FINRA regulatory notice: CE deadline is December 31, 2026

The news: FINRA published an information notice on Aug. 3 reminding registered persons and member firms of their continuing education (CE) obligations under FINRA Rule 1240. The 2026 Regulatory Element courses have been assigned and must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026. The notice also points firms to tools for building their Firm Element training plans.

Why it matters: Registered persons who miss the Dec. 31 deadline are automatically designated CE inactive by FINRA. Firms can ask FINRA to extend the time for a registered person to complete the Regulatory Element, but only for good cause shown and with a written request and supporting documentation. Adding or dropping a registration can change an individual’s assigned learning plan, so the course load can shift during the year.

Registered persons take the courses through their Financial Professional Gateway (FinPro Gateway) account. FINRA advises users to confirm that their email addresses and phone numbers are current so they receive notices. Those who must reactivate a dormant account are told to allow several business days.

The big picture: Rule 1240 has two parts. The Regulatory Element is annual training that every registered person must complete for each registration held. The Firm Element requires each firm to keep its own CE program. At least once a year a firm must evaluate and prioritize its training needs and write a training plan that reflects its size, structure, business activities and regulatory developments, plus supervisory training where the analysis calls for it. Rule 1240 allows firms to count training on the anti-money laundering program and the annual compliance meeting toward an individual’s Firm Element requirement.

The notice lists several resources:

• Earlier deadlines: Firms can set a completion date earlier than Dec. 31 in FINRA Gateway and show it in automated notifications, FinPro Gateway or both.
• Notifications and monitoring: Firms can schedule automated reminders and use report templates to track each person’s CE status through the year.
• Content catalog: FINRA’s Financial Learning Experience (FLEX) catalog holds FINRA-developed courses, including eLearning from its Crypto & Blockchain Education Program. Use is optional, and FINRA says it plans to add third-party and other self-regulatory organization courses later.
• CE Council materials: The Securities Industry Regulatory Council on Continuing Education publishes FAQs, a guide to Firm Element programs, a needs analysis template and a planning document called Firm Element Focus.

What’s next: FINRA says the 2026 learning topics for each registration category, with estimated completion times, are already on FINRA.org, and that by October 2026 it will publish which topics apply to each category for 2027 Regulatory Element learning plans. FINRA and the CE Council have also announced topics under consideration for 2027. Firms can use both lists when drafting next year’s Firm Element plans.