How to Verify an ARN, SEBI Registration or IRDAI Licence in 2026
Last updated: 13 October 2026
Quick answer: To verify an ARN, search the code or name in AMFI's Locate Distributor tool on amfiindia.com. To check SEBI registration, use the Recognised Intermediaries list on sebi.gov.in and pick the category (Investment Adviser, Research Analyst, Portfolio Manager, broker). Insurance agents are checked on IRDAI's agency portal and with the insurer, and PMS distributors must hold an APMI registration number (APRN).
Last updated: 13 October 2026 Quick answer: To verify an ARN, search the code or name in AMFI's Locate Distributor tool on amfiindia.com. To check SEBI registration, use the Recognised Intermediaries list on sebi.gov.in and pick the category (Investment Adviser, Research Analyst, Portfolio Manager, broker). Insurance agents are checked on IRDAI's agency portal and with the insurer, and PMS distributors must hold an APMI registration number (APRN). Key takeaways Mutual fund distributors: need an AMFI ARN; each employee also needs an EUIN. SEBI list: 37 categories of registered intermediaries are searchable on sebi.gov.in. Payments: SEBI-registered intermediaries collect through @valid UPI handles; check them with SEBI Check. PMS distributors: must be registered with APMI from 1 January 2025 (SEBI circular of 2 May 2024). Warning lists: AMFI publishes suspended, terminated and mis-selling ARN lists; SEBI lists cancelled and suspended intermediaries. A retired teacher in Pune gets a call from a "SEBI-approved wealth manager" offering 3% a month on a "managed account". The caller sends a certificate on WhatsApp and a UPI ID for the first ₹2 lakh. Five minutes on two government websites would show that the firm does not exist in any SEBI register and that the UPI ID belongs to an individual. This guide shows you how to verify an ARN, a SEBI registration, an IRDAI licence and an APMI registration, step by step, as the portals work in October 2026. It also explains what each registration allows a person to do, because a genuine registration used for the wrong activity is its own red flag. Why verifying a registration matters A registration number is a licence to deal with your money in a specific way, and it is the hook that lets you complain later. A complaint on SEBI SCORES, to AMFI, or to the insurance ombudsman works only against a regulated entity. If you pay an unregistered person, there is usually no regulator to escalate to, and recovery depends on police action. Our guide to investment scams in 2026 (/insights/investment-scams-india-2026) shows how often fraudsters borrow the names of real firms. How to verify an ARN, SEBI registration or IRDAI licence: who registers with which regulator and where to check Registration types at a glance Who Regulator / body Number looks like Where to verify What they may do Mutual fund distributor AMFI (under SEBI rules) ARN-xxxxxx; employees: EUIN AMFI Locate Distributor Sell regular plans, earn commission from AMCs Investment Adviser (RIA) SEBI INA followed by digits SEBI Recognised Intermediaries, "Investment Adviser" Give paid advice; cannot take commission Research Analyst SEBI INH followed by digits SEBI list, "Research Analyst" Issue research and stock recommendations Portfolio manager (PMS) SEBI INP followed by digits SEBI list, "Registered Portfolio Managers" Manage portfolios from ₹50 lakh PMS distributor APMI (under SEBI circular) APRN followed by digits APMI or the portfolio manager Distribute PMS products Stock broker SEBI and exchanges INZ followed by digits SEBI list by segment; NSE/BSE member search Execute trades, hold client funds Insurance agent IRDAI, via the insurer Licence or agent code IRDAI agency portal; insurer's website Sell policies of the appointing insurer(s) How to verify an ARN number on the AMFI website An ARN (AMFI Registration Number) is the code that lets a person or firm distribute mutual funds and earn commission from fund houses. It is issued by AMFI after the distributor passes the NISM Series V-A certification and completes KYD (Know Your Distributor). Employees of a distributor firm who interact with investors get their own EUIN (Employee Unique Identification Number). Ask for the ARN. It should be on the distributor's card, website, emails and every transaction form. Money n Wealth's, for instance, is ARN-121995. Go to amfiindia.com, open Distributor Corner and choose Locate Distributor. Enter the ARN code or the distributor's name. AMFI asks for just one detail; you