FinCEN 314(b) Registered Association
Safe Harbor Protection
Advancing AML Collaboration Across Financial Institutions
A national professional association connecting AML practitioners through governed information sharing, regional chapters, education, and peer community.
The Alliance of Financial Institutions for Information Sharing
AFIS is a FinCEN-registered 314(b) professional association that provides AML practitioners with the structure, governance, and community needed to make information sharing work in practice.
Governed Framework
AFIS maintains registration with FinCEN and provides a structured, member-governed framework for 314(b) participation with safe harbor protections.
Professional Community
Connect with AML professionals through regional chapters, peer forums, and collaborative education designed for practitioners.
Institutional Membership
Membership signals that your organization is committed to advancing AML practice through responsible collaboration and professional engagement.
FinCEN
FinCEN guidance recognizes that some institutions may be hesitant to share information directly with competitors and highlights the utility of information sharing through a third-party association.
"To address concerns [financial institutions] may have about the potential disadvantages of sharing such information directly with competitors, the industry may consider the utility of 314(b) sharing through a third-party association that may register with FinCEN, which has been done in other financial sectors."
FinCEN Director - Jennifer Shasky Calvery
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network - 2014 BANK SECRECY ACT CONFERENCE
AFIS Membership Includes
Institutional membership with unlimited staff participation across all capabilities.
Information Sharing
FinCEN-registered 314(b) collaboration delivered in-person and online, with secure tools supporting direct exchanges and group collaboration.
Chapter Meetings
Quarterly regional meetings focused on peer collaboration, industry-led agendas, and regulatory-safe information exchange under 314(b) protections.
AML Education
Practical, program-focused training with guest speakers, subject-matter experts, and chapter-based education addressing regional typologies and risks.
Professional Community
Forums for program improvement, practitioner discussion, and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange through in-person engagement and secure online collaboration.
Secure 314(b) Collaboration Platform
Modern Technology, Professional Standards
Experience the secure messaging and collaboration platform designed specifically for AML practitioners.
1:1 Secure Messaging
Send direct messages to any AFIS member
Group Collaboration
Send messages to groups of AFIS members including by industry or jurisdiction
Hot List Access
Member maintained list of suspicious individuals available to all members
314(b) External Outreach
Send direct messages to any 314(b) participants registered with FinCEN
In-Person Meetings
Attend chapter meetings where you can further share information under 314(b) protections
Professional Forums
Open forums discuss topic and have members contribute their ideas and perspectives asynchronously in structured threads
Protected by Design
Your participation is protected by charter-based scope limits, security standards, and AFIS-association oversight.
End-to-End Encryption
Bank-grade security for all communications
Audit Trail
Complete visibility and compliance tracking
Governed Sharing
Charter-based controls and permissions
Real-Time Collaboration
Instant secure messaging across institutions
FinCEN 314(b) Registered
Safe Harbor Protection
Auditable Records
AFIS maintains auditable records of exchanges, chapter actions, and policy updates. Member institutions remain responsible for their own BSA/AML programs and SAR filing decisions.
How Membership Works
From application to active collaboration in minutes, not months.
Eligibility Confirmation
We verify that your institution is eligible and execute the Participation Agreement.
Secure Onboarding
Designated contacts receive platform access, sharing templates, and orientation to permissible use.
Information Sharing
Share information through structured submissions, requests, and secure member communication tools.
Auditability & Oversight
All exchanges are logged. We maintain governance records, periodic reviews, and correction pathways.
Regional Chapters
Regional chapters bring members together for regular engagement, creating shared context and strengthening professional relationships.
Launching Q1 2026
Nevada Chapter
Serving financial institutions across Nevada with quarterly meetings and regional collaboration.
Oklahoma Chapter
Connecting AML professionals throughout Oklahoma through structured peer engagement.
Quarterly Meetings
Regular in-person engagement with regional peers and industry-led agendas.
Peer Network
Direct relationships with AML professionals facing similar regional challenges.
Local Intelligence
Regional threat briefings and typologies specific to your market.
Frequently Asked Questions
AFIS (Alliance of Financial Institutions for Information Sharing) is a professional community for AML practitioners that enables secure, lawful collaboration across financial institutions. AFIS provides FinCEN-registered 314(b) information sharing (online and in-person), quarterly chapter meetings, professional AML community forums, and AML training.
Section 314(b) of the USA PATRIOT Act is a FinCEN-administered program that enables financial institutions to voluntarily share information related to money laundering and terrorist financing, including customer information, typologies, and indicators, with the benefit of safe harbor protections.
No. When your institution becomes an AFIS member, you do not need to separately register with FinCEN to use AFIS's 314(b) information sharing framework. AFIS is registered as a FinCEN-registered 314(b) information sharing association and provides the governance structure for member participation.
Immediately. There is no implementation project required. Once your institution becomes an AFIS member, your staff can begin using the AFIS platform and participating right away.
It means AFIS maintains the association registration with FinCEN and provides a structured, member-governed framework for 314(b) participation, supported by secure communication tools and community infrastructure.
AFIS supports 1:1 messaging with members, 1:1 outreach to non-member 314(b) organizations, group collaboration (by state, region, or industry), in-person chapter meetings, and a member-maintained Hot List of customers of concern.
The Hot List is a member-maintained list of customers of concern that AFIS members can contribute to and search. Each entry may include customer details, reason for concern, industry tags, jurisdiction, and risk patterns. It is designed for lawful AML information sharing under 314(b) safe harbor protections.
Yes, in the future. AFIS intends to consider certification programs to support deeper knowledge and standards for specialized industries such as gaming, MSBs, crypto, and more.
Apply for Membership
Complete the form to begin your membership application.
Banks • Credit Unions • MSBs • Casinos • Broker-dealers • AML-regulated entities