a manner reasonably designed to ensure that a customer is able to view the notice, or is otherwise given notice, before opening an account. For example, depending upon the manner in which the account is opened, a broker-dealer may post a notice in the lobby or on its Web site, include the notice on its account applications or use any other form of oral or written notice.

(iii) Sample notice. If appropriate, a broker-dealer may use the following sample language to provide notice to its customers:

Important Information About Procedures for Opening a New Account

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.

What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents.

(6) Reliance on another financial institution. The CIP may include procedures specifying when the broker-dealer will rely on the performance by another financial institution (including an affiliate) of any procedures of the broker-dealer's CIP, with respect to any customer of the broker-dealer that is opening an account or has established an account or similar business relationship with the other financial institution to provide or engage in services, dealings, or other financial transactions, provided that:

(i) Such reliance is reasonable under the circumstances;

(ii) The other financial institution is subject to a rule implementing 31 U.S.C. 5318(h), and regulated by a Federal functional regulator; and

(iii) The other financial institution enters into a contract requiring it to certify annually to the broker-dealer that it has implemented its anti-money laundering program, and that it will perform (or its agent will perform) specified requirements of the broker-dealer's CIP.

(b) Exemptions. The Commission, with the concurrence of the Secretary, may by order or regulation exempt any broker-dealer that registers with the Commission pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 78o or 15 U.S.C. 78o-4 or any type of account from the requirements of this section. The Secretary, with the concurrence of the Commission, may exempt any broker-dealer that registers with the Commission pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 78o-5. In issuing such exemptions, the Commission and the Secretary shall consider whether the exemption is consistent with the purposes of the Bank Secrecy Act, and in the public interest, and may consider other necessary and appropriate factors.

(c) Other requirements unaffected. Nothing in this section relieves a broker-dealer of its obligation to comply with any other provision of this chapter, including provisions concerning information that must be obtained, verified, or maintained in connection with any account or transaction.