FinCEN Identifier: How to Get One and When to Use It

What Is a FinCEN Identifier?

A FinCEN Identifier (FinCEN ID) is a unique number assigned by FinCEN to an individual or reporting company that has submitted information through the BOI E-Filing system. It is not an EIN, not a tax number, and not shared with the IRS. It exists solely within the FinCEN BOI reporting system.

Individuals receive a FinCEN ID after submitting their personal identifying information (name, date of birth, address, ID document) directly to FinCEN. Reporting companies receive one after filing their initial BOI report.

Why It Exists: The Multi-Entity Problem

Without a FinCEN ID, a beneficial owner who controls five foreign reporting companies must provide their full personal information - legal name, date of birth, residential address, and a copy of their government-issued ID document - on every single BOI report. That means uploading the same passport photo five times and entering the same data five times.

With a FinCEN ID, the owner submits their information once to FinCEN, receives a unique number, and then uses that number on all subsequent BOI filings in place of the full personal details. If the owner’s address changes, they update it once with FinCEN rather than filing corrections on every entity.

How to Get a FinCEN Identifier

1. Go to boiefiling.fincen.gov.
2. Select “Get a FinCEN Identifier” (not “File a BOIR”).
3. Enter your full legal name, date of birth, and current residential address.
4. Upload a clear image of an unexpired government-issued ID (US passport, state driver license, or foreign passport if no US document available).
5. Submit. FinCEN issues the identifier immediately upon acceptance - you receive it on screen and via confirmation.
6. Save the FinCEN ID securely. You will reference it on every BOI report where you appear as a beneficial owner or company applicant.

Privacy of FinCEN ID Data

Information submitted to obtain a FinCEN Identifier is stored in the same Beneficial Ownership Secure System (BOSS) database as BOI reports. It is not public. Access is limited to authorized government agencies (law enforcement, national security, regulators) and financial institutions with the reporting company’s consent, under strict protocols defined in 31 CFR 1010.380(g).

Unauthorized disclosure of BOI data by a government employee is a federal crime punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment under 31 USC 5336(h)(3)(B).

Should You Get One Proactively?

For owners of domestic US LLCs - currently exempt from BOI filing - there is no reason to obtain a FinCEN ID proactively. You are not filing BOI reports, so you have nothing to reference the ID on.

For owners of multiple foreign reporting companies, getting a FinCEN ID before filing BOI reports is strongly recommended. It saves time, reduces errors, and centralizes updates.

If FinCEN later reinstates BOI obligations for domestic companies, getting a FinCEN ID at that point would make sense for anyone with more than one entity. For single-entity owners, the time savings are minimal - you can provide your information directly on the BOI report.

FinCEN ID vs. EIN vs. ITIN

Frequently asked

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