NASAA Form NF, the Uniform Investment Company Notice Filing, is the form a mutual fund, closed-end fund, or unit investment trust uses to tell a state that it plans to sell its shares there. Any registered investment company offering “covered securities” under Section 18(b)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 files this notice with each state where its shares will be sold, usually through NASAA’s Electronic Filing Depository.
Getting one box wrong can stall a launch. If you check the wrong filing type or skip the Form U-2 consent, the state can reject the notice, and you cannot legally offer shares until it clears. With more than 9,000 mutual funds and thousands of UIT series sold across all 50 states, fund groups file tens of thousands of these notices each year, and even a small error can delay sales by weeks.
In this guide, you will learn:
- 📋 What Form NF is, who must file it, and the law that requires it
- 🗂️ Every document and number you need before you open the form
- ✍️ A line-by-line walkthrough of each item and box, with example entries
- 👥 Three full filled-out scenarios for a mutual fund, a closed-end fund, and a UIT
- 💸 How to file, what fees apply by state, and what happens after you submit
What Form NF Is and Who Must File It
Form NF is the Uniform Investment Company Notice Filing, a single template adopted by state securities regulators through the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA). The form tells a state that a federally registered investment company intends to offer its shares to that state’s residents. It is a notice, not a registration. The fund is already registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, so the state cannot review the merits of the offering. The state simply receives notice and collects a fee.
The form exists because of the National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, known as NSMIA. NSMIA made mutual fund shares “covered securities” and stripped states of the power to register them. In exchange, Congress let states keep a notice-filing and fee system. Form NF is the tool that delivers that notice in a uniform way across dozens of jurisdictions.
Who files it? Any open-end mutual fund, closed-end fund, or unit investment trust that sells shares to residents of a notice-filing state. In practice the work is done by the fund’s transfer agent, fund administrator, blue sky compliance team, or outside counsel. A fund’s distributor or broker-dealer does not file in its own name; the notice always names the investment company itself as the issuer.
You file it when you do four main things: start selling in a new state (initial filing), keep selling past your notice period (renewal), change basic facts (amendment), or report sales for fee purposes (sales report). New York adds a wrinkle: under Article 23-A of the General Business Law, the form must be filed before any sale or offer, and a separate form is required for each individual fund or portfolio.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Gather everything below before you open the form. Missing one item is the top reason a filing stalls, because the state cannot process an incomplete notice and will hold it until you supply the gap.
- Exact legal name of the investment company. The state cross-references this name against SEC EDGAR records, and a mismatch triggers a hold while staff verify the fund.
- Principal business address of the fund. This is the issuer’s address, not the distributor’s; using the wrong one routes official mail to the wrong place.
- CIK number from EDGAR. This is the Central Index Key that links your notice to the SEC filing, and without it the state cannot confirm federal registration.
- Federal Employer ID number (EIN) of the fund or trust. Some states require it; leaving it blank in those states bounces the filing.
- SEC registration number (the 811- number) for the investment company, used where the state asks for it.
- List of every portfolio, series, and share class you plan to offer, because trust-level and series-level states need this to know what they are clearing.
- The correct state filing fee and your payment method, since an underpayment is treated as no payment and the notice is not deemed filed.
- A completed Form U-2 Consent to Service of Process, unless one is already on file in that state, because the consent is legally separate from Form NF.
- The current prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (SAI), since some states require you to attach them and all states can demand them later.
- The name, title, and contact details of the authorized agent who will sign, because an unauthorized signature voids the certification.
Aisha, a paralegal at a fund administrator, keeps a “blue sky binder” with the CIK, EIN, and 811- number for each fund so she never hunts for them at filing time. That habit alone cuts her error rate to near zero.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official Form NF lives on NASAA’s site as the Uniform Investment Company Notice Filing, and most states adopt that exact template. Some states post their own branded copy with state-specific instructions, such as the New York version (rev. 5/18) from the Investor Protection Bureau. Always confirm you have the current version by checking the revision date printed at the bottom of the page; New York’s, for example, reads IPB Form NF – (rev. 5/18).
