To find a DTC number, download the DTC Participant List from the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s website and search it for the brokerage’s legal entity name. The list contains every active participant’s four-digit code and is published in both PDF and Excel formats.1DTCC. Depository Trust Company Member Directories A DTC number is the routing identifier the Depository Trust Company assigns to each member firm so securities can move electronically between brokerages, and you need it whenever you initiate an account transfer.
Look It Up on the DTC Participant List
The DTCC posts an alphabetical directory of every DTC member on its client center pages. Open the file, use your software’s search function, and type the firm’s legal name. The four-digit number sits next to the name.
The most common stumbling block is the name itself. The list uses legal entity names, not the marketing brands customers see. Search for “Fidelity” and you will not find it, because the clearing entity is National Financial Services LLC. Search for “Merrill” and the entry reads Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. If you are not sure of the legal name, your most recent monthly account statement will show it, usually near the top of the first page or in the disclosures. FINRA’s BrokerCheck tool also lets you search by firm name and confirms the registered entity names a broker-dealer operates under.2FINRA.org. About BrokerCheck
Some firms show more than one DTC number in the directory. Use the primary number listed. Additional numbers are for internal functions such as securities lending, not for customer account transfers.
DTC Numbers for Major Brokerages
If you only need the code for a well-known firm, the numbers below come from the DTC Participant Alphabetical Listing dated January 30, 2026.3DTCC. DTC Participant in Alphabetical Listing
- Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.: 0164
- National Financial Services LLC (Fidelity’s clearing firm): 0226
- Vanguard Marketing Corporation: 0062
- E*Trade Securities LLC: 0385
- Robinhood Securities, LLC: 6769
- Interactive Brokers LLC: 0534
- Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated: 0671
- Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC: 0050
- J.P. Morgan Securities LLC: 0187
- Pershing LLC: 0443
- Apex Clearing Corporation: 0158
- Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC: 0141
These are the codes for the clearing entities. If your brokerage does not appear here, keep reading — there is a good chance its DTC number belongs to a clearing firm you have not heard of.
Why Your Brokerage’s DTC Number May Not Be What You Expect
Many brokerages do not clear their own trades. They route transactions through a third-party clearing firm that holds the DTC membership, and it is that clearing firm’s number you need for a transfer. The consumer-facing brand may have no DTC number of its own.
A handful of clearing firms service dozens of smaller brokerages. Apex Clearing Corporation (0158), Pershing LLC (0443), and National Financial Services LLC (0226) are among the most common.3DTCC. DTC Participant in Alphabetical Listing If you use a smaller or newer brokerage, your assets are likely held at one of these.
Your monthly statement is the most reliable way to identify the clearing entity. The legal name of the firm that actually holds your assets will appear on the first page or in the disclosure section. Once you have that name, run it through the DTC Participant List.
If You Still Cannot Find It, Call the Firm
Not every broker-dealer holds a DTC membership, and not every clearing relationship is obvious from a statement. If the participant list does not turn up a match, call the brokerage’s transfer or back-office department and ask for the DTC number used for incoming or outgoing ACATS transfers. Representatives who handle asset transfers will know the number and can confirm which clearing firm processes your account.
Ask for both the DTC number and the exact legal name of the clearing entity. Write both down. If you are working with the receiving firm to set up a transfer, they will ask for the same information about the delivering side.
Getting the Right Number Matters
Using the wrong DTC number is one of the most common reasons a transfer gets rejected. That includes entering the number for a consumer brand instead of the clearing firm, or using an outdated number after a merger or corporate change.4FINRA.org. FINRA Rules – 11870 Customer Account Transfer Contracts When ACATS rejects a transfer, only the receiving firm is notified, so if your transfer seems stalled, check there first.
A few habits reduce the risk of a mismatch. Confirm the legal entity name against your statement before you look up the code. Verify the number against the current DTC Participant List rather than an older document or a forum post, since firms merge, rebrand, and occasionally change codes. Keep a record of the number you supplied, the date, and any representative you spoke with. If a problem surfaces later, that trail makes it much easier to sort out.
What the DTC Number Does Not Cover
The DTC number identifies the firm; it does not, by itself, make a transfer valid. The receiving firm’s Transfer Initiation Form also has to match the delivering firm’s records on the account title, the account type (cash or margin), and the Social Security number or Tax ID.4FINRA.org. FINRA Rules – 11870 Customer Account Transfer Contracts A perfect DTC number will not save a transfer where the name on the receiving account is missing a middle initial or the account type is coded incorrectly. Confirm those details along with the number before you submit anything.