Whether you're vetting a finance provider, checking a compliance consultant's claims, or wondering what your own entry will look like once you're approved, there is one official answer: the FCA's Financial Services Register. It's free, it's definitive, and it takes about two minutes to use properly. Here's how to run the check — and how to read what comes back.
The short answer
Search the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk — the FCA's official public record of every authorised firm. You can search by firm name or, better, by Firm Reference Number (FRN), the unique six- or seven-digit ID every authorised firm has. If a firm claims to be FCA authorised, its entry is there. If it isn't, that's your answer.
How to run the check
1. Search by FRN if you have it
Names are ambiguous — similar trading names, group companies, and outright clones abound. An FRN is unique. Any genuine firm will give you its FRN without hesitation; reluctance to share one is itself a signal.
2. Match the exact firm, not a lookalike
Check the registered name and the trading names listed on the entry against the business you're actually dealing with. "Clone firms" lift a real company's name and FRN and pair them with their own phone number and website — so compare the contact details on the register with the ones you've been given. Mismatched details with a matching name is the classic clone pattern, and the FCA maintains a separate warning list for exactly this.
3. Read the entry properly
The status line tells you whether the firm is currently authorised. Below it sit the details that matter: the permissions the firm actually holds, the individuals approved to run it — including the SMF29 senior manager for small credit firms — its trading names, and, for appointed representatives, the principal firm responsible for them.
What the statuses mean
Authorised covers everyone with their own FCA permission — including limited permission firms, which appear as authorised with their (shorter) permissions list. Appointed representative means the firm trades under another firm's authorisation; the entry names the principal, and it's worth checking the principal's entry too. No longer authorised means exactly that. And a firm that doesn't appear at all is either exempt, listed under a different legal name, or simply not authorised — our guides to who needs a licence and unauthorised finance cover what that means.
What to check beyond the tick
Authorisation isn't generic — it's a list of specific permitted activities. A firm authorised for insurance distribution isn't thereby authorised for credit broking, so check the permissions cover the activity you're actually dealing with. Treat vague phrases like "FCA registered" with care too: for consumer credit, the status that matters is authorised, with the right permission on the list.
Two minutes on the register filters out more bad providers than an hour of reading reviews. Name, FRN, permissions, contact details — if all four line up, you're dealing with who you think you are.
If you're the one applying
Two things applicants should know. First, nothing shows on the register while your application is pending — which is one reason you can't offer finance while you wait. Second, the day you're approved you get your FRN and your public entry — the moment your firm becomes checkable by everyone else. What follows from there is in what happens after approval, and your advertising will then carry your own details under the financial promotions rules.
Why lenders and platforms will run this check on you
The register isn't just consumer protection — it's commercial infrastructure. Finance providers won't onboard a broker without an FRN; marketplaces, insurers and some trade platforms ask for it too. For a business that offers finance, being on the register is what unlocks the partnerships that make finance worth offering.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an FRN?
The Firm Reference Number — a unique six- or seven-digit identifier the FCA assigns to every authorised firm. It's issued when authorisation is granted, appears on the firm's register entry, and is the most reliable way to search, because names can be shared or cloned but an FRN can't.
- Do limited permission firms appear on the register?
Yes. Limited permission firms are authorised firms — they appear on the register with their permissions listed, just like full permission firms. Appointed representatives appear too, with their principal named on the entry.
- A company is offering finance but isn't on the register — what does that mean?
One of four things: the arrangement is exempt (like strictly interest-free credit within the 0% rules), the firm trades under a different registered name (check trading names), it's an appointed representative you should find under its principal — or it's operating without authorisation, which is an offence and a firm to walk away from.
- Does being on the register mean the FCA endorses the firm?
No. Authorisation means the firm met the FCA's threshold conditions to carry on regulated activity — it isn't a quality mark or a recommendation. Use the register to confirm status and permissions, then do your normal commercial due diligence on top.
This article is general information to help you understand the process, and is not legal or regulatory advice. CreditLicence is a regulatory consultancy; nothing it provides is regulated advice, and it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the FCA. FCA fees and rules can change; always check the FCA's website for the current position.