North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA)

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) is an international organization dedicated to investor protection, made of securities administrators from 67 jurisdictions across North America. This voluntary association includes members from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as representatives from Canada and Mexico.

NASAA promotes uniform securities regulation across its jurisdictions by

• developing legislation templates,
• providing commentary on federal legislation,
• offering training for state and provincial securities regulators,
• maintaining a database of securities law violators, and
• coordinating multi-state enforcement actions against securities law violators.

The organization also offers valuable resources for investors, including tools to check investment professionals’ registration status and materials on fraud prevention.

NASAA and the SEC work complementarily in securities regulation, with NASAA representing state and provincial regulators across North America while the SEC operates at the U.S. federal level. Both groups collaborate on investor protection, share information, and coordinate enforcement actions. NASAA provides input on SEC rules affecting state-level regulation, and both conduct investor education. While NASAA members handle state-level registration, licensing, and local violations, the SEC oversees national exchanges and major cases.