Most filings today run through NASAA’s Electronic Filing Depository (EFD), a web system that lets you complete Form NF, pay fees, and submit to multiple states at once. EFD handles open-end mutual fund notices, closed-end notices, and, since a 2019 expansion, Form NF-UIT notices for unit investment trusts. You first create a filer account, verify it, and add your funds before drafting a notice.
Not every state is on EFD for every product. UIT filings, for example, are accepted electronically only in the states listed on the EFD UIT page, and a few jurisdictions still take paper. For those, you download the PDF, complete it, and mail it with a check. States like Utah and Ohio post their own access pages with local rules.
Marcus, filing his small advisory firm’s first fund, learns this the hard way: he assumes every state is on EFD, then finds one that still wants paper. Checking each state’s access method first would have saved him a scramble.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form NF Line by Line
Work through the form in order. Use the exact item numbers and labels printed on the form, type in capital letters where the field expects a name, and write dates as MM/DD/YYYY. Below, each item gets its own breakdown.
Header: State File No. and Notice to the State/Commonwealth
The header asks two things: a State File No. and the State/Commonwealth receiving the notice. In plain English, it is asking “which state is this going to, and does that state already have a file number for you?” Leave the State File No. blank on a first-time filing, because the state assigns it; fill it in on renewals and amendments using the number the state gave you.
To answer, write the full state name on the “Notice to the State/Commonwealth of” line, such as New York. On a renewal, copy the State File No. from your prior acknowledgment, for example IC-2023-44871.
A nuance: if you file in many states through EFD, the system tracks file numbers for you, so you rarely type them by hand. An edge case is a fund that filed years ago on paper and now files electronically; you may need to locate the old paper file number for continuity.
A common mistake is guessing a file number or reusing another fund’s number, which links your notice to the wrong record and can credit your fee to a different fund. A misconception is that the State File No. is the same as your SEC number; it is not, it is a state-assigned tracking number unique to each jurisdiction.
Item 1: Name of Issuer
This item asks for the legal name of the investment company making the notice filing. The instructions are blunt: do not use the name of the broker-dealer or distributor. The issuer is the fund or trust itself.
Enter the full registered name exactly as it appears on EDGAR, in title case, such as Evergreen Equity Income Fund. If the fund is a series of a trust, name the trust or the series as the state requires under Item 4.
A nuance: when a single trust holds many funds, New York requires a separate Form NF for each individual fund or portfolio, so you repeat Item 1 for each one. An edge case is a recently renamed fund; you put the current name here and the former name in Item 3.
A common mistake is entering the distributor’s name, like ABC Distributors LLC, instead of the fund’s name, which causes the state to reject the notice because the named entity is not a covered security issuer. A misconception is that the management company’s name belongs here; the adviser manages the fund but is not the issuer.
Item 2: Address
This item asks for the issuer’s mailing address. It wants where the fund or trust receives official correspondence, not the law firm’s or transfer agent’s address unless that is the fund’s address of record.
Write the street address, city, state, and ZIP on the two lines provided, such as 100 Market Street, Suite 1200, Boston, MA 02110. Match the address used in the fund’s SEC filings when you can.
A nuance: many funds use the fund administrator’s address as the address of record, which is fine as long as it is consistent across filings. If you have a P.O. Box, use it only if the state accepts it; some require a street address for service.
A common mistake is entering the contact person’s personal office address here instead of the fund’s address, which splits your records and sends notices to the wrong place. A misconception is that this address controls where Form U-2 service of process goes; it does not, the U-2 governs service, and Item 2 is only the mailing address.
Item 3: Type of Filing
This item asks what kind of filing you are making and what product it is. You check all that apply across two groups: the product type (Open-end Mutual Fund, Unit Investment Trust, Closed-end Mutual Fund) and the action (Initial Filing, Renewal Filing, Amendments, Exemption Filing, Termination, Withdrawal, Sales Report, Increase Dollar Amount, or Other).
