Conference of State Bank Supervisors

What Conference of State Bank Supervisors does

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) is the national membership organization representing state banking and financial regulators from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five territories (American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Founded in the early 1900s (firmographic sources cite 1902; historical timeline cites 1904) and headquartered at 1300 I St NW, Washington, DC, CSBS provides its member agencies with a national forum to coordinate supervision, develop model laws and regulatory policy, and deliver examiner training. State banking regulators that participate through CSBS charter and supervise approximately 4,250 state-chartered banks, representing more than 79% of all U.S. banks.

CSBS's principal technological asset is the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), a centralized platform used by 64 state agencies to manage 461 different license authorities across mortgage, money services businesses, consumer finance, and debt industries. Supporting products include the State Examination System (SES) for coordinated regulatory examinations, NMLS Consumer Access (a public lookup portal), a BSA/AML self-assessment tool for money services businesses, and the Community Bank Sentiment Index (a research product). The organization is currently executing an NMLS Modernization initiative and, in 2025, published its first virtual currency guidance under the Model Money Transmission Modernization Act (adopted in whole or part by 27 states).

As a non-profit, CSBS does not sell commercial products or services. Its revenue model is based on membership dues from state banking agencies, supplemented by fees associated with NMLS licensing services. The organization engages in extensive policy advocacy through formal comment letters to federal agencies on stablecoin regulation, AML/CTF program rules, capital framework proposals, and national bank charter expansions. Leadership is headed by President and CEO Brandon Milhorn, supported by EVP of Policy & Supervision Karen K. Lawson and EVP of Products and Solutions Thomas Harlow. CSBS operates with 51-100 employees and is not publicly traded, venture-backed, or owned by a parent company.

Name

Conference of State Bank Supervisors

Legal name

Conference of State Bank Supervisors

Website

https://csbs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) is a national non-profit membership organization representing state banking regulators from all 50 states, DC, and five U.S. territories. It coordinates supervision of ~4,250 state-chartered banks (79% of U.S. banks) and operates the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) used by 64 state agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Banking Regulation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services Regulators (Banking, Securities, Insurance) (BPAIAOAK)

Keywords

• State bank supervision
• Multistate licensing system
• Regulatory coordination
• Bank examiner training
• Non-depository licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CSBS is a non-profit membership association of state banking regulators that operates the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) used by 64 state agencies to manage 461 license authorities for non-depository financial service providers. It coordinates regulatory policy across all 50 states and U.S. territories, provides examiner training and accreditation, and advocates for state regulatory authority in the dual banking system.

Product overview

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) operates primarily as a regulatory coordination organization rather than a product company. Its main technological offering is the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), a comprehensive platform for licensing and supervising non-depository financial service providers including mortgage lenders, money services businesses, consumer finance companies, and debt collectors. Supporting products include the NMLS State Examination System for conducting examinations, NMLS Consumer Access for public lookup, the Money Services Business BSA/AML Self-Assessment Tool for compliance self-assessment, and the Community Bank Sentiment Index for research. CSBS also provides examiner training programs, accreditation, and certification services. The organization focuses on regulatory policy coordination among state banking regulators rather than commercial product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) A web-based licensing and registry platform used by state regulators to license and register non-depository financial service providers in mortgage, money services businesses, consumer finance, and debt industries. Used by 64 state agencies to manage 461 different license authorities.
• State Examination System (SES) A component of NMLS that enables state regulators to conduct and manage examinations of licensed non-depository entities.
• NMLS Consumer Access A public-facing portal at nmlsconsumeraccess.org allowing consumers to access information about licensed entities and individuals.
• Community Bank Sentiment Index A research and data product that tracks sentiment and conditions in the community banking sector.
• Examiner Training Programs Training, certification, and accreditation programs for state banking examiners, including online training, department accreditation, certification, and graduate school scholarships.
• Money Services Business BSA/AML Self-Assessment Tool An optional Excel-based tool provided by state regulators to help money services businesses assess their Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering compliance risks.

Quantifiable outcome

• State regulators supervised 79% of all U.S. banks through CSBS coordination
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MISMOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSBS partnered with MISMO to develop the Mortgage Compliance Dataset initiative, representing the first coordinated industry-wide effort to standardize regulatory examination compliance data nationally. Version 2.0 of the dataset is publicly available.
• Delaware State LegislaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelaware's Senate Bill 16 banking reform bills incorporate CSBS's Money Transmission Model Act, already adopted by over 30 states. The legislation aims to modernize Delaware banking law for digital money markets and create state licensing framework for stablecoins.
• Asurity TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsurity Technologies sponsors the MISMO Mortgage Compliance Dataset Workgroup that CSBS developed in partnership. The sponsorship supports modernizing compliance workflows and standardized data frameworks.
• State Banking Regulators (27+ states)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Model Money Transmission Modernization Act has been adopted in whole or part by 27 states. CSBS provides guidance under this Act, including virtual currency guidance for money transmitters published June 26, 2025.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): CFPB is the federal consumer financial protection regulator whose jurisdiction overlaps with state supervision of non-depository lenders, debt collectors, and money services businesses — the same entities CSBS licenses through NMLS. Frequent coordination and turf interactions with CSBS.
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC): FDIC is the federal banking regulator that supervises state-chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System. CSBS coordinates with FDIC on examinations of its member institutions and frequently comments on FDIC rulemakings.
• Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN): FinCEN is the Treasury bureau that administers BSA/AML requirements affecting the same money services businesses and state-chartered banks CSBS supervises. CSBS has submitted formal comments on FinCEN AML program reforms.
• Conference of State Bank Supervisors — no direct fintech-licensing peer: There is no private-sector direct peer to CSBS's NMLS franchise; closest adjacent infrastructure providers include state regulators and the SRR (State Regulatory Registry), which CSBS itself operates. Listed for completeness given scarcity of comparables.
• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC): OCC charters and supervises national banks and federal savings associations and has expanded into trust charters and stablecoin oversight. CSBS actively opposes OCC expansions it views as encroaching on state authority, making OCC a key counterpart.

Broad incumbents

• American Bankers Association (ABA): ABA is the largest U.S. banking trade association representing banks of all charter types. While not a regulator, ABA shares CSBS's policy advocacy footprint and frequently partners with or opposes CSBS on federal rulemakings affecting state-chartered banks.
• Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA): ICBA represents community banks nationally and aligns closely with CSBS on dual-banking-system preservation. Its community bank membership overlaps substantially with CSBS-supervised state-chartered institutions, making it both a policy ally and constituency echo chamber.
• Bank Policy Institute (BPI): BPI is a leading policy and advocacy group for large U.S. banks. It engages with CSBS on federal rulemakings affecting bank supervision and has aligned/divergent positions on stablecoin, capital, and trust charter issues that shape CSBS's federal engagement.

Direct peers

• National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS): NASCUS is the structural mirror of CSBS for the credit union industry — a national association of state credit union regulators coordinating supervision, licensing, and policy. Operates a similar membership-funded model with comparable policy-advocacy and examiner-training functions.
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC): NAIC is the insurance-sector equivalent of CSBS: a national forum of state insurance regulators that coordinates solvency oversight, model law adoption, and multistate licensing through its own infrastructure. Operates with analogous member-funded governance and policy coordination model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CSBSNews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csbs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Conference of State Bank Supervisors