can also filter by location. Check that the name, city and contact details match. If the person says they work for a firm, the firm's ARN should appear, and they should have an EUIN. Open the warning lists on the same section: suspended or terminated ARNs, ARNs declared invalid, and the list of distributors against whom AMCs have reported mis-selling. After you invest, check your Consolidated Account Statement (/insights/consolidated-account-statement-cas-guide) . Each regular-plan folio shows the broker code, which should match the ARN you verified. Six steps to verify an AMFI ARN number of a mutual fund distributor online What an ARN does not allow An ARN lets someone distribute and explain products. It does not let them charge you a separate advisory fee while also earning commission; SEBI's adviser rules keep the two roles apart. Names matter too: AMFI declared ARNs invalid from July 2021 where non-individual distributors kept words like "Adviser" or "Wealth Manager" in their names without changing them as required. For the difference between advisers and distributors, see our explainer on types of financial advisers (/insights/financial-advisor-planner-in-pune) and on direct vs regular plans (/insights/direct-vs-regular-mutual-funds-what-the-higher-return-claim-leaves-out) . How to check SEBI registration of an adviser, analyst, PMS or broker SEBI publishes every registered intermediary in one searchable database. As of October 2026, the Recognised Intermediaries page lists 37 categories, from Investment Adviser and Research Analyst to Registered Portfolio Managers, Registered Alternative Investment Funds, Registered Mutual Funds, SM REITs and stock brokers by segment. Ask for the SEBI registration number. Advisers (INA), research analysts (INH), portfolio managers (INP) and brokers (INZ) must show it on their website, reports and communications. Go to sebi.gov.in, then Intermediaries, then Recognised Intermediaries. Click the right category, or use "Search any Intermediaries across all types". Search by name or registration number and match the name, address, validity and contact person. Check SEBI's separate list of cancelled, surrendered, expired and suspended intermediaries, and the list of default or expelled brokers. For brokers, cross-check membership on the NSE or BSE member search. Advisers and research analysts are also administered by BSE Administration and Supervision Ltd (BASL), so their membership can be checked there. A stock tip from someone not listed as a Research Analyst is not research; our piece on SEBI-registered equity research vs stock tips (/insights/what-sebi-registered-equity-research-actually-involves) explains why. Four steps to check SEBI registration of an investment adviser, research analyst or portfolio manager What is SEBI Check and the @valid UPI handle? Since October 2025, SEBI-registered intermediaries that collect money from investors, such as brokers and mutual funds, use UPI IDs ending in "@valid", with a category tag such as ".brk" for brokers or ".mf" for mutual funds. A payment to such a handle shows a green thumbs-up icon in your UPI app. The companion tool, SEBI Check, lets you enter a UPI ID, or an account number with IFSC, and confirm that it belongs to a registered intermediary before you pay. It is available through the SEBI website and the Saarthi app. If someone claiming to be SEBI-registered asks you to pay a personal UPI ID, stop. How to verify an IRDAI licence of an insurance agent Insurance agents are appointed by an insurer, and their licences are recorded on IRDAI's agency portal. Corporate agents (banks, NBFCs), insurance brokers and web aggregators are registered directly with IRDAI. Ask for the agent's licence number or agent code, and the name of the insurer they represent. Use the agent locator on IRDAI's agency portal (agencyportal.irdai.gov.in) to search by name, licence number, insurer or location. Confirm with the insurer: most insurers let you check an agent code on their website or through their call centre. For a broker or corporate agent, check IRDAI's registered intermediary lists on irdai.gov.in. Match the agent code on your proposal form and policy document with the one you verified. An agent can sell only the policies of the insurer or insurers that appointed them, so the insurer named on the proposal should match the one in the agent's record. If someone offers a "guaranteed return" policy from several insurers with no paperwork, read our guide to mis-selling red flags (/insights/mis-selling-red-flags-insurance-investments) first. Need a second opinion? Our insurance team (/insights/insurance-advisor-in-pune) can review the proposal. How to verify a PMS distributor's APMI registration Under SEBI's circular of 2 May 2024, anyone distributing portfolio management services must be registered with the Association of Portfolio Managers in India (APMI) from 1 January 2025. Portfolio managers must accept business only from APMI-registered distributors. Ask for the APRN (APMI Registration Number). Money n Wealth's is APRN07444. Confirm it with APMI through apmiindia.org, or ask the portfolio manager to confirm that the distributor is empanelled and APMI-registered. Check the portfolio manager itself in SEBI's "Registered Portfolio Managers" list; the minimum investment is ₹50 lakh. Read our PMS guide (/insights/pms-india) before signing any agreement. Red flags even when the registration looks genuine Fraudsters often copy the name and number of a real, registered firm. So a match in the database is necessary, not sufficient. Contact details differ: the phone, email or website on the regulator's list differs from what you were given. Money goes to the wrong place: mutual fund money should go only to the AMC or a registered platform, never to a person; SEBI intermediaries use @valid handles. Role mismatch: a distributor offering "advice for a fee", or an insurance agent selling stocks. Guaranteed returns on equity, PMS or ULIPs. Expired or suspended status in the warning lists. Red flags when verifying a financial adviser, mutual fund distributor or insurance agent in India If you find a problem after investing, our guide on how to complain on SEBI SCORES, ODR, the RBI Ombudsman and Bima Bharosa (/insights/how-to-complain-sebi-scores-odr-ombudsman) explains the escalation route. Related reading Investment scams in 2026: fake apps, WhatsApp groups and digital arrest (/insights/investment-scams-india-2026) How to complain: SEBI SCORES, ODR, RBI Ombudsman and Bima Bharosa (/insights/how-to-complain-sebi-scores-odr-ombudsman) Mis-selling red flags in insurance and investments (/insights/mis-selling-red-flags-insurance-investments) Mutual fund distributor in Pune (/insights/mutual-fund-distributor-in-pune) Financial adviser and planner in Pune: the different types (/insights/financial-advisor-planner-in-pune) Frequently Asked Questions How do I check if an ARN is valid? Go to amfiindia.com, open Distributor Corner, then Locate Distributor, and search by the ARN code or the distributor's name. Match the name and city with what you were told. Then check AMFI's suspended or terminated ARN list and the mis-selling list in the same section. Your CAS should show the same ARN against your regular-plan folios. What is the difference between an ARN and a SEBI RIA registration? An ARN lets a mutual fund distributor sell regular plans and earn commission from fund houses. A SEBI Investment Adviser registration (number starting INA) lets a person or firm charge you a fee for advice, and it bars them from taking commission. Neither registration lets someone do both on the same client relationship. How can I check whether a stock tip provider is SEBI-registered? Search the name or number in SEBI's Recognised Intermediaries list under "Research Analyst" (numbers begin with INH) or "Investment Adviser" (INA). If they are not listed, they are not authorised to give paid stock recommendations. Also check SEBI's list of cancelled and suspended intermediaries. What is a @valid UPI handle? It is a UPI ID format SEBI introduced in October 2025 for registered intermediaries that collect money from investors. These IDs end in @valid with a category tag, and payments show a green thumbs-up icon in UPI apps. You can confirm any UPI ID or bank account using SEBI Check before paying. How do I verify an insurance agent's licence? Ask for the licence number or agent code and the insurer's name. Search it on IRDAI's agency portal agent locator, then confirm with the insurer's website or call centre. Make sure the same agent code appears on your proposal form and policy. Brokers and corporate agents can be checked in IRDAI's intermediary lists. Is APMI registration mandatory for PMS distributors? Yes. Under a SEBI circular dated 2 May 2024, anyone distributing portfolio management services must register with APMI from 1 January 2025, and portfolio managers must deal only with registered distributors. Ask for the APRN and confirm it with APMI or the portfolio manager. What