To answer, check one product box and one action box at minimum. A new mutual fund entering a state checks Open-end Mutual Fund and Initial Filing. For a name change, you also fill the “For name changes, provide former name” line, such as formerly Evergreen Growth Fund. For amendments, you describe the change on the “specify nature of the change(s)” line.
A nuance: amendments include a fund name change, a new fiscal year end, or a correspondent change; reorganizations and mergers go under Other with a written explanation. The NASAA instructions say if you are unsure of the category, use Other and explain.
A common mistake is checking Initial Filing on what is really a renewal, which can cause a duplicate fee or a rejected notice because the state already has an active file. A misconception is that Amendments covers everything that changed; large structural changes like a reorganization belong under Other with a narrative, not the amendment box.
Item 4: Description of Securities, Fund, Portfolios, and Classes
This item asks what you are offering and at what level. It wants a plain description of the security, the fund name, and any portfolios or classes, plus the issuer’s fiscal year end and whether everything sits in one prospectus.
Enter the security description first, such as Shares of beneficial interest. Then list the fund name, then each portfolio and class to the level the state requires. Answer the “Are all of the securities described on this form offered in one prospectus?” question by checking Yes or No.
A nuance is the level of detail. In a trust-level state you may not need portfolio and class detail, but you attach a full list of portfolios or classes. In a series-level or prospectus-based-fee state, you file a separate Form NF for each portfolio or prospectus and list every security in that prospectus, as the EFD UIT reporting page describes by state. Fiscal year end is not required for UITs, since their filing period runs with SEC effectiveness.
A common mistake is filing one trust-level notice in a series-level state, which leaves some share classes unauthorized for sale even though you thought you covered them. A misconception is that listing the trust automatically covers every new fund added later; new portfolios usually need their own notice or amendment.
Item 5: Contact Person
This item asks who the state should call with questions about the filing. It wants a real person, not just a firm name, with full contact details.
Enter the contact’s name, firm, address, city, state, ZIP, telephone, fax, and e-mail. For example, Aisha Bello, Northstar Fund Services, 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116, (617) 555-0142, abello@northstarfs.com.
A nuance: the contact person does not have to be the signer in Item 13, and often is not; the contact is usually the compliance specialist who manages the filing day to day. An edge case is outside counsel acting as contact, which is fine as long as the e-mail is monitored.
A common mistake is listing a generic mailbox or a person who has left the firm, so state questions go unanswered and the filing stalls. A misconception is that this field is optional; states use it as their first point of contact, and a bad entry slows every follow-up.
Item 6: CIK#, Federal ID#, Broker-Dealer, CRD No., and Fiscal Year
This item gathers the cross-reference numbers that tie your notice to federal records. It asks for the CIK# (EDGAR), the Federal ID# (EIN) if applicable, the Broker-Dealer name, the broker-dealer’s CRD No., the SEC Registration No. where required, and the Fiscal Year End.
Enter the CIK exactly as it appears on EDGAR, such as 0001234567. Add the fund’s EIN, like 81-2233445, in states that require it. Name the distributing broker-dealer and its CRD number, for example Evergreen Distributors LLC, CRD 145678.
A nuance: Federal ID numbers exist only at the fund or trust level, not per class, so you use the trust’s EIN. Fiscal year end is left blank for UITs, since it does not apply. The SEC Registration No. is the 811- number for the investment company.
A common mistake is transposing digits in the CIK, which breaks the cross-reference and forces the state to verify the fund by hand, delaying the notice. A misconception is that the broker-dealer’s CRD makes the broker-dealer the filer; it does not, the issuer is still the fund, and the CRD is only reference data.
Item 7: Notice Period
This item asks when your notice coverage starts and ends. It gives three choices: enter a specific Beginning Date and Ending Date, elect that the filing is effective upon filing, or elect that the period begins with SEC effectiveness.
