How To Check Forex Broker License: 5 Steps To Verify FCA, CySEC, FSCA And ASIC Before Depositing

Most traders see "authorised by FCA and CySEC" in a broker's footer and deposit without a second thought. That line is written by the broker, so it proves nothing until you open the regulator's own register and see the right entity name, the right license number and the right status. How to check forex broker license details takes about ten minutes once you know where to look and what to compare.

In this article, Backcom.io walks through the questions traders ask most:

• How to check forex broker license records in a five-step process, from the legal entity name to its current status.
• How to verify forex broker regulation on the registers of the FCA, CySEC, FSCA and ASIC, and what each one shows.
• How an FCA register broker check works, and why a licensed name can still be a cloned copy.
• Whether your forex broker is regulated, judged by mismatches between the broker's website and the official register.

What Is A Forex Broker License And Why Verify It Before Depositing

A forex broker license is an authorisation that lets one specific legal entity offer foreign exchange and CFD services to clients. A financial regulator in a country or territory issues it. Each license belongs to an entity, a number and a scope of services, not to the brand name you see in advertising.

The common misunderstanding is that the brand holds the license. A brand can operate several entities in several countries, and your account belongs to only one of them.

There are three reasons to verify rather than trust the footer:

1. The broker writes its own website: nobody reviews the regulatory line before it appears.
2. Fake brokers copy real ones: the FCA warns that scammers often use the name and address of a genuine firm, sometimes copy its firm reference number (FRN) and clone its website with small changes such as the phone number.
3. Client protection depends on the license: according to the FCA, clients of an unauthorised firm are not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or the FSCS if something goes wrong.

Further reading: the FCA guide to clone firms.

A license is a minimum requirement for a broker to be considered, not a selling point. You should confirm it yourself instead of trusting any referrer.

How To Check Forex Broker License Details: A 5-Step Process

How to check forex broker license status safely: start from the broker's website, go to the regulator's official register, then return and compare. The steps below work for any regulator, and only the lookup differs.

Step 1: Record the legal entity name and license number on the broker's website

Open the footer or legal page, find the operating entity with its regulator and number, and take a screenshot. If no number appears at all, that is already a reason to stop.

Step 2: Identify the right regulator and the right register

Every country has its own register. The FCA has the Financial Services Register and CySEC has its list of Cyprus investment firms. The FSCA has a search tool for financial services providers, while ASIC has the Professional Registers Search. Use only the regulator's own address, never a link sent by the broker or an ad.

Step 3: Search by number first, then by name

The number gives the most exact result. Search by name afterwards to see the broker's other entities, because one organisation can hold several licenses on the same register.

Step 4: Compare four details

The entity name on the register must match the website. The number must match, the status must be active, and the website or trading name should appear in the record. If any one of the four differs, do not deposit yet.

Step 5: Confirm which entity holds your account

Read the client agreement when you open an account. The entity that signs it is the one that needs the license, and it may differ from the entity you searched in Step 3.

Write down the date of your check. Status can change, so repeat the check from time to time after your first deposit.

Verify Forex Broker Regulation At The FCA And CySEC: Two European Registers

Verify forex broker regulation in Europe by starting with the FCA (United Kingdom) and CySEC (Cyprus). Many brokers that serve international traders hold an entity in one of these two countries, and the two registers return different kinds of results.

FCA Register Broker Check: Search By FRN On The Financial Services Register

An FCA register broker check uses the firm reference number, or FRN, on the Financial Services Register. The FCA also offers a Firm Checker to see whether a company is allowed to provide the exact service it is offering. After entering the FRN or company name, you should:

• Read the status: the firm must be currently authorised.
• Compare contact details: the address and phone number must match the broker's website.
• Check the scope: the firm must be permitted to provide the service it is advertising.

The FCA advises that if you are contacted unexpectedly, you should call back on the number listed on the register, not the number you were given. Its Warning List only includes firms the FCA already knows about. Therefore, a firm missing from that list is not proof that it is safe. A record that is currently active, with a matching name and matching contact details, is much stronger evidence.

CySEC Broker Lookup: Read The Cyprus Investment Firm List

A CySEC broker lookup is done on the list of Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) published on the regulator's website. The list carries its own date. The page we read on 3 November 2026 showed "CIF Regulated Entities List as of 04 May 2026", so it may not be the latest version.

Each entry gives the company name, the license number with its date, the company registration number, contact details and approved trade names. You can filter by first letter, use the search button or download the list as an Excel file. CySEC license numbers look like "sequence/year", for example 178/12, and should not be confused with the registration number beside them.

