How to Get a Series 63 License: Exam, Registration, and Renewal

To get a Series 63 license, you enroll through FINRA, pay the $147 fee, pass a 60-question exam on state securities law, and then register with the securities regulator in each state where you plan to work with clients.¹ One thing to know before you start: passing the exam alone does not authorize you to sell securities. You also need a FINRA qualification such as the Series 6 or Series 7, and state approval of your registration, before you can legally transact.

Confirm Your State Actually Requires It

The Series 63, formally the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination, qualifies you as a securities agent under state law.² Most states require it of anyone selling securities to their residents, but not all do. Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Vermont are among the jurisdictions that either waive the Series 63 or substitute their own requirements. Check your target state’s securities division before enrolling.

If you plan to both sell securities and provide investment advice for a fee, look at the Series 66 instead. Passing the Series 66 counts as the equivalent of passing both the Series 63 and the Series 65, though it requires the Series 7 as a corequisite.³ If you’re pairing with the Series 6, the Series 63 is your path.

Enroll for the Exam

Eligibility is open. You do not need a college degree, industry experience, or firm sponsorship to sit for the Series 63. Unsponsored candidates can enroll directly through FINRA and pay the fee themselves.³ That makes this exam unusually accessible compared to something like the Series 7, which requires a firm to sponsor you first.

Which form you file depends on your situation:

If you work for a broker-dealer or investment adviser, your firm files Form U4 on your behalf through FINRA’s Web CRD system. Form U4 requires a Social Security number, at least five years of residential history, ten years of employment history, and disclosure of any criminal charges, regulatory actions, customer complaints, or financial events like bankruptcies.⁴
If you’re not affiliated with a firm, you file Form U10 yourself through FINRA’s Test Enrollment Services System (TESS). Form U10 collects your identifying information and lets you select the exam.³⁵

Either way, the exam fee is $147.¹ Take time with the form. Inconsistencies between your disclosures and a background check can delay enrollment.

Schedule and Sit the Exam

Once your enrollment is processed, you have a 120-day window to schedule and take the exam.¹ Let that window close without testing and you lose the fee. Scheduling runs through Prometric; enter your FINRA ID on the Prometric website to see available dates and locations.

Book early. Seats fill up in major metros, and you want flexibility to reschedule. Changes made at least 10 business days before your appointment are free. Rescheduling within 3 to 10 business days costs $73.50, and changes inside the 3-day window may forfeit the full exam fee.⁶

On test day, bring one valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID with a signature. A driver’s license, passport, or military ID works. Expired IDs are not accepted and you won’t be admitted without proper identification.⁷ Leave phones, study materials, and personal items in the locker the center provides.

The exam itself has 65 multiple-choice questions, of which 60 are scored and 5 are experimental; you won’t know which are which.² You get 75 minutes. The content comes from the Uniform Securities Act and NASAA’s model rules on dishonest and unethical business practices, covering registration of securities and agents, prohibited conduct, and regulatory enforcement powers.

Pass the Exam, or Wait to Retake It

You need 43 correct out of the 60 scored questions to pass, roughly 72 percent.² The testing center gives you an unofficial score as soon as you finish.

If you fail, NASAA imposes mandatory waiting periods before you can try again:⁸

30 days after the first failure
30 days after the second failure
180 days after the third failure, and after every attempt beyond that

You pay the $147 fee again for each attempt. If your 120-day enrollment window expires during a waiting period, you’ll have to re-enroll once the waiting period ends.

Register in Each State

A passing score qualifies you to apply for a license. It does not grant one. The actual license comes from the state securities regulator in each state where you’ll work with clients, and you register separately in every state.

Registration runs through the Central Registration Depository (CRD), the same FINRA-operated system that holds your exam results and Form U4.⁹ If you’re employed, your firm usually files for you. Expect additional background checks and separate state registration fees, generally $50 to $150 per state. You cannot legally transact securities in a state until that state marks your registration as approved.

Keep Your License Active

Your Series 63 exam results stay valid as long as you hold an active state registration as a securities agent. Once that registration terminates for any reason, a two-year clock starts. If you’re not re-registered with a new firm within two years, your exam results expire and you have to retake the test.³

Some states have discretion to waive the retake requirement after the two-year window closes, but don’t plan around that. If you’re between industry jobs, watch the calendar. The Series 63 has no separate continuing education requirement of its own, though your other qualifications and your state registration may carry CE obligations.

1
FINRA. Series 63 – Uniform Securities Agent State Law Exam
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NORTH AMERICAN SECURITIES ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION. Series 63 Exam Content Outline
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North American Securities Administrators Association. Exam FAQs
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FINRA. Form U4
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FINRA. Form U10
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FINRA.org. Reschedule or Cancel Your Appointment
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FINRA.org. Prepare for Your Test Center Appointment
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NORTH AMERICAN SECURITIES ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION. NASAA Implements Waiting Period for Those Who Fail Exams
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FINRA.org. Central Registration Depository (CRD)