Check one option. For a definite period, write 07/01/2026 to 06/30/2027. Many funds check “effective upon filing” for a clean start date. If you elect the SEC-effectiveness option, you agree to give the state prompt notice when the SEC declares the registration effective.
A nuance: not every state offers all three options, because the notice period is set by each state’s law or policy. If you begin the period on SEC effectiveness, the period ends on the date a renewal is required, so track that renewal date closely.
A common mistake is choosing an option the state does not allow, which voids the period selection and can leave you unauthorized between dates. A misconception is that the notice period matches the SEC’s effective date automatically; it only does so if you elect that option and follow through with prompt notice.
Item 8: Notice Fee, Sales Report Fee, and Other Fee
This item asks how much you are paying. It has lines for the Notice Fee, a Sales Report Fee if applicable, an Other Fee with an explanation line, and a box for No Filing Fee Required.
Enter the exact state fee on the Notice Fee line, such as $1,200.00 for a four-year New York filing. Add any sales report fee, and use the Other Fee line for things like an expedite charge, with a short explanation.
A nuance: fees vary widely by state and product, so always confirm the current amount on the state’s page before you enter it. New York charges $1,200.00 valid for four years with a $30.00 amendment fee, per the NY Form NF instructions.
A common mistake is entering a stale fee from a prior year, which underpays the state and means the notice is not deemed filed until you make up the difference. A misconception is that checking No Filing Fee Required is a shortcut; it applies only where the state truly charges nothing, and misusing it bounces the filing.
Item 9: Basis for Calculating the Filing Fee
This item asks how your fee was figured. It offers boxes for Indefinite Amount, Definite Amount with a dollar line, Exemption Filing, and Net Assets with a dollar line.
Check the basis that matches your registration. Open-end funds with indefinite share registration usually check Indefinite Amount. A closed-end fund offering a fixed dollar amount checks Definite Amount and writes the figure, such as $50,000,000.
A nuance: in states that charge a percentage fee on a definite amount, the dollar figure here drives the fee math, so it must match your prospectus offering size. For net-asset-based states, you enter the net assets figure used for the calculation.
A common mistake is checking Indefinite Amount for a closed-end fund that is really offering a definite dollar amount, which produces the wrong fee and a rejected filing. A misconception is that this item is informational only; in fee-by-amount states it is the basis the regulator uses to verify your payment.
Item 10: Increase Dollar Amount Filings
This item applies only when you raise the dollar amount of securities reported during your notice period. It asks for the Previous Amount of Securities, the Amount of Increase, and the Cumulative Amount of Securities.
Fill these only if you checked Increase Dollar Amount in Item 3. For example, a fund that previously reported $25,000,000, then adds $15,000,000, writes a cumulative figure of $40,000,000.
A nuance: this item matters most in definite-amount states where fees scale with the dollars offered, because the increase triggers an added fee. Indefinite-amount funds rarely touch this item.
A common mistake is reporting only the increase and leaving the cumulative line blank, which leaves the state unable to confirm your total authorized amount. A misconception is that an increase filing replaces the original notice; it supplements it, so the cumulative figure must reflect the full amount, not just the new dollars.
Item 11: Sales Report
This item collects sales data for states that charge fees based on shares actually sold. It asks for the Period Covered, the Balance at beginning of period, Increases during period, Amount available for sale, Sales during the period, and the Unsold balance at end of period. Place N/A in any blank that does not apply.
Enter the reporting dates and dollar figures, such as a period of 01/01/2026 to 12/31/2026, a beginning balance of $10,000,000, sales of $4,000,000, and an unsold balance of $6,000,000.
A nuance: only definite-amount or sales-report states need this, and the report often comes due annually or at renewal. Indefinite-amount funds usually mark the whole item N/A.
A common mistake is leaving the item entirely blank instead of writing N/A, which makes the state think you missed required data and may hold the filing. A misconception is that sales reports are optional housekeeping; in sales-report states they directly set the fee you owe, and a missed report can mean a penalty.
