Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73not60

§6k Registration of Associates of Futures Commission Merchants, Commodity Pool Operators, and Commodity Trading Advisors; Required Disclosure of Disqualifications; Exemptions for Associated Persons

Title 7 › Chapter 1— COMMODITY EXCHANGES › § 6k

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

People who work for futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, commodity pool operators, or commodity trading advisors must register with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission if their job includes asking for or taking customer orders (not just doing clerical work), asking for money or property to join a commodity pool, asking for a client’s discretionary trading account, or supervising people who do those things. The registration must be active — not expired, suspended, or revoked. A firm must not let someone do those jobs if the firm knew or should have known the person was not properly registered. People already registered in a related category do not have to register again. The Commission can also exempt whole groups from registering. Anyone who wants to register must apply in the form the Commission requires and give the information the Commission asks for. Registrations end when the Commission’s rules say they end, and registrants must keep supplying required information. A firm must tell the Commission if an associated person has the disqualifications listed in section 12a(2) unless the Commission approves that person’s registration or a temporary license. Finally, associated persons of SEC‑registered brokers who only handle security futures products on a contract market are exempt from a list of provisions in this chapter, including the specific parts of sections 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6h, 6j, 6p, 13a–2, 12(d) and (g), section 20, and paragraph (1) of this section.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §6k

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(1)It shall be unlawful for any person to be associated with a futures commission merchant as a partner, officer, or employee, or to be associated with an introducing broker as a partner, officer, employee, or agent (or any person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), in any capacity that involves (i) the solicitation or acceptance of customers’ orders (other than in a clerical capacity) or (ii) the supervision of any person or persons so engaged, unless such person is registered with the Commission under this chapter as an associated person of such futures commission merchant or of such introducing broker and such registration shall not have expired, been suspended (and the period of suspension has not expired), or been revoked. It shall be unlawful for a futures commission merchant or introducing broker to permit such a person to become or remain associated with the futures commission merchant or introducing broker in any such capacity if such futures commission merchant or introducing broker knew or should have known that such person was not so registered or that such registration had expired, been suspended (and the period of suspension has not expired), or been revoked. Any individual who is registered as a floor broker, futures commission merchant, or introducing broker (and such registration is not suspended or revoked) need not also register under this paragraph.
(2)It shall be unlawful for any person to be associated with a commodity pool operator as a partner, officer, employee, consultant, or agent (or any person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), in any capacity that involves (i) the solicitation of funds, securities, or property for a participation in a commodity pool or (ii) the supervision of any person or persons so engaged, unless such person is registered with the Commission under this chapter as an associated person of such commodity pool operator and such registration shall not have expired, been suspended (and the period of suspension has not expired), or been revoked. It shall be unlawful for a commodity pool operator to permit such a person to become or remain associated with the commodity pool operator in any such capacity if the commodity pool operator knew or should have known that such person was not so registered or that such registration had expired, been suspended (and the period of suspension has not expired), or been revoked. Any individual who is registered as a floor broker, futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity pool operator, or as an associated person of another category of registrant under this section (and such registration is not suspended or revoked) need not also register under this paragraph. The Commission may exempt any person or class of persons from having to register under this paragraph by rule, regulation, or order.
(3)It shall be unlawful for any person to be associated with a commodity trading advisor as a partner, officer, employee, consultant, or agent (or any person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), in any capacity which involves (i) the solicitation of a client’s or prospective client’s discretionary account or (ii) the supervision of any person or persons so engaged, unless such person is registered with the Commission under this chapter as an associated person of such commodity trading advisor and such registration shall not have expired, been suspended (and the period of suspension has not expired), or been revoked. It shall be unlawful for a commodity trading advisor to permit such a person to become or remain associated with the commodity trading advisor in any such capacity if the commodity trading advisor knew or should have known that such person was not so registered or that such registration had expired, been suspended (and the period of suspension has not expired), or been revoked. Any individual who is registered as a floor broker, futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, or as an associated person of another category of registrant under this section (and such registration is not suspended or revoked) need not also register under this paragraph. The Commission may exempt any person or class of persons from having to register under this paragraph by rule, regulation, or order.
(4)Any person desiring to be registered as an associated person of a futures commission merchant, of an introducing broker, of a commodity pool operator, or of a commodity trading advisor shall make application to the Commission in the form and manner prescribed by the Commission, giving such information and facts as the Commission may deem necessary concerning the applicant. Such person, when registered hereunder, shall likewise continue to report and furnish to the Commission such information as the Commission may require. Such registration shall expire at such time as the Commission may by rule, regulation, or order prescribe.
(5)It shall be unlawful for any registrant to permit a person to become or remain an associated person of such registrant, if the registrant knew or should have known of facts regarding such associated person that are set forth as statutory disqualifications in section 12a(2) of this title, unless such registrant has notified the Commission of such facts and the Commission has determined that such person should be registered or temporarily licensed.
(6)Any associated person of a broker or dealer that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and who limits its solicitation of orders, acceptance of orders, or execution of orders, or placing of orders on behalf of others involving any contracts of sale of any commodity for future delivery or any option on such a contract, on or subject to the rules of any contract market or registered derivatives transaction execution facility to security futures products, shall be exempt from the following provisions of this chapter and the rules thereunder:
(A)Subsections (b), (d), (e), and (g) of section 6c of this title.
(B)section 6d, 6e, and 6h of this title.
(C)Subsections (b) and (c) of section 6f of this title.
(D)section 6j of this title.
(E)Paragraph (1) of this section.
(F)section 6p of this title.
(G)section 13a–2 of this title.
(H)Subsections (d) and (g) of section 12 of this title.
(I)section 20 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical

