Broker-Dealer Record Keeping Requirements: Everything You Need to Know

Keeping spotless books isn’t just a paperwork chore for broker-dealers—it’s a regulatory must-do that can make or break your next audit. Below is a no-fluff rundown of broker dealer record keeping requirements and how to stay ahead of the rulebook without drowning your team in admin work.

Why Record Keeping Matters (and Which Rules Apply)

The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and FINRA spell out exactly what has to be stored, how long you must keep it, and how quickly you must produce it on demand. The heavy hitters are:

SEC Rules 17a-3 & 17a-4 – govern creation, retention, format, and retrieval of records. (SEC)
FINRA Rule 4511 – aligns FINRA books and records with the SEC rules and sets a six-year default retention period when none is specified. (FINRA)

Failure to follow these broker dealer record keeping requirements has racked up more than $1.6 billion in SEC fines since 2021 for off-channel messaging violations. (Reuters)

The Core Requirements at a Glance

Requirement	What It Means for Your Firm
Retention	Most records: 3–6 years; some—like blotters—must be kept for life of the firm.
Format	Electronic files must be stored in WORM (write-once, read-many) or in an audit-trail system that can recreate the original.
Accessibility	Records have to be searchable and downloadable “promptly” in a “reasonably usable” format.
Audit Trail	Every action (create, modify, delete) needs a timestamped log.

What Changed in the 2023 SEC Amendments?

Recent amendments modernized Rule 17a-4 so firms can choose between classic WORM storage and audit-trail-based systems—great news for cloud adopters. They also clarified that you must furnish records along with the audit trail in a usable electronic file when the SEC comes knocking.

Modern Communications = Modern Headaches

Today’s brokers close deals over Microsoft Teams calls, send quick client updates via text, and pick up voicemail on mobile apps. Each channel is a potential compliance landmine if it isn’t automatically captured and archived in line with broker dealer record keeping requirements.

Five Steps to Stay Audit-Ready

Inventory Every Channel
Email, voice, SMS, collaboration tools—if business happens there, it must be captured.
Automate Capture & Archiving
Manual exports invite human error. Votacall’s cloud voice platform integrates calls, voicemails, and recordings into Global Relay’s WORM-compliant archive, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Pick the Right Storage Mode
Decide whether WORM or audit-trail storage (or both) best fit your tech stack and retrieval needs.
Enforce Retention & Disposition Policies
Map each record type to its rule-mandated retention period and automate deletion or legal holds accordingly.
Test Retrieval Early & Often
Quarterly mock audits prove you can deliver a complete record set—plus audit trail—within the SEC’s “prompt” window.

Where Votacall Fits In

Votacall’s voice-first compliance bundle was built for regulated finance.

We...

Capture everything – desk phone, softphone and mobile
Automatically integrate with Global Relay for SEC 17a-4 / FINRA 4511 readiness.
Provide 24×7 U.S. support and white-glove onboarding, so your IT team can focus on revenue, not retention rules.

When compliance is baked into your communications stack, broker dealer record keeping requirements turn from a risk into a competitive advantage.

Ready to Expect MORE from Your Record-Keeping?

Book a demo with Votacall and see how effortless voice compliance can be—no bolted-on recorders, no swivel-chair workflows, just audit-ready archives from day one.