Every money services business (MSB) registered with FINTRAC appears in a public list: the Money Services Business Registry. Customers use it to check a remittance or exchange service before sending money. Banks, payment partners and compliance teams use it to check a counterparty. And MSBs themselves use it to confirm that their own entry is current.
This guide covers how to search the registry and download it, what each field and status means, and the part most people get wrong: what a listing actually proves. Short version: it proves the business is registered. It does not prove the business is licensed, endorsed or compliant, because FINTRAC does none of those things through registration.
How to search the registry
The registry is on FINTRAC's website, and every field in it is searchable. In practice, a few habits make a search reliable:
- Search by registration number when you have it. It is the one identifier that cannot be confused with a similar name. If a business will not give you its number, that is worth noting.
- Try both the legal name and the operating name. The registry holds both, and the brand a customer sees is often not the legal name.
- Search by website. Matching the domain you are actually dealing with is a quick way to spot a business borrowing someone else's registration.
- Use part of the name. Punctuation, “Inc.” versus “Ltd.” and spacing differ between records; a distinctive fragment finds more than the full string.
FINTRAC's own advice is to verify the registration details listed in the registry, such as the name, number and status, against what the business has told you. A match on name alone is not a match.
What each listing shows
A registry entry includes:
- legal and operating names;
- business address and website;
- the money services the business is registered to offer;
- registration status and registration number;
- initial registration date and expiry date, and, where they apply, cessation and revocation dates;
- jurisdiction of incorporation, incorporation number and incorporation date;
- whether it is a foreign money services business.
Two of these are easy to skip and worth reading. The services field should match what the business actually does: a business registered for foreign exchange dealing that is offering you a crypto transfer is outside what its entry shows. The foreign MSB indicator tells you whether you are dealing with a business located outside Canada that serves clients here; our page on foreign MSB registration explains what that route involves.
The four statuses, and what they mean
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Registered | Currently registered with FINTRAC. This includes a business whose expiry date has passed but which submitted its renewal before expiry: it stays Registered until FINTRAC processes the renewal. |
| Expired | The business did not renew. Registration lasts two years and has to be renewed before the expiry date. |
| Ceased | The business told FINTRAC it no longer offers MSB services. |
| Revoked | FINTRAC ended the registration because the business did not answer a clarification request, did not assist FINTRAC, or was found ineligible. |
Only Registered means the business may currently offer the services in its entry. If you are on the receiving end of a revocation, our guide to MSB registration denied or revoked covers the options.
Downloading the registry: reg-eng.xlsx and CSV
If you need more than a single lookup, FINTRAC publishes the whole registry for download on the registry page: an Excel file (reg-eng.xlsx) and a CSV file. The same dataset is listed on the Government of Canada's Open Government Portal under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Three things to know before you rely on a download
- It is a snapshot. FINTRAC says it updates the registry monthly. A file downloaded weeks ago can miss a revocation or a lapse, so re-check the live registry before any decision that matters.
- Filter on status first. The file includes Expired, Ceased and Revoked entries alongside Registered ones. A count of “MSBs in Canada” that skips this step is counting businesses that are no longer registered.
- Keep the date with the data. If you use the file for onboarding or monitoring, record when you downloaded it, so a later reviewer can see what the registry said at the time.
What a listing does not prove
FINTRAC is explicit about this, and it is the most important paragraph on the registry page: registration does not indicate that FINTRAC endorses or licenses the business. It shows only that the business met its legal obligation to register. FINTRAC does not issue licences or certificates of registration, and it cannot give you more information about a business than what the registry contains.
A “FINTRAC licence certificate” is a warning sign
Because FINTRAC issues no licences or certificates, a document presented as one did not come from FINTRAC. The registry entry is the evidence of registration. Our article on the “FINTRAC license” versus MSB registration explains where the confusion comes from.
A listing also says nothing about how well the business runs its compliance program. For that, FINTRAC publishes a second, separate list: its public notices of administrative monetary penalties, which name penalized businesses with the penalty amount and the number of violations. Notices stay on the site for five years.
Checking a counterparty: a short routine
Whether you are a customer choosing a transfer service or a business onboarding a payment partner, the same steps cover most of the ground:
- Ask for the registration number and search the live registry with it.
