Resuming Registration Status After an Absence
If a registered person is no longer employed in the securities industry (even for a brief period between jobs), they are no longer registered. However, if they return to the industry within two years, they can resume their former registration status without retaking their qualification exams.
Additionally, FINRA’s Maintaining Qualifications Program (MQP) allows a registered individual leaving the industry to extend the period during which they can return to the industry without retaking their exams—up to five years instead of the usual two. An individual who is enrolled in the MQP must complete annual continuing education, consisting of a regulatory element and a practical element, in order to be eligible for the extended five-year grace period. The regulatory element deals with current issues