How to Get a CUSIP

CUSIP Application Assistance

CUSIP Assistance. Apply for assistance with a CUSIP number

CUSIP register assistance services codes for Long Term Notes

Many ask how to get a Cusip. The registration process for a CUSIP number can vary from debt to equity securities. Even within the debt securities field you will find corporate bonds, notes 144A, Reg S, accredited investor requirements and other rules to comply with, depending on the issuance or service you need. This is true as well for equity where one might need to process a CUSIP for an initial public offering, IPO, a private placement, while a hedge fund may need to register a CUSIP for its participating shares, and a mutual fund may need multiple CUSIPs for their various share classes (fund of funds as well). What is the definition of CUSIP? The acronym CUSIP historically refers to the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, which was founded in 1964.

Application - CUSIP Assistance Form

CUSIPs - like ISIN codes - are used for various reasons, such as clearing and settlement, identification purposes for multiple securities classes such as share classes or bond or note tranches. CUSIPs are popular and mainly processed in the United States and Canada. They are a nine digit codes, while the ISIN is 12 digits (and LEI codes are 20 characters, as a reference).

CUSIPs are also registered to offshore entities such as in domiciles like Cayman Islands, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Bahamas and other areas. These jurisdictions also issue ISINs along with the CUSIP number. In addition to the CUSIP or ISIN codes, most of the world's jurisdictions as it relates to securities identification numbers often require a Legal Entity Identifier, or an LEI code, which is a 20 character code that is designed to identify at the corporate or entity level. While the CUSIP number and the ISIN code identify at the securities level (such as identifying the class of stock, bonds, notes, etc), the LEI code 'just' identifies the corporate entity. It is now quite common for European agencies to require either an ISIN (or in the US a CUSIP), and an LEI code, and indeed several hundred thousand companies have now applied and registered an LEI number for their corporation.

CUSIPs are used in the clearing and settlement, such as with The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, or DTCC in the United States (while in Europe the ISIN code is used to clear with such agencies as Euroclear and Clearstream).

If your mutual fund needs to obtain a CUSIP identifier number and need services assistance in this process feel free to use our application assistance form.