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Your bank’s charter usually determines who regulates it. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) supervises national banks and federal savings associations. State-chartered banks also have a state regulator, and their primary federal supervisor depends on whether they are members of the Federal Reserve System. FDIC deposit insurance is a separate role, so an FDIC-insured bank is not necessarily supervised primarily by the FDIC.
To identify the regulator for a particular bank, start with its full legal name and location, then look it up in the FDIC’s BankFind/Institution Directory. If it is state-chartered, identify both its state regulator and federal supervisor.
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Which agency regulates each kind of bank?
For national banks and federal savings associations, the OCC is the primary federal supervisor. For state-chartered banks, the state regulator has a supervisory role alongside a federal agency. The federal agency depends on Federal Reserve membership:
| Bank type | Primary federal supervisor | State regulator |
|---|---|---|
| National bank | OCC | No state banking regulator is identified as its chartering regulator in the OCC guidance. |
| Federal savings association | OCC | Federal charter; OCC supervision. |
| State-chartered bank that is not a Federal Reserve member | FDIC | State banking regulator also supervises. |
| State-chartered bank that is a Federal Reserve member | Federal Reserve | State banking regulator also supervises. |
The OCC says that national banks and federal savings associations are chartered and regulated by the OCC. For state nonmember banks, the FDIC describes itself as the primary federal regulator; state-member banks are supervised federally by the Federal Reserve. The OCC’s Financial Institution Lists explain the regulator allocation and provide a route to state banking department contacts through the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS).
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Why FDIC insurance does not identify the bank’s regulator
Deposit insurance and bank supervision are different functions. FDIC insurance concerns protection for eligible deposits; primary supervision concerns oversight of the institution. As the FDIC cautions, it may insure funds at a bank without being that bank’s federal regulator. A bank can therefore have FDIC-insured deposits while another agency is its primary federal supervisor.
When checking a bank, treat “Is it FDIC-insured?” and “Who is its primary supervisor?” as separate questions. The FDIC’s What We Do page describes its insurance and supervisory roles.
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How to find your bank’s regulator
- Find the bank’s full legal name and location. Check a statement, card, or the bank’s official website. A brand or parent-company name may not identify the specific institution that holds the account.
- Search the FDIC BankFind/Institution Directory. Use the exact institution name and location to find its primary supervisor. The FDIC’s Consumer Complaint Process explains how to identify and contact a bank’s regulator.
- If it may be an OCC-regulated institution, check the OCC’s lists. The OCC institution lists identify national banks and federal savings associations regulated by the OCC. The lists on that page are identified as active as of August 31, 2026.
- If it is state-chartered, record both regulators. Note the state banking regulator and whether the bank’s primary federal supervisor is the FDIC or Federal Reserve. The OCC page links to the CSBS directory for state banking department contacts.
- Use the relevant agency’s official consumer contact route. The OCC provides customer assistance for national bank and federal savings association customers; the FDIC consumer complaint page gives a regulator-identification and agency-contact route. The appropriate office can depend on the institution and the issue.
What to know before making a complaint
The regulator lookup identifies an agency to contact; it does not mean one agency handles every banking concern. The OCC’s customer assistance is for customers of national banks and federal savings associations. For other institutions, use the regulator identified through BankFind and the official agency contact route. If you cannot match a brand name, verify the legal institution name and location before submitting a complaint.
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What the agencies do
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
The OCC is an independent bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. It charters, regulates, and supervises national banks and federal savings associations. Its responsibilities include examinations, rules and guidance, charter and branch applications, and corrective measures for noncompliance or unsafe practices.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The FDIC insures deposits and is the primary federal regulator for state-chartered banks that do not join the Federal Reserve System. It also has backup supervisory responsibilities and conducts consumer-protection examinations. Its insurance role should not be mistaken for primary supervision.
Federal Reserve and state banking agencies
The Federal Reserve is the primary federal supervisor for state-chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. State banking agencies also supervise state-chartered banks. Their names and contact processes vary by state; use the CSBS directory linked from the OCC’s institution-list page to find the relevant state department.
Scope of this guide
This guide concerns banks and the OCC, FDIC, Federal Reserve, and state banking regulators. It does not determine who regulates a nonbank lender, credit union, bank holding company, or fintech brand. If the name you have is a financial-services brand rather than the legal name of a bank, identify the institution holding the account before using a bank regulator directory.
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