- Confirm the legal name, operating name, address and website match the business you are dealing with.
- Check that the status is Registered and note the expiry date.
- Check that the registered services cover what the business is actually doing for you.
- If the foreign MSB indicator is set, understand that the business is located outside Canada.
- Search FINTRAC's public notices of administrative monetary penalties for the same names.
- Keep a dated record of what you found.
FINTRAC also reminds the public to research a business properly, to understand its terms and conditions, and that FINTRAC itself will never contact members of the public asking for financial or personal information.
If a business is not in the registry
Before concluding anything, search again by its other names and by website, and ask for its registration number. Some businesses operate under a brand that differs from the legal name in the registry.
If a business offers money services in Canada and is not registered, FINTRAC says that is a violation and an offence. You can submit voluntary information to FINTRAC, anonymously if you prefer. FINTRAC cannot recover funds for you; if you have been defrauded, it points people to their local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
If it is your own entry
For a registered MSB, the registry is what customers, banks and partners see first, so it has to be right. The obligations behind it run on fixed clocks:
- Changes: tell FINTRAC within 30 days of a change to your registration information.
- Renewal: registration lasts two years and has to be renewed before the expiry date. A renewal submitted on time keeps you Registered while FINTRAC processes it; miss it and the entry turns Expired. See our guide to MSB registration renewal.
- Clarification requests: you have 30 days to respond. Not answering is one of the grounds for revocation.
- Ceasing: tell FINTRAC within 30 days of stopping MSB services.
“FINTRAC MSB registration login”
People often search for a login to manage their registration. FINTRAC's registration pages do not describe one. A new business starts with an online pre-registration request, after which a FINTRAC compliance officer sends the registration form and a secure link for documents. Renewals, updates and cessations each have their own online request form, linked from FINTRAC's pages on responding to, updating, renewing and ceasing a registration. FINTRAC charges no registration fee, and says most complete applications are processed within three months.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a money services business is registered with FINTRAC?
Search FINTRAC's Money Services Business Registry on its website. Every field is searchable, including names, registration number, address and website. Confirm that the name, registration number and status match what the business told you, and that the status is Registered.
Does FINTRAC issue MSB licences or registration certificates?
No. FINTRAC says it does not issue licences or certificates of registration, and that registration does not mean FINTRAC endorses or licenses the business. A document presented as a "FINTRAC licence" or "FINTRAC certificate" is not something FINTRAC produces.
Can I download the whole MSB registry?
Yes. FINTRAC publishes the registry as an Excel file (reg-eng.xlsx) and a CSV file on the registry page, and the dataset is also on the Government of Canada's Open Government Portal under the Open Government Licence - Canada. FINTRAC says it updates the registry monthly, so a downloaded copy is a snapshot.
What is the difference between Expired, Ceased and Revoked?
Expired means the business did not renew within two years. Ceased means the business told FINTRAC it stopped offering MSB services. Revoked means FINTRAC ended the registration because the business did not answer a clarification request, did not assist FINTRAC, or was found ineligible.
Is there a FINTRAC login for MSB registration?
FINTRAC's registration pages do not describe an account login. To register, you complete a pre-registration request online and a FINTRAC compliance officer sends you the registration form; renewals, updates and cessations are each requested through their own online form linked from FINTRAC's website.
What should I do if a business is not in the registry?
First check other names it may use and ask for its registration number. If it offers money services in Canada and is not registered, FINTRAC says that is a violation and an offence, and you can submit voluntary information to FINTRAC, anonymously if you prefer.
The short version
Search the registry by registration number, match the name, address, website and services to the business in front of you, and accept only the status Registered. Treat the entry as proof of registration and nothing more: FINTRAC issues no licences or certificates, and a compliance record lives in a different list. If it is your own entry, keep it current within 30 days of any change and renew before it expires.
Registering, renewing or fixing your entry?
We prepare FINTRAC registrations and renewals, handle clarification requests and keep your registration information current, so the entry your customers and banks check says what it should.
Book a free 30-minute consultation and we will tell you where your registration stands and what it needs.
Explore MSB registration