Free tool
FinCEN MSB Registration Renewal Calculator
Money services businesses register with FinCEN within 180 days of being established and renew every two calendar years — and an ownership change, a large equity transfer or a jump in agents restarts the cycle. Enter your dates to see every deadline under 31 CFR 1022.380. The calculation runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
An ownership or control change, a transfer of more than 10% of voting power or equity, or a more-than-50% increase in agents.
Enter the date your money services business was established to see its deadlines. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
A planning aid, not legal advice: the dates follow the regulation's text, and the regulation and FinCEN's guidance are what govern.
How FinCEN MSB registration deadlines work
Initial registration. A money services business files its first registration on or before the end of the 180-day period that begins the day after it is established. Its initial registration period is the calendar year it is first required to register plus the following calendar year.
Renewal. Each two-calendar-year period after that is a renewal period, and the renewal is due on or before December 31 of the year before the period begins — so an MSB whose initial period is 2026–2027 renews for 2028–2029 by December 31, 2027, and every two years after.
Re-registration. A change in ownership or control that requires re-registration under state law, a transfer of more than 10 percent of voting power or equity interests, or a more-than-50-percent increase in agents during a registration period means re-registering within 180 days. The calendar year of that event becomes the first year of a new two-year period, so every later renewal date moves — the calculator recomputes them from the event.
Agent list. The list of agents is not filed with FinCEN; it is kept at the business's reported US location and revised each January 1 for the preceding twelve months.
Registration is one obligation of several
Registering with FinCEN sits alongside an MSB's other duties — its anti-money-laundering program, its state licences, and US sanctions compliance, which applies to every US person. Screening customers, counterparties and payout destinations against the OFAC lists is part of that; the free SDN search checks one name at a time, and the screening API checks names, crypto addresses and IDs in every transaction flow, with a recorded result for each.
Frequently asked questions
When is the initial FinCEN MSB registration due?
Within 180 days. Under 31 CFR 1022.380(b)(3), the initial registration must be filed on or before the end of the 180-day period beginning on the day after the business is established — so a business established on March 1 must register by August 28. The first registration period is the calendar year the business is first required to register plus the following calendar year.
How often must an MSB renew its FinCEN registration?
Every two calendar years. Each two-calendar-year period after the initial registration period is a renewal period, and the renewal must be filed on or before December 31 of the year before that period begins. A business first registered in 2026 has an initial period of 2026–2027, so its first renewal, covering 2028–2029, is due by December 31, 2027.
What events require an MSB to re-register?
Three, under 31 CFR 1022.380(b)(4): a change in ownership or control that requires the business to re-register under state law; a transfer of more than 10 percent of its voting power or equity interests (unless the business must report the transfer to the SEC); and a more-than-50-percent increase in its number of agents during a registration period. Re-registration is due within 180 days of the event, and the calendar year of the event becomes the first year of a new two-year registration period — which moves every later renewal date.
Is the MSB agent list filed with FinCEN?
No. The list of agents is kept, not filed: it is maintained at the US location reported on the registration form, revised each January 1 for the preceding twelve months, and retained for the period in 31 CFR 1010.430(d). For a business established after 2001, the first list is due by the due date of the initial registration.
How do I register or renew an MSB with FinCEN?
With FinCEN Form 107, Registration of Money Services Business, filed electronically through FinCEN's BSA E-Filing System. The same form is used for the initial registration, each renewal and any re-registration; a copy of each filing and the registration number must be kept at a US location.
Does FinCEN registration replace state money transmitter licensing?
No. FinCEN registration is a federal requirement under the Bank Secrecy Act; state money transmitter and other licences are separate and set by each state. A state-required re-registration after an ownership or control change is one of the events that also triggers re-registration with FinCEN.
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