Agent Registration
To register an agent, a sponsoring broker-dealer or issuer must use the Central Registration Depository system to file a Form U4, and the individual must pass whatever exams are required for the types of securities she will be selling. Additionally, potential agents must pass a background check that looks for previous criminal, as well as regulatory, violations. The applicant must file a “consent to service of process,” which allows a state Administrator to receive legal papers (summons, notice of lawsuits, etc.) on behalf of the agent. As part of a broker-dealer’s state registration, the broker-dealer must also file a “consent to service of process,” which allows a state Administrator to receive legal papers (summons, notice of lawsuits, etc.) on behalf