Item 12: Uniform Consent to Service of Process
This item asks how you are handling the consent that lets the state’s officials accept legal service on your behalf. You select one: the consent was previously filed and is incorporated by reference, the consent is attached, or it is Not Applicable with an explanation.
Check the box that fits. A first-time filer attaches a completed Form U-2 and checks Is attached. A fund with a U-2 already on file in that state checks previously filed and incorporates it by reference.
A nuance: the U-2 is a separate document from Form NF, and a corporate filer may also need Form U-2A, the Uniform Corporate Resolution. Massachusetts, for example, lists the U-2 (and U-2A if applicable) as a required companion under 950 CMR 13.306.
A common mistake is checking previously filed when no U-2 is actually on record, which leaves the state without a valid consent and stops the filing cold. A misconception is that signing Form NF also gives consent to service; it does not, the U-2 is the only document that does that.
Item 13: Signatures
This item is the certification and signature block. The signer certifies, under penalties of perjury, that the notice is executed with the issuer’s authority, that the information is current, true, and complete, and that the shares are Covered Securities under Section 18(b)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.
Enter the date, the issuer’s name on the “For” line, the authorized agent’s signature on the “By” line, then the printed name and the agent’s title. For example, For: Evergreen Equity Income Fund, By: [signature], Janet Cho, Assistant Secretary.
A nuance: in EFD the signature is electronic, applied when an authorized user submits; on paper it must be a manual signature, as Utah notes for paper filers. The signer must hold authority from the issuer, often shown by a corporate resolution on Form U-2A.
A common mistake is having someone without issuer authority sign, which makes the perjury certification invalid and can void the entire notice. A misconception is that this is a routine formality; it is a sworn statement, and false information here carries real legal exposure.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Below are three common fact patterns, each walked through the form by a named filer.
Scenario 1 — Janet files an open-end mutual fund initial notice in New York via paper.
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| Notice to State of | New York |
| Item 1, Name of Issuer | Evergreen Equity Income Fund |
| Item 3, Type of Filing | Open-end Mutual Fund + Initial Filing |
| Item 4, Description | Shares of beneficial interest; one prospectus: Yes |
| Item 5, Contact Person | Janet Cho, Northstar Fund Services, Boston, MA |
| Item 6, CIK# | 0001234567; Federal ID 81-2233445 |
| Item 7, Notice Period | Effective upon filing |
| Item 8, Notice Fee | $1,200.00 (valid four years) |
| Item 12, Consent | Is attached (Form U-2 enclosed) |
| Item 13, Signature | For: Evergreen Equity Income Fund, By Janet Cho, Assistant Secretary |
Scenario 2 — Marcus files a closed-end fund definite-amount notice in a fee-by-amount state.
| Form Section | What Marcus Enters |
|---|---|
| Notice to State of | Ohio |
| Item 1, Name of Issuer | Harbor Strategic Income Fund |
| Item 3, Type of Filing | Closed-end Mutual Fund + Initial Filing |
| Item 4, Description | Common shares of beneficial interest |
| Item 6, CIK# / SEC No. | 0007654321 / 811-23456 |
| Item 7, Notice Period | Beginning 07/01/2026, Ending 06/30/2027 |
| Item 8, Notice Fee | state fee per Ohio page |
| Item 9, Basis | Definite Amount $50,000,000 |
| Item 12, Consent | Previously filed, incorporated by reference |
| Item 13, Signature | For: Harbor Strategic Income Fund, By Marcus Reed, Treasurer |
Scenario 3 — Aisha files a unit investment trust notice through EFD.
