The FINTRAC MSB Registry
Every money services business registered to operate in Canada is listed in FINTRAC's public MSB Registry, including registration status, services offered, expiry dates, and business details.
What's in the FINTRAC MSB Registry
- Legal Name & Operating Name: The registered legal entity and any trade name it operates under
- Registration Number: FINTRAC's unique identifier for the business
- Registration Status: Registered, Revoked, Ceased, or Expired
- Registration Approval Date & Expiry Date: Registrations must be renewed every 2 years
- Incorporation Number & Incorporation Date
- Jurisdiction Type: Federal or Provincial
- Services Offered: The specific money services the business is registered to provide
- Foreign MSB: Whether the business is based outside Canada but directs services to Canadian clients
- Business Address: The registered physical address of the business as filed with FINTRAC
Registration Statuses
Every MSB in the registry carries one of four statuses:
The business is currently registered with FINTRAC.
The business is no longer registered because it did not respond to a FINTRAC clarification request, did not provide assistance to FINTRAC, or was found ineligible for registration.
The business notified FINTRAC that it no longer offers prescribed services.
The business did not renew its registration after 2 years.
Note on renewals: If a business has submitted a renewal application but its registration has passed its expiry date, it remains registered until the renewal is processed and will show a status of Registered. A business that did not submit a renewal application before the expiry date will show as Expired.
Services That Require MSB Registration
A business must register with FINTRAC if it offers any of the following services in Canada:
Foreign Exchange Dealing
Exchanging one currency for another, such as converting USD to CAD.
Remitting or Transmitting Funds
Moving money between parties via electronic transfer or alternative methods such as Hawala or Hundi.
Issuing or Redeeming Money Orders / Traveller's Cheques
Providing negotiable instruments, excluding personal cheques.
Dealing in Virtual Currency
Exchanging virtual currency for funds, or transferring virtual currency on behalf of clients.
Crowdfunding Platform Services
Maintaining a platform used by others to raise funds or virtual currency.
Cheque Cashing
Cashing cheques for clients in exchange for funds.
Armoured Car Services
Transporting currency, money orders, traveller's cheques, or other negotiable instruments.
Acquirer Services for Private Automated Banking Machines
Providing payment card network connections for privately operated ABMs.
Who Uses the FINTRAC MSB Registry
AML and KYB analysts
Analysts use the registry to validate counterparty information during onboarding and periodic reviews. Registration number, approval date, and status all feed directly into KYB documentation.
Risk and operations teams
For teams onboarding payment partners, remittance providers, or fintech counterparties, the registry provides a quick verification layer before a relationship is formalized.
Legal teams
During M&A due diligence, contract review, or regulatory investigations, legal teams use the registry to confirm whether a business has maintained continuous MSB registration or identify gaps in its regulatory history.
Other MSBs
MSBs frequently transact with one another. Verifying that a correspondent or partner MSB is actively registered is both a compliance requirement and a standard risk practice.
Businesses using money services
Any business that relies on an MSB for payroll, cross-border payments, or foreign exchange has an interest in confirming that provider is properly registered.
Why the MSB Registry Matters
Canada's anti-money laundering framework requires any business offering money transfer, foreign exchange, virtual currency, or related services to register with FINTRAC before operating. The public registry is the authoritative record of who has met that requirement, and who hasn't.
For anyone transacting with, onboarding, or doing business with a money services company, the registry is the primary tool for verifying regulatory standing. A lapsed, revoked, or unregistered MSB is a significant compliance and legal exposure for the MSB itself and for any counterparty that failed to check.
The registry also serves as a live signal: registration expiry dates, status changes, and the specific services a business is authorized to offer are all visible. An MSB that listed "Virtual Currency" two years ago but no longer renews its registration is a different risk profile than one with an active status and an upcoming renewal date.
Frequently Asked Questions
FINTRAC MSB Registry — common questions
A money services business is any entity offering services such as money transferring, foreign exchange dealing, issuing or redeeming money orders, dealing in virtual currency, or crowdfunding platform services. Any business offering these services in Canada, or a foreign business directing them at Canadian clients, must register with FINTRAC before beginning to operate.
Money services businesses operating in Canada, and foreign money services businesses that direct services to clients in Canada, must register with FINTRAC before they begin to operate.
If a business has submitted a renewal application but its registration has passed its expiry date, it remains registered with FINTRAC until its renewal is processed and its status will show as Registered. A business that did not submit a renewal application before the expiry date will show a status of Expired.
A money services business (MSB) is registered with FINTRAC under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. A payment service provider (PSP) is registered with the Bank of Canada under the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA). Some businesses are required to hold both registrations and you'll see these listed with "PSP" under Services Offered in the MSB registry.
Transacting with an unregistered MSB creates regulatory exposure for both parties. For financial institutions and other reporting entities, failing to verify MSB status before onboarding a counterparty can constitute a compliance failure under FINTRAC's own guidance. Beyond the regulatory risk, an unregistered MSB has not cleared even the baseline requirements to operate, which is a material factor in any counterparty risk assessment.
A Foreign MSB is a business based outside Canada that directs money services at persons in Canada. Foreign MSBs are subject to the same registration requirement as Canadian MSBs and must register with FINTRAC before providing services to Canadian clients. The registry flags each registrant as either a domestic MSB or a Foreign MSB, which is relevant context when assessing the risk profile of a cross-border payment provider or international remittance company.
Search the MSB Registry often?
Current provides access to the FINTRAC MSB Registry via UI and API so you can verify registration status, monitor for changes, and integrate MSB data directly into your compliance workflows.