Securities Bureau

The Securities Bureau is responsible for administering and enforcing Idaho state laws and rules pertaining to securities, commodities, money transmission, escrow, and endowed care cemetery financial activities. Through the various legislative acts under the Securities Bureau’s jurisdiction the Idaho Department of Finance (IDOF) seeks to protect investors from fraudulent and criminal activity, assist businesses with registration, licensing and capital raising, conduct financial oversight activities, and educate the public on finance-related issues.

The Securities Bureau is divided into three teams:

• Financial Investigations Team (FIT)- Identifies and investigates potential financial crimes and compliance issues to better protect the public. FIT works closely with national and local partners, including the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, Idaho State Police, Idaho Committee on Aging, and others to bring successful resolutions to Idahoans in cases involving corporate compliance failures, non-compliant financial entities and products, criminal activity, and illicit finance.
• Financial Examinations Team (FET)- Ensures that appropriate investor protections are in place to protect Idahoans and institutions. FET conducts examinations of registered investment advisers (RIAs) and broker-dealers, while concurrently assisting them with their administrative responsibilities. FET’s priority is to verify that RIAs, broker-dealers, and capital-raising companies issuing securities in Idaho meet their compliance obligations to guarantee the safety and soundness of American financial markets and Idaho’s investment environment.
• Money Service Business Team (MSBT)- Oversees money services businesses that provide money transmission and escrow services (including 1031 exchanges) in Idaho. The MSBT is also responsible for administering Idaho law addressing endowment care cemeteries. Specifically, the MSBT provides financial oversight of funds designated to continue perpetual care as guaranteed by the cemetery.

The Securities Bureau also houses IDOF’s Financial Innovation Lab (FIL) and Emerging Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC). FIL is a strategic stakeholder engagement forum created to facilitate discussions, dialogue, and education on how digital innovations are affecting the financial services sector. ETAC is a panel of digital technology and financial services experts who provide thought leadership on the best technological applications, use cases, and oversight models to serve Idahoans and Enable financial innovation to thrive in Idaho.