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| Filing system | NASAA EFD UIT module |
| Item 1, Name of Issuer | Liberty Municipal Trust, Series 42 |
| Item 3, Type of Filing | Unit Investment Trust + Renewal Filing |
| Item 4, Description | Units of beneficial interest; fiscal year left blank (UIT) |
| Item 4, Level | trust or series level per state requirement |
| Item 6, CIK# | 0009988776 |
| Item 7, Notice Period | Begins with SEC effectiveness |
| Item 8, Fee | paid in EFD by ACH |
| Item 12, Consent | Previously filed, incorporated by reference |
| Item 13, Signature | electronic submission by Aisha Bello, authorized filer |
Across all three, the issuer is always the fund or trust, never the distributor, and the consent to service is always handled in Item 12.
How to File the Completed Form
Form NF can be filed electronically or, in some states, on paper. Choose the channel your target state accepts, and keep proof of every submission.
- Electronic via EFD (most states). Submit at the Electronic Filing Depository. You complete the form online, select your states, and pay by ACH or credit card. Processing is usually immediate to a few business days, and your proof of filing is the EFD confirmation and downloadable receipt you should save as a PDF.
- Online UIT module (participating states). Unit investment trust notices go through the EFD UIT system for the states that accept them. Payment is by ACH; keep the system confirmation as proof.
- By mail (paper states such as New York). Print the form, attach Form U-2, and mail it with payment to the state agency. For New York, send to the Investor Protection Bureau, NYS Department of Law, 28 Liberty Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10005, with a fee of $1,200.00 by attorney’s check, company check, certified check, bank check, or money order; personal checks are not accepted, per the NY instructions. Keep a copy and your certified-mail receipt as proof.
- In person or by the state’s portal. A few states post their own pages, such as Utah’s securities page or Indiana’s filing page, which list the local address, fee, and accepted payment.
Whatever the channel, the notice is “deemed made” only when the agency receives a complete filing with the correct fee, so confirm both before you consider yourself authorized.
What Happens After You File
After you submit, the state logs the notice and assigns a State File No. if it is your first filing in that jurisdiction. In EFD, the system records the submission instantly and posts a confirmation to your filer account. On paper, New York deems the notice made when it arrives at the listed address, and staff contact you only if the filing is incomplete or inconsistent with their records.
Once the notice is on file and the fee clears, the fund may offer and sell its shares to residents of that state for the length of the notice period. There is no merit review and no approval letter in the registration sense; the absence of a deficiency notice is your green light. Keep your confirmation, because it is your evidence of authority if a regulator or a distributor asks.
Watch your renewal date. Most notice periods run for a set term, often one year, though New York’s runs four years. If you let the period lapse, your authority to sell ends, and continuing to sell can expose the fund to a stop order or penalty. Calendar each state’s renewal well ahead, and file amendments promptly when a name, fiscal year, or other key fact changes.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Naming the distributor in Item 1. The state rejects the notice because the named entity is not the covered-security issuer.
- Checking Initial Filing on a renewal. This can create a duplicate file and a wasted fee while the state sorts out the conflict.
- Skipping Form U-2. Without a valid consent to service, the state will not deem the filing complete.
- Filing trust-level in a series-level state. Some share classes stay unauthorized, and sales of them become illegal.
- Entering a stale fee. Underpayment means the notice is not deemed filed until you cure the shortfall.
- Transposing the CIK number. A broken cross-reference forces manual verification and delays clearance.
- Leaving Item 11 blank instead of N/A. The state may treat the filing as missing required data.
- Choosing a notice-period option the state does not allow. The period selection is void, leaving coverage gaps.
- Using a generic or outdated contact in Item 5. State questions go unanswered, and the filing stalls.
- Letting the notice period lapse. The fund loses authority to sell and risks a stop order.
- Mixing up definite versus indefinite amount in Item 9. The wrong basis produces the wrong fee and a rejection.
- Having an unauthorized person sign Item 13. The perjury certification is invalid and can void the notice.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Do match the issuer name to EDGAR exactly, because the state cross-checks it and a mismatch triggers a hold.
- Do confirm the current fee on the state’s own page, since fees change and a stale figure underpays.
- Do attach or reference a valid Form U-2, because the consent is legally separate and required.
- Do calendar every renewal date, so you never sell on a lapsed notice.
