CRD Number Lookup for Brokers & Advisers

Search by name, firm, or CRD number and see registration status, disclosure history, and state licences pulled from FINRA BrokerCheck and SEC IAPD records. Free, no account needed.

Educational verification signals — not recommendations. Information is compiled from public sources and may be incomplete or updated after our last refresh.
Broker Verification GuideWhat Is a CRD Number?How to interpret results
FINRA BrokerCheckSEC IAPD

Search Brokers & Advisers

Tip: Using a CRD or IARD number improves accuracy.

What is a CRD number?

CRD stands for Central Registration Depository — the licensing system FINRA runs for brokers and brokerage firms. Every registered person is given a CRD number the first time they are licensed, and it never changes. Advisers registered with the SEC or a state carry an IARD number that works the same way.

Because the number is permanent, it is the one detail a person cannot leave behind. Someone can change firms, change job titles, or move states, but their CRD record keeps the complaints, fines, and terminations attached to their name. That makes it the fastest honest answer to a simple question: is this person actually licensed, and what has happened in their career so far?

Where to find someone’s CRD number

1

On the paperwork

A CRD or IARD number usually appears on account applications, an adviser’s Form ADV brochure, business cards, and email signatures.

2

Just ask

A registered broker or adviser will hand over their CRD number without hesitation. Reluctance is itself a warning sign.

3

Search by name here

Enter a first and last name, plus the firm or state if you have it. The number comes back with the record.

What the record shows you

  • CRD / IARD number: A permanent ID that follows the person for their whole career
  • Registration status: Currently registered, or no longer active
  • Firm history: Every firm they worked at, with dates
  • State licences: The states where they are approved to do business
  • Disclosures: Complaints, regulator actions, terminations, judgments, bankruptcies
Example of what a result looks like

Jane A. Sample

CRD #1234567 · Broker & adviser · Currently registered

Sample Wealth Partners, Dallas, TX · Licensed in TX, OK, NM

Disclosures: 2

2019 customer complaint about unsuitable recommendations, settled · 2015 termination recorded as “permitted to resign”

Illustration only. Jane A. Sample is not a real person.

How to read a disclosure without panicking

A disclosure is any reportable event in someone’s career. One entry on a thirty-year record can mean very little; three recent entries about the same behaviour mean a lot. Weigh how serious it was, how recently it happened, and how it ended.

Treat as a stop sign

A bar or suspension from the industry, a criminal conviction tied to money, or a regulator finding of fraud.

Ask hard questions

Several customer complaints in recent years, repeat "permitted to resign" terminations, or fines for unsuitable recommendations.

Read the detail before judging

A single old complaint that was dismissed or settled without any finding, or a personal bankruptcy from many years ago.

A clean record is a starting point

No disclosures means nothing has been reported — not that a person is a good fit for you. Fees, licences, and how they get paid still matter.

Where this data comes from

Checking a firm rather than a person? Use the company check.

Broker & Adviser Verification FAQs

A CRD (Central Registration Depository) number is a unique identifier assigned to brokers and brokerage firms by FINRA. It allows you to look up an individual's or firm's registration status, employment history, and any disclosed regulatory actions or customer complaints.

Brokers execute securities trades and are regulated by FINRA. Investment advisers provide ongoing financial advice and are regulated by the SEC or state regulators. Some professionals are registered as both. Check their registration type to understand their role and regulatory oversight.

Search for your broker by name or CRD number using this tool or visit FINRA BrokerCheck (brokercheck.finra.org) directly. All registered brokers must appear in these databases. If you can't find them, they may not be properly registered.

Disclosures include customer complaints, regulatory actions, terminations, and other reportable events. One disclosure doesn't necessarily indicate a problem—context matters. Look for patterns, severity, and recency. Always read the full details before drawing conclusions.

Common disclosure types include: customer complaints and arbitrations, regulatory actions by FINRA or SEC, terminations from previous employers, criminal charges or convictions, civil judgments, liens, bankruptcies, and bond denials. Each category has different implications for evaluating a broker's history.

There's no universal threshold. A long-tenured broker may have more disclosures simply due to years of activity. Focus on the nature, recency, and outcome of disclosures rather than count alone. Multiple recent customer complaints or regulatory sanctions are more concerning than older, resolved matters.

Customer complaints filed through FINRA arbitration are disclosed regardless of outcome. Some complaints are settled without admission of wrongdoing, dismissed, or found in the broker's favor. Read the resolution details—a pattern of sustained complaints is more significant than individual dismissed cases.

Regulatory actions are formal sanctions from FINRA, SEC, or state regulators. These include fines, suspensions, bars from the industry, and consent orders. These are generally more serious than customer complaints and indicate the regulator found violations of securities laws or rules.

Termination disclosures report why a broker left a previous employer. Reasons range from 'permitted to resign' (potentially concerning) to layoffs or voluntary departures. Review the stated reason and whether multiple terminations show a pattern.

Our search queries the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) database directly, supplemented by AI-powered searches of FINRA BrokerCheck and public news sources. All data is from publicly available regulatory sources.

Try searching by CRD/IARD number for more accurate results, or check the spelling of their name. If they still don't appear, verify directly with FINRA BrokerCheck or SEC IAPD. Unlicensed individuals won't appear in these databases.

No. This tool provides educational verification signals from public sources only. Appearing in search results does not constitute an endorsement, and absence of negative information does not guarantee trustworthiness. Always conduct thorough due diligence.

AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies, outdated information, or miss recent developments like new complaints or regulatory actions. AI models have knowledge cutoffs and cannot access real-time data. Always verify findings through official sources like FINRA BrokerCheck and SEC IAPD.

No. Smart Money Verified provides educational tools and public data aggregation only. Nothing on this site constitutes investment, legal, or financial advice. We are not a registered investment adviser. Consult qualified professionals before making investment decisions.

No. This tool is a starting point for due diligence, not a substitute for comprehensive research. We recommend verifying all information through official regulatory databases, reviewing full disclosure reports, and consulting with qualified financial professionals before working with any broker or adviser.

Regulatory data from SEC IAPD is typically updated within days of changes. However, AI-generated summaries may reflect older information based on model knowledge cutoffs. For the most current information, always check official sources directly.

Related Investor Education

Learn how to evaluate broker disclosures and protect yourself.

Verify Brokers & Advisers

Use FINRA BrokerCheck and SEC IAPD to verify registrations

Read guide

Risk Signal Definitions

Plain-English reference for common risk indicators

Read guide

How to Slow Down

Permission to pause and verify before committing money

Read guide
Browse all investor education guides