Department of Banking and Finance
The Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (Department) is the state agency that regulates and examines Georgia state-chartered banks, state-chartered credit unions, and state-chartered trust companies. The Department also has responsibility for the supervision, regulation, and examination of Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Banks (MALPBs) chartered in Georgia.
Office
In addition, the Department has regulatory and/or licensing authority over mortgage brokers, lenders, processors, mortgage loan originators, check cashers, sellers-issuers of payment instruments, money transmitters, international banking organizations, and bank holding companies conducting business in Georgia.
View the Department's Mission, Vision, Motto and Core Values.
Financial Institutions and financial service providers are subject to strong statutory and regulatory requirements at both the federal and state levels. We share regulatory responsibility for Georgia state-chartered financial institutions with our federal counterparts (FDIC, FRB, NCUA). We are the sole regulatory agency for mortgage lenders and brokers and money service businesses (with the exception of FINCEN and the IRS, which supervise the Bank Secrecy Act, USA PATRIOT Act and other Anti-Money-Laundering efforts).
Who We Regulate
Specifically, the Department regulates the following types of financial institutions and financial service providers doing business in this State.
- Georgia State-Chartered Banks
- Bank Holding Companies
- Georgia State-Chartered Trust Companies
- Georgia State-Chartered Credit Unions
- Georgia-chartered Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Banks (MALPBs)
- Mortgage Lenders, Brokers, Processors and Loan Originators
- Money Transmitters
- Sellers of Payment Instruments
- Check Cashers
- Foreign Banking Organizations
The Department does not regulate national banks (examples: Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase, Citibank, PNC) or federal credit unions, whether operating in Georgia or elsewhere.
