General information
Right to practise
Applicants must register and obtain a confirmation from the AMF to be authorized to pursue activities through certified representatives.
They may pursue activities as:
- a firm
- an independent partnership
- an independent representative
Firms and independent partnerships must obtain authorization to act through duly certified representatives. For this purpose, they must register with the AMF. Similarly, independent representatives who wish to act on their own behalf must register to confirm how they intend to carry on business.
General conditions for registration
Firms and independent partnerships seeking the right to practise must obtain confirmation of their registration from the AMF, i.e., an authorization to act through duly certified representatives.
Pursuing activities as a firm
A firm pursues activities through certified representatives. The firm may act in one or several sectors. A representative may be attached to his or her own firm and thus be its main shareholder and director.
To be authorized to carry on activities, the firm must submit the following application for registration to the AMF.
Pursuing activities as an independent partnership
An independent partnership is made up of certified representatives who are grouped together under a general partnership. The representatives who are part of this partnership pursue their activities as employees or partners.
To be authorized to pursue activities, the independent partnership must follow the same procedure as for firms.
Pursuing activities as an independent representative
Individuals may pursue activities as independent representatives in one or more sectors other than the securities sector. Independent representatives are not attached to a firm. They are also not partners or employees of an independent partnership.
To be licensed to practice as an independent representative, individuals must apply to the AMF using the following form:
Don’t miss out on this new tool designed to better support registrants!
Maintenance of registration
Unlike a representative’s certificate, a registration does not have an expiry date. It is valid as long as it has not been cancelled, suspended or had certain restrictions imposed on it under the Act respecting the distribution of financial products and services.
However, registrants (independent representatives, firms, independent partnerships) must maintain the registration every year by sending the AMF the maintenance of registration form to update the information previously provided. The purpose of the annual maintenance of registration is to verify that independent representatives, firms and independent partnerships continue to meet the various registration requirements.
Firms and independent partnerships
The AMF is making the maintenance of registration form (pdf - 310 KB)
This link will open in a new windowUpdated on December 15, 2023 available for information purposes. This version of the form should not be completed. When the time comes for maintenance of registration, firms and independent partnerships will receive a personalized form via AMF E Services.
Independent representatives
Maintenance of registration is completed upon renewal of the representative’s certificate.
Documentation and tools
Companion guides have been prepared to help answer the questions of the maintenance of registration form and disclose business relationships.