Customer Identification Programs for Banks

Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act added subsection (l) to 31 U.S.C. 5318 of the BSA. Pursuant to section 326, FinCEN issued joint regulations with the federal bank regulatory agencies that require banks, savings associations, credit unions, and certain non-federally regulated banks to establish a written customer identification program and to maintain records related to verifying the identity of customers. Under the customer identification program (“CIP”) regulations, the minimum requirements include: 1) implementation of a written customer identification program appropriate for the financial institution’s size and type of business; 2) identity verification procedures; 3) recordkeeping; 4) comparison with government lists; and 5) customer notice. On September 14, 2020, FinCEN issued a final rule implementing sections 352, 326 and 312 of the USA PATRIOT Act and removing the anti-money laundering (“AML”) program exemption for banks that lack a Federal functional regulator, including, but not limited to, private banks, non-federally insured credit unions, and certain trust companies (the “Final Rule”). The Final Rule requires minimum standards for AML programs for banks without a Federal functional regulator to ensure that all banks, regardless of whether they are subject to Federal regulation and oversight, are required to establish and implement AML programs, and extends CIP requirements and beneficial ownership requirements to those banks not already subject to these requirements.

The latest form for Customer Identification Programs for Banks expires 2023-10-31 and can be found here.