Status appears right in the license-number cell, for example "Suspended", "Voluntary Suspension" or "Under examination for voluntary renunciation". If you see any of these, ask the broker before depositing.

Forex Broker License Checks At FSCA And ASIC: South Africa And Australia

Some brokers also hold entities in South Africa or Australia, so these two registers are worth knowing. The principle is the same: search by number, then compare names.

FSCA Search: Find A Provider By FSP Number Or Name

The FSCA (Financial Sector Conduct Authority) regulates market conduct in South Africa. Its search tool for financial services providers accepts an FSP number, part of a name or a postal code.

One detail catches people out: the FSP number box asks only for the last digits. The page's example is that 26/10/1234 needs only 1234. It also says information about listed individuals must be verified by searching the person's ID number.

ASIC Professional Registers Search: Check An AFS Licensee

ASIC (the Australian Securities and Investments Commission) provides the Professional Registers Search. You can search by name, license number, ACN or ABN, and filter by register, status, entity type or state.

Free results show the name, license number, address, start date, status and any conditions. For AFS licensees they also show website addresses, including the principal website. The website is the most useful field for a trader, because it lets you compare the record with the domain the broker uses.

ASIC notes that one organisation can hold more than one registration across its professional registers. Therefore, make sure the result sits on the register you are searching. Data is updated once a day.

Further reading: ASIC Professional Registers Search.

Quick Reference: What To Search, Where, And What To Watch

The table below puts the four regulators into one checklist.

Search methods referenced as at 3 November 2026. Register interfaces and data can change, so check the regulator's website directly before depositing.

Is My Forex Broker Regulated? Five Signs The License Does Not Match

To answer is my forex broker regulated, look for gaps between what the broker claims and what the register says. A genuine broker matches all four details from Step 4, while a fake usually differs on at least one.

The five signs that should make you stop are:

1. The number belongs to a different company: the broker shows a real firm's number but uses it for another domain.
2. The domain is not in the record: on registers that list websites, such as ASIC, the broker's domain should appear.
3. The license is inactive: the broker keeps a regulator logo, but the register shows a different status.
4. The service is outside the scope: the license exists but does not cover the product or client type being offered.
5. The contact details differ: this is the copying pattern the FCA warns about, with a real name and address but a changed phone number.

You can read the full checklist in 12 warning signs of a forex broker scam. A license is only one layer, so withdrawal rules and operating history should be checked alongside it.

Forex License Numbers In Practice: Checking One Broker With Several Entities

A forex license number is rarely the only one, because large brokers operate through several entities. Take the Exness page as an example: it lists three licenses, CySEC 178/12, FCA 730729 and FSA Seychelles SD025 (checked on 3 November 2026).

Applying the five steps to those three lines, you could:

• Search 178/12 on the CySEC CIF list and read the company name, status and date.
• Enter 730729 in the FCA Financial Services Register and read the name and permitted services.
• Look up SD025 on the Seychelles regulator's own register, remembering that offshore supervision is generally ranked below the FCA.
• Read the client agreement to see which of the three entities holds your account, and whether that entity accepts retail clients in your country. Exness states that its UK entity does not serve retail clients, so a retail account may well sit elsewhere.

These numbers are copied from the Exness broker page on 3 November 2026. They do not replace your own lookup, because licenses can change after this article was written.

The way licenses are grouped by supervision level is covered in 7 criteria for choosing a reputable forex broker. Once you have confirmed a suitable entity and want to see rebate terms, open the Exness broker page. Backcom.io is an independent introducing broker (IB/affiliate) of Exness; rebates are paid from the commission the broker pays Backcom.io, see the risk disclaimer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Checking A Forex Broker License

Conclusion: Checking A License Is A Short Task You Repeat Over Time

How to check forex broker license records fits in one sentence: go from the entity on the broker's website to the original register, then compare name, number, status and website. You need to weigh three things together. They are the entity that signs your agreement, the license status today and the scope of services granted.

Before depositing, write down the license number, search the official FCA, CySEC, FSCA or ASIC register and read the client agreement. Then save a screenshot of the result and deposit a small amount to test a withdrawal.

Disclaimer: This content is compiled by Backcom.io for information only and is not investment advice, a trading recommendation or legal advice. Trading forex and leveraged products carries a high risk and you can lose all your capital. Register interfaces and statuses can change after this article was written. You should check them directly before deciding.