should I do if someone uses a fake SEBI registration? Do not pay. If you already have, call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 immediately and file a report on cybercrime.gov.in. Inform your bank to try to freeze the transfer, and report the impersonation to SEBI. Keep screenshots of chats, call logs and payment receipts. Sources: AMFI Locate Distributor (https://www.amfiindia.com/locate-distributor) ; AMFI invalid ARN list (https://www.amfiindia.com/locate-distributor/invalid-arn) ; SEBI Recognised Intermediaries (https://www.sebi.gov.in/sebiweb/other/OtherAction.do?doRecognised=yes) ; SEBI Intermediaries (https://www.sebi.gov.in/intermediaries.html) ; Business Standard on @valid UPI and SEBI Check (https://www.business-standard.com/amp/finance/personal-finance/pay-safe-invest-smart-sebi-s-new-valid-upi-handles-protect-your-money-125100200130_1.html) ; Taxmann on SEBI's APMI distributor circular (https://www.taxmann.com/post/blog/sebi-mandates-person-or-entity-involved-in-distribution-of-portfolio-management-services-to-get-registered-with-apmi/) . Not sure whether the person managing your money is properly registered? A quick check of who holds which licence, and what they are paid, can save years of trouble. Talk to Money n Wealth (/contact) for a free portfolio review. This article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Figures and examples are illustrative. Please consult a qualified financial adviser for guidance specific to your situation. Money n Wealth (Predics Fintech Services Pvt Ltd) is an AMFI-registered Mutual Fund Distributor (ARN-121995) and APMI-registered PMS Distributor (APRN07444); it is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser and may earn distribution commission on investments made through it. Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if an ARN is valid?
Go to amfiindia.com, open Distributor Corner, then Locate Distributor, and search by the ARN code or the distributor's name. Match the name and city with what you were told. Then check AMFI's suspended or terminated ARN list and the mis-selling list in the same section. Your CAS should show the same ARN against your regular-plan folios.
What is the difference between an ARN and a SEBI RIA registration?
An ARN lets a mutual fund distributor sell regular plans and earn commission from fund houses. A SEBI Investment Adviser registration (number starting INA) lets a person or firm charge you a fee for advice, and it bars them from taking commission. Neither registration lets someone do both on the same client relationship.
How can I check whether a stock tip provider is SEBI-registered?
Search the name or number in SEBI's Recognised Intermediaries list under "Research Analyst" (numbers begin with INH) or "Investment Adviser" (INA). If they are not listed, they are not authorised to give paid stock recommendations. Also check SEBI's list of cancelled and suspended intermediaries.
What is a @valid UPI handle?
It is a UPI ID format SEBI introduced in October 2025 for registered intermediaries that collect money from investors. These IDs end in @valid with a category tag, and payments show a green thumbs-up icon in UPI apps. You can confirm any UPI ID or bank account using SEBI Check before paying.
How do I verify an insurance agent's licence?
Ask for the licence number or agent code and the insurer's name. Search it on IRDAI's agency portal agent locator, then confirm with the insurer's website or call centre. Make sure the same agent code appears on your proposal form and policy. Brokers and corporate agents can be checked in IRDAI's intermediary lists.
Is APMI registration mandatory for PMS distributors?
Yes. Under a SEBI circular dated 2 May 2024, anyone distributing portfolio management services must register with APMI from 1 January 2025, and portfolio managers must deal only with registered distributors. Ask for the APRN and confirm it with APMI or the portfolio manager.
What should I do if someone uses a fake SEBI registration?
Do not pay. If you already have, call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 immediately and file a report on cybercrime.gov.in. Inform your bank to try to freeze the transfer, and report the impersonation to SEBI. Keep screenshots of chats, call logs and payment receipts.
Not sure whether the person managing your money is properly registered?
A quick check of who holds which licence, and what they are paid, can save years of trouble. Talk to Money n Wealth for a free portfolio review.