- Do save your EFD or mailing confirmation, because it is your proof of authority to sell.
- Do file New York before any sale or offer, as Article 23-A requires the notice up front.
Don’t:
- Don’t name the broker-dealer as the issuer, because only the fund is the covered-security issuer.
- Don’t guess the State File No., since a wrong number links your notice to the wrong record.
- Don’t leave required blanks empty; use N/A so the state knows you addressed the item.
- Don’t reuse last year’s fee amount blindly, because an underpayment voids the filing.
- Don’t assume every state is on EFD, since some still require paper and a check.
- Don’t let a non-authorized person sign, because the sworn certification would be invalid.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
| Filing on Your Own | Filing With a Service or Counsel |
|---|---|
| Lower cost, since you avoid professional fees | Higher cost from service or legal fees, but predictable |
| Full control over timing and data entry | Less direct control, but expert oversight catches errors |
| Builds in-house blue sky knowledge over time | Instant access to multi-state expertise and fee tables |
| Risk of fee or field errors that delay launch | Lower error and rejection risk from experienced filers |
| Heavy time burden tracking 50 states’ rules | Time saved through software and managed renewals |
Filing yourself works well for a single fund in a few states, because the cost savings are real and the volume is manageable. A large fund complex selling in all states usually leans on a transfer agent, fund administrator, or counsel, because tracking fees, renewals, and state-by-state rules across hundreds of series is too much to handle by hand. Many groups use NASAA’s EFD for the mechanics and keep counsel on call for edge cases like reorganizations.
FAQs
Do I put the fund’s name or the distributor’s name in Item 1?
Yes — you put the investment company’s legal name. The NASAA instructions say plainly not to use the broker-dealer or distributor name, because only the fund is the issuer.
Do I need to file a separate Form NF for each fund in New York?
Yes — New York requires a separate Form NF for each individual fund or portfolio, and the notice must be filed before any sale or offer.
Do I leave the State File No. blank on a first filing?
Yes — leave it blank on an initial filing, because the state assigns the number, then use that number on later renewals and amendments.
Do UITs report a fiscal year end in Item 6?
No — fiscal year end is not required for unit investment trusts, since the filing period runs concurrently with SEC effectiveness.
Do I need Form U-2 if it was already filed in that state?
No — if a valid U-2 is on file, you check the “previously filed” box in Item 12 and incorporate it by reference instead of attaching a new one.
Do all states use the same Form NF fee?
No — fees vary by state and product; New York, for example, charges $1,200 for four years, while other states use different amounts or formulas.
Do I check Indefinite Amount for an open-end mutual fund?
Yes — most open-end funds register an indefinite number of shares, so they check Indefinite Amount in Item 9 rather than a definite dollar figure.
Do I file Form NF through EFD?
Yes — most states accept Form NF through NASAA’s Electronic Filing Depository, though some still require paper filing by mail.
Do I list every share class in a trust-level state?
No — in a trust-level state you may not need class detail in the boxes, but you attach a list of all portfolios or classes.
Do reorganizations go in the Amendments box?
No — reorganizations are reported under “Other” in Item 3 with a written explanation, not the standard amendments box.
Do I owe a fee for an amendment?
Yes — many states charge an amendment fee, such as New York’s $30.00, which you remit with the amended form.
Do I need to renew the notice filing?
Yes — notice periods expire, so you must file a renewal before the period ends or lose your authority to sell in that state.
Do I have to attach the prospectus?
No — not always; only some states require the prospectus or SAI up front, but every state can demand it later under the form’s binding agreement.
Do I have to sign under penalty of perjury?
Yes — Item 13 is a sworn certification, so an authorized agent must sign and confirm the information is current, true, and complete.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out SEC Form N-1A (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out SEC Form N-2 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Illinois Securities Form NF (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out NASAA Form U-1 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out NASAA Form U-2 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out NASAA Form U-7 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out SEC Form S-1 (w/Examples) + FAQs