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Australian Securities and Investments Commission

Australia authorised representative appointment and register map

How to prepare an authorised representative appointment file, check public register records, and avoid confusing authorised representative status with FAR relevant-provider registration.

Exam focus

Authorised representative appointment, ASIC notification, ASIC Connect workflow, public register checking, and FAR overlap.

Who this helps

  • - AFSL licensees appointing representatives
  • - Authorised representative candidates
  • - Corporate authorised representatives
  • - Consultants checking AR/FAR records

Why this matters

  • - ASIC says authorised representatives can be individuals, bodies corporate, partnerships, or certain trustee groups.
  • - ASIC's page explains that written authorisation specifies the financial services and that notification updates the authorised representatives register.
  • - A retail personal advice relevant provider can also need FAR appointment and registration, so the register file may need two records.

Study map

Appointment file

  • - Collect written authorisation, authorised services, products, client types, sub-authorisation rights, representative number, and supervising licensee.
  • - Check whether a body corporate authorised representative must sub-authorise directors or employees.

Register and maintenance file

  • - Use ASIC Connect workflow notes for appoint, maintain, and cease transactions.
  • - Check the Professional registers and FAR where relevant after appointment, update, or cessation.

Licensing tie-in

  • - Authorised representative status lets the representative provide specified services on behalf of the appointing AFS licensee; it does not create a separate licence outcome.
  • - If the person also provides retail personal advice on relevant financial products, FAR appointment and registration analysis remains separate.
  • - The appointment evidence should tie into supervision, training, advice/dealing permissions, complaints, and outsourcing or appointed-representative oversight.

Booking and sponsorship

  • - Use ASIC's authorised representative page to confirm who can be appointed, sub-authorisation rules, and notification concepts.
  • - Use ASIC's appointment/update portal page before relying on a workflow or user guide.
  • - Use ASIC professional registers and FAR pages to verify the live public record after the transaction.

Verify before studying

  • - Whether the authorised representative is an individual, company, partnership, trustee group, employee, director, or sub-authorised individual.
  • - Whether the person or entity's services stay within the licensee's AFSL authorisations.
  • - Whether FAR appointment and registration is also required for retail personal advice on relevant financial products.

Common mistakes

  • - Checking FAR but not the Authorised Representatives Register, or the other way around.
  • - Forgetting sub-authorisation limits for a corporate authorised representative.
  • - Letting services drift beyond the written authorisation.
  • - Missing maintain or cease transactions after role, address, product, or licensee changes.

Disclaimer

Information on LicenseCompare is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, regulatory, financial, tax, investment, or professional advice. Licensing requirements depend on facts and change over time. Always consult official regulator materials and qualified professional advisers.