To find a DTC number, download the DTC Participant List from the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s website and search the file for your brokerage’s legal entity name. The four-digit code next to that name is the DTC number you’ll give the receiving firm when you move an account. The catch is that the number belongs to whichever firm actually clears the trades, which is often not the brand on your statements.
DTC Numbers for Major Brokerages
Most searchers just need the code for a well-known firm. The numbers below come from the DTC Participant Alphabetical Listing dated January 30, 2026. Where a firm has more than one number, the primary one shown here is the one used for customer transfers; the others handle internal functions like securities lending.
- Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.: 0164
- National Financial Services LLC (Fidelity’s clearing firm): 0226
- Vanguard Marketing Corporation: 0062
- E*Trade Securities LLC: 0385
- Robinhood Securities, LLC: 6769
- Interactive Brokers LLC: 0534
- Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated: 0671
- Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC: 0050
- J.P. Morgan Securities LLC: 0187
- Pershing LLC: 0443
- Apex Clearing Corporation: 0158
- Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC: 0141
These are the numbers for the clearing entities, not the consumer-facing brand names.1DTCC. DTC Participant in Alphabetical Listing
Looking Up Any Firm on the DTC Participant List
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation publishes a directory of every DTC member on its website in both PDF and Excel formats. Open the file, use your software’s search function, and type the firm’s legal name. The four-digit number appears next to it.2DTCC. Depository Trust Company Member Directories
The list uses legal entity names, not marketing names. Search for “Fidelity” and you won’t find it; the clearing entity is National Financial Services LLC. If a search on the brand name returns nothing, that’s usually why.
When You Can’t Find the Firm at All
If the brokerage isn’t on the participant list, it likely clears its trades through a larger firm rather than holding its own DTC membership. Call the brokerage’s transfer or back-office department and ask for the DTC number used for incoming or outgoing ACATS transfers. Representatives who handle asset transfers will know the number and can confirm which clearing firm processes your account.
Why the Number You Find May Not Match the Brand on Your Statements
Many brokerages don’t clear their own trades. They route transactions through a third-party clearing firm that holds the DTC membership, and it’s that clearing firm’s number you need when you transfer assets.
A handful of clearing firms service dozens of smaller brokerages. Apex Clearing Corporation (0158), Pershing LLC (0443), and National Financial Services LLC (0226) are among the most common.1DTCC. DTC Participant in Alphabetical Listing If you use a smaller or newer brokerage, there’s a good chance your assets sit at one of them.
Your monthly account statement is the most reliable way to identify the clearing entity. Look near the top of the first page, or in the disclosure section, for the legal name of the firm that holds your assets. You can also check FINRA’s BrokerCheck, which lets you search by firm name and shows the entity names a broker-dealer operates under.3FINRA.org. About BrokerCheck
What Else You Need Alongside the DTC Number
The right DTC number gets the request to the right firm. Whether the transfer actually goes through depends on other details matching the delivering firm’s records exactly. Before you submit anything, gather the following:
- Account title. The name on the receiving account must match the name on the delivering account exactly. Even a missing middle initial can trigger a rejection.
- Account type. The transfer instruction must specify whether the account is cash or margin, and this must match the delivering firm’s records. You also cannot transfer between different tax designations (for example, a taxable account into an IRA) through a standard ACATS transfer.
- Social Security number or Tax ID. The delivering firm checks the SSN or Tax ID on the request against its records. If they don’t match, the transfer is denied.
All three fields appear on the Transfer Initiation Form that the receiving firm submits to ACATS.4FINRA.org. FINRA Rules – 11870 Customer Account Transfer Contracts
What Causes Transfers to Get Rejected
If ACATS rejects a transfer, only the receiving firm is notified, so check with your new brokerage if the transfer seems stalled. The most common causes are straightforward data problems you can fix and resubmit:
- Wrong DTC number. You entered the consumer brand’s number instead of the clearing firm’s, or used an outdated number after a merger.
- Account title mismatch. The name on the transfer form doesn’t match the delivering firm’s records exactly.
- SSN or Tax ID mismatch. The number on the request doesn’t match what the delivering firm has on file.
- Account type mismatch. The form says “cash” but the account is margin, or the other way around.
- Pending activity. Open trades, pending deposits, or other unsettled transactions can block a transfer until they clear.
The delivering firm can also take exception if the account holds assets in a restricted status, is subject to a lien, or has a pending legal claim.4FINRA.org. FINRA Rules – 11870 Customer Account Transfer Contracts If a rejection reason isn’t clear, contact the delivering firm’s transfer department; they’re required to explain the issue.
Keep a record of the DTC number you provided, the date you submitted the request, and the names of any representatives you spoke with. If something goes wrong, that trail makes it much easier to sort out.