File a Complaint

The Bureau of Financial Institutions is a division within the Virginia State Corporation Commission. The Bureau has jurisdiction over Virginia state-chartered financial institutions and certain out-of-state entities that have been granted authority to do business in the Commonwealth.

It is important to remember that the Bureau does not act as your attorney and cannot give legal advice. If a complaint involves the company's internal procedures or guidelines we will try to provide you with suggestions on other ways to pursue the complaint, such as through a consultation with a private attorney and / or initiating a court proceeding.  

If the Bureau of Financial Institutions has authority

Information about how the Bureau may assist you, how to file a complaint, an explanation of the complaint process, and some general complaint guidelines can be found in the Consumer Services and Complaint Information brochure.

If you are not sure if the entity with which you are dealing is regulated by the Bureau, you can Verify a License

If the Bureau of Financial Institutions does not have authority

The Bureau does not have the authority to assist you with complaints involving entities and individuals who are not, and are not required to be, chartered, licensed, registered or otherwise subject to regulation or supervision by the State Corporation Commission. Some institutions are regulated by federal government agencies. For example:

• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (phone 1-800-613-6743) or online at www.helpwithmybank.gov.
  • Commercial banks having the word "National" or using the initials "N.A." (national association) in their title,
  • Savings banks and savings and loan associations having the word "Federal" in their name or which use the initials FSB (federal savings bank), FSA (federal savings association), FA (federal association) or FSLA (federal savings and loan association) are organized under and subject to federal law.  
• National Credit Union Administration (phone 1-800-755-1030) or online at www.ncua.gov.
  • Federally regulated credit unions are similarly identified by the word "federal" in their name. 
• If the complaint relates to a mortgage loan that is secured by a property outside of Virginia, you should contact that state's banking authority.

Below, you will also find a list of some of the largest institutions operating in Virginia that are regulated by other agencies. Please contact the primary regulator for that financial institution for assistance.

The list above is non-exhaustive. If you do not see your institution in the table above, please search the FDIC's BankFind Suite to determine what type of charter (state, national) your bank has.