# Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA)

> The Canadian Securities Administrators is the council of Canada's 13 provincial and territorial securities regulators, which work together to set common rules for investments and the people who sell them or advise on them.

Canonical page: https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/csa/
Also called: CSA, provincial securities regulator, National Registration Search

Canada has no single national securities regulator. Each province and territory has its own, such as the Ontario Securities Commission, the British Columbia Securities Commission and Quebec's Autorité des marchés financiers. Through the CSA they write national instruments, shared rules such as the registration rules in National Instrument 31-103, so the same standards apply across the country.

The CSA coordinates its members but doesn't run them. Registration, complaints and enforcement are handled by the regulator in each province or territory.

CSA rules are behind the biggest recent changes Canadian investors have seen: the Client Focused Reforms of 2021 and the 2022 ban on deferred sales charges.

## How to check

Search any advisor or firm on the CSA's free National Registration Search. It shows whether they're registered, in which provinces, and in which category, such as dealing representative or advising representative. The CSA Disciplined List shows people sanctioned by Canadian securities regulators.

## Sources

- [Canadian Securities Administrators, About us](https://www.securities-administrators.ca/about/)
- [Canadian Securities Administrators, Frequently asked questions (13 members)](https://www.securities-administrators.ca/about/frequently-asked-questions/)
- [Canadian Securities Administrators, Are they registered? (National Registration Search)](https://www.securities-administrators.ca/investor-tools/are-they-registered/)

## Related terms

- [Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO)](https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/ciro.md)
- [Dealing representative](https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/dealing-representative.md)
- [Client Focused Reforms (CFRs)](https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/client-focused-reforms.md)
- [Deferred sales charge (DSC)](https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/deferred-sales-charge.md)