/>iOn September 27, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted rule and form amendments aimed at improving access to and management of accounts on its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system (collectively referred to as EDGAR Next). The rollout of EDGAR Next began on March 24, 2025. For additional information regarding the nature and substance of the amendments, or for questions regarding any of the terms (e.g., account administrator, user, delegated entity) used below, please see this client alert.
New EDGAR filers (i.e., filers possessing EDGAR accounts established on or after March 24, 2025) are automatically subject to and compliant with EDGAR Next. Such filers are not required to take any action in connection with the rollout of EDGAR Next.
Existing EDGAR filers (i.e., filers possessing EDGAR accounts established prior to March 24, 2025) must complete a one-time enrollment in EDGAR Next. The frequently asked questions below are intended to help existing filers understand and prepare for enrollment.
1. What is enrollment?
Enrollment is the one-time process through which filers bring their existing EDGAR accounts into compliance with EDGAR Next. Enrollment is completed on the EDGAR Filer Management Dashboard and is entirely electronic; existing filers are not required to prepare, execute or notarize documents as part of enrollment. The enrollment process is designed to take a matter of minutes from start to finish.
2. Who needs to enroll?
All filers possessing EDGAR accounts established prior to March 24, 2025, must enroll in EDGAR Next.
3. Do filers that file using third-party providers (e.g., filing agents or law firms) need to enroll?
Yes. All filers — regardless of whether they file using filing agents, law firms, or other third-party providers — must enroll in EDGAR Next. Many providers are offering to assist filers with the enrollment process.
4. When must filers enroll?
To avoid filing disruptions, enrollment must be completed by the close of business on September 12, 2025. Enrollment can only be performed during EDGAR operational hours (6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays).
Beginning September 15, 2025, compliance with EDGAR Next is required of all filers. Filers can continue to enroll between September 15 and December 19, 2025, but will be unable to submit filings during that time until enrolled.
Enrollment closes on December 19, 2025, at which time unenrolled filers will lose access to their existing EDGAR accounts, become unable to file on EDGAR, and be required to reapply for renewed access on Form ID. It is recommended that all filers enroll in EDGAR Next by September 12, 2025.
5. Is there a downside to enrolling early?
No. Enrollment does not impact a filer’s ability to access existing EDGAR websites using legacy processes. (See Question 10.)
6. What is needed to enroll?
To enroll in EDGAR Next, filers must provide the Central Index Key (CIK), the current* CIK Confirmation Code (CCC) and the current* passphrase.
*CCCs and passphrases last refreshed prior to September 2019 are not considered current and cannot be used to enroll. Filers can confirm and/or refresh CCCs and passphrases by following the instructions in the SEC’s related guide.
Filers must also provide the following information in respect of each initial account administrator:
- Name
- Email address associated with the account administrator’s business login.gov account
- Business address
- Business telephone number
The filer should also be prepared to select the quarter-end by which it will perform its first annual confirmation (i.e., March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31). This selection can be changed at any time following enrollment.
7. Who can complete enrollment for a filer?
Filers may authorize any trusted third party — such as a filing agent or law firm — to complete enrollment on their behalf.
A third party selected to manage enrollment for a filer will see sensitive information about the filer’s account, including existing access and filing codes. Enrollment may only be completed once, and the process of enrollment automatically resets a filer’s CCC. For these reasons, a filer should carefully consider whom the filer will authorize to enroll it and ensure that no one attempts to enroll it without authorization.
8. Do individuals with EDGAR accounts (e.g., Section 16 filers) need to manage their own enrollment?
No. Individuals may authorize a trusted third party to handle enrollment.
Furthermore, individual filers that do not wish to obtain login.gov credentials or administer their own EDGAR accounts following enrollment are not required to do so. Individual filers are not obligated to act as their own account administrators.
9. What should filers do after enrollment?
Immediately after enrolling, a filer’s initial account administrators should provision all duly authorized third parties (e.g., users, account administrators, and delegated entities) with access to the filer's account.
Enrollment automatically resets a filer’s CCC, which will continue to be required to validate EDGAR filings. To avoid filing interruptions, initial account administrators should add relevant individuals and delegate authority to relevant entities as soon as possible following enrollment. This is especially important for filers that engage multiple third-party providers.
10. Will EDGAR Next change the existing EDGAR filing websites?
No. EDGAR Next will not change the existing EDGAR Filing and Online Forms websites; however, beginning September 15, 2025, filers must be enrolled in EDGAR Next in order to file on EDGAR. EDGAR Next will likewise not change EDGAR’s public search or retrieval systems.
11. Does EDGAR Next require use of APIs?
No. API use is completely optional. APIs are intended to help automate and bulk-process EDGAR submission and retrieval requests and are expected to be used primarily by filing agents, not individual filers.
If a filer has questions about whether a third-party filing agent uses APIs, the filer is encouraged to contact the agent directly.
12. Where can filers find additional help?
The SEC has published a series of “How Do I” Guides in connection with the rollout of EDGAR Next. See the Understand and Enroll in EDGAR Next section for guides related to enrollment, account management and filing under EDGAR Next. Filers with technical questions regarding filing on EDGAR are encouraged to consult the SEC’s EDGAR Filer Manuals.
Takeaways
EDGAR Next enhances security by replacing shared credentials with multifactor authentication and introduces a streamlined, centralized Filer Management Dashboard.
Compliance with EDGAR Next is required of all filers beginning September 15, 2025. To ensure a seamless transition and avoid interruptions in filing capabilities, filers are encouraged to enroll early.
