FCA confirms the move to seven-digit firm reference numbers (FRNS) and product reference numbers (PRNS)

July 26, 2023

The FCA announced in June last year that it would eventually be moving to seven-digit Firm Reference Numbers (FRNs) and Product Reference Numbers (PRNs).  In early July the FCA informed the Association of Professional Compliance Consultants (APCC) that it would likely reach the six-digit limit (999999) for FRNs and (PRNs) sometime in July 2023, given the volume of applications and notifications it is receiving. The FCA has subsequently confirmed that the first seven-digit FRN was issued on 18th July.

  • The FCA uses FRNs to uniquely identify firms, and PRNs to uniquely identify funds.
  • Firms that already have a six-digit FRN or PRN will keep that number. They will not change.
  • Seven-digit numbers are now being allocated for new applications and notifications, as the six-digit range is now exhausted.
  • The number 999999 was not allocated to either a firm or a fund to avoid potential systems issues for firms; it is likely that the number was allocated to a non-public record that will not be published.

If you have any questions on these changes, please contact FRNPRNchanges(at)fca.org.uk.

 
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