An industry-specific license is a regulatory authorization that confirms your business is legally permitted to operate in a particular regulated industry. Certain types of businesses in the United States cannot legally operate without holding the appropriate license from a federal or state authority, and we are required to verify that license as part of the onboarding process.
The specific license required will depend on what your business does and where it operates. A money services business, for example, needs to be registered with FinCEN and may need individual state licenses as well. A cannabis dispensary needs a state license from the relevant state authority. An online gambling platform needs a gaming license from the state it operates in.
Whatever your industry, if you operate in a space that requires a license, you will need to provide it before we can complete your onboarding.
Operating in a regulated industry without the appropriate license is illegal. As a regulated financial institution, we are not permitted to provide services to businesses that are operating outside the law. Verifying your license is how we confirm that you are properly authorized to do what your business does.
Beyond the legal requirement, licenses also provide us with important information about your business, including the scope of your authorized activities, the jurisdiction you are regulated in, and whether your license is current.
The document you submit must clearly display all of the following:
Required information | Details |
|---|---|
Full legal name of the license holder | Must match the legal name of your business as it appears on your formation documents. |
License type and number | The specific type of license and the reference number assigned by the issuing authority. |
Issuing regulatory authority | The federal or state body that issued the license. |
Date of issue and expiry date | The license must be current and valid at the time of submission. |
States or jurisdictions covered | Where the license is valid and the scope of activities it covers. |
The document required will depend on your industry. Common examples include:
If your business operates across multiple states, you may need to provide licenses for each state where a separate authorization is required. Some licenses cover multiple states and some do not. If you are unsure what applies to you, the relevant federal or state regulatory body is the best place to check.
Below is an example of an acceptable document. Use this as a reference when preparing your submission.
Licensing requirements can be complex, particularly for businesses operating across multiple states or in newer regulatory areas like cryptocurrency. If you are unsure what to submit, contact our onboarding support team and we can help you identify what we need based on your specific business type and locations.