Amendments

to this section. The

Amendments

by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Amendments

2008—Pars. (5), (6). Pub. L. 110–246, § 13105(c), redesignated par. (5) relating to exempting associated persons or dealers from provisions of this chapter as (6). 2000—Par. (5). Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(5) [title II, § 252(d)], which directed amendment of this section by “inserting after paragraph (4), as added by subsection (c) of this section” a new par. (5) relating to exempting associated persons or dealers from provisions of this chapter, was executed by adding that par. (5) at the end. section 1(a)(5)[title II, § 252(c)] did not add a par. (4) to this section. 1983—Par. (1). Pub. L. 97–444 amended par. (1) generally to apply to introducing brokers and persons associated with introducing brokers. Par. (2). Pub. L. 97–444 added par. (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (4). Par. (3). Pub. L. 97–444 added par. (3). Former par. (3), which empowered Commission to authorize a registered futures association to perform any portion of the registration functions under this section, in accordance with rules approved by the Commission, and subject to the provisions of this chapter applicable to registrations granted by the Commission, was struck out. Par. (4). Pub. L. 97–444 redesignated former par. (2) as (4) and substituted “Any person desiring to be registered as an associated person of a futures commission merchant, of an introducing broker, of a commodity pool operator, or of a commodity trading advisor shall make application to the Commission in the form and manner prescribed by the Commission, giving such information and facts as the Commission may deem necessary concerning the applicant. Such person, when registered hereunder, shall likewise continue to report and furnish to the Commission such information as the Commission may require. Such registration shall expire at such time as the Commission may by rule, regulation, or order prescribe” for “Any such person desiring to be registered shall make application to the Commission in the form and manner prescribed by the Commission, giving such information and facts as the Commission may deem necessary concerning the applicant. Such person, when registered hereunder, shall likewise continue to report and furnish to the Commission such information as the Commission may require. Such registration shall expire two years after the

Effective Date

thereof or at such other time, not less than one year from the date of issuance thereof, as the Commission may by rule, regulation, or order prescribe and shall be renewed upon application therefor, unless the registration has been suspended (and the period of such suspension has not expired) or revoked after notice and hearing as prescribed in section 9 of this title: Provided, That upon initial registration, unless the Commission otherwise prescribes by rule, regulation, or order, the effective period of such registration shall be not more than two years nor less than one year from the

Effective Date

thereof”. Par. (5). Pub. L. 97–444 added par. (5). 1978—Par. (2). Pub. L. 95–405, § 7(1), inserted provisions authorizing the Commission to prescribe the period of registration of not less than one year for associated persons. Par. (3). Pub. L. 95–405, § 7(2), added par. (3).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1983 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–444 effective 120 days after Jan. 11, 1983, or such earlier date as the Commission shall prescribe by regulation, see section 239 of Pub. L. 97–444, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–405 effective Oct. 1, 1978, see section 28 of Pub. L. 95–405, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.

Effective Date

For

Effective Date

of section, see section 418 of Pub. L. 93–463, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1974 Amendment note under section 2 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 6k

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60