SIE
Does the SIE expire? The four-year rule
Enter the day you passed and the day a firm would register you: the calculator gives the last valid day and whether the pass will still count.
Until when is my SIE pass good?
SIE valid until
June 20, 2028
| Valid for | 4 years |
| On the registration date | valid, 583 days to spare |
| Once registered | counts as long as you stay registered |
An SIE pass does not last forever. Under FINRA Rule 1210, it stays valid for 4 years from the date you passed it. Within that period, a firm must register you, which in practice means you have also passed the qualification exam the role requires, such as the Series 7 or the Series 6, and the firm has filed your registration. If the 4 years run out first, the SIE has to be taken again, with a new fee of $100 at 2026 rates, before any registration. For example, a pass on June 15, 2026 remains usable until June 15, 2030. Once you are registered, the clock no longer matters while you stay in the industry: the SIE counts as part of your qualification for as long as the registration lasts. If you later leave, the rules for people who leave the industry take over, with their own deadlines and, for qualification exams, the option of the Maintaining Qualifications Program (MQP). Passing early has a cost too: a pass that ends before anyone hires you is a fee paid for nothing. The calculator above gives your own end date from the day you passed.
Your score · SIE
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| Pass: scaled score of 70; here 4 of 5 correct (70%), an approximation |
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The rule in one table
| Situation | What happens to the SIE |
|---|---|
| Passed, not yet registered | valid for 4 years from the pass date |
| Registered through a firm within 4 years | counts for as long as the registration lasts |
| 4 years over, never registered | expired: take the exam again ($100 in 2026) |
| Registered, then left the industry | follows the rules for former registered persons |
Three passes and where they end:
- Passed on March 10, 2023: a firm must register the candidate by March 10, 2027.
- Passed on September 2, 2024: a firm must register the candidate by September 2, 2028.
- Passed on November 20, 2026: a firm must register the candidate by November 20, 2030.
Why the SIE has a limit at all
The SIE was designed to be taken by people outside the industry, before they have a job. A test of general knowledge cannot vouch for that knowledge indefinitely when the person has not been using it, so FINRA gives the pass a fixed life. The representative exams have a comparable logic once you are in: their qualification lapses if you stay away from a registration for too long.
The limit also explains a common surprise: candidates who took the SIE during a degree, then spent some years in another field, find that the pass has run out when a broker-dealer finally makes them an offer. The fix is simple but costs a fee and some revision, which is why the timing of the first attempt is worth a thought.
Planning around the four years
Count backward from when you expect to be hired. A candidate in a training program or a graduate job search can take the SIE a few months before applying, which shows employers commitment while leaving years of validity. A firm that hires you then sponsors the qualification exam; the sponsorship page explains what it files and when.
After you leave the industry
When a registration ends, the firm files a Form U5, and from that date the rules for people out of the industry govern your qualifications. In general a qualification exam lapses after 2 years without a registration. The Maintaining Qualifications Program can extend that, up to 5 years, for people who were registered for at least 1 year, elect it in time and complete continuing education each year, for a fee of $100 a year (MQP page). How these rules apply to your own SIE pass after a departure is set by Rule 1210; a firm's registration staff can confirm your dates before you rejoin. The two-year rule page has a calculator for the lapse and MQP deadlines.
If your pass is about to run out
If a firm is about to hire you and your pass ends soon, tell them: the registration has to be filed before the end date, which leaves little room for a slow onboarding. If it has already expired, budget the fee again (SIE cost) and refresh with the regulatory questions under this text and a full mock. The SIE and Series 7 comparison shows how the two exams combine into a registration.