Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update—Extension to Relief from Fingerprinting Requirements - 21 July 2020

The CFTC's Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight (DSIO) recently issued Staff Letter No. 20-20 extending its temporary relief provided in CFTC Staff Letter No. 20-16. This relief was granted to registrants and applicants for registration listing a principal, and for applicants for associated person (AP) registration from fingerprinting requirements. The temporary relief, originally scheduled to expire on July 23, 2020, now extends through the earlier of September 30, 2020 or the date on which NFA notifies the public that it has resumed processing fingerprints.

NFA Registration Rules 204(a)(2)(A) and 206(a)(1)(A) impose similar fingerprinting requirements for natural person principals of registrants and applicants for registration and AP applicants, respectively. Therefore, NFA is also extending its temporary relief from these requirements as detailed in NFA's Notice to Members I-20-20, for registrants and applicants for registration that satisfy the requirements of the CFTC's Staff Letter.

Persons relying on this relief will be required to submit the required fingerprints to NFA within thirty days of NFA announcing the resumption of fingerprint processing.