This guide explains what “validity” means for an AMLC Certificate of Registration (COR), who needs it, how to verify status (and for how long it’s good), when it can lapse or be deactivated, and the practical steps and documents compliance officers should maintain. It is written for Philippine covered persons and their compliance teams.

1) What the AMLC Certificate of Registration is (and is not)

Purpose. The AMLC COR evidences that a covered person has successfully registered with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) through its portal (commonly via goAML) for reporting obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and its rules.
Who needs it. Banks and other BSP-supervised institutions; insurance companies and intermediaries supervised by the IC; entities supervised by the SEC (e.g., financing and lending companies, MSBs/remittance agents, securities brokers/dealers, mutual fund distributors, pre-need, etc.); DNFBPs such as real estate developers/brokers, accountants and auditors when performing covered services, company service providers, dealers in precious stones/metals; casinos and their service providers; and VASPs/VC exchanges.
What it covers. Registration of the legal person or sole proprietor (and sometimes specified branches) and designation of its Money Laundering/Terrorist Financing (ML/TF) Compliance Officer (CO), including contact details used for secure communications and reporting.

2) “Validity period” vs. “registration status”

A frequent point of confusion: many AMLC CORs do not state a calendar expiration date. In Philippine practice, validity is status-based, not time-based:

If your AMLC portal account is Active and your institution’s registration details are current, the COR remains effective.
The COR can become ineffective if the AMLC deactivates, suspends, or archives your account (e.g., due to non-use, failure to update material changes, closure of business, or compliance findings), or if the entity itself ceases to exist.

Working rule: Treat the COR as continuously valid while your AMLC registration is active and up to date. There’s generally no annual “renewal sticker,” but there are ongoing maintenance duties.

3) How to check if your AMLC COR is currently valid

A. Check the document itself

Name and identifiers. Confirm the exact registered name, trade name, SEC/CDA/DTI details, and tax number match your corporate records.
Issue details. Note the issuance date and any reference/registration number shown on the COR or AMLC email confirmation.
CO details. Verify the listed Compliance Officer (and alternate, if any) are current.

If the COR bears no “Valid Until” field, that is not unusual. Move on to system checks.

B. Verify in the AMLC Portal (goAML)

Log in using the institution account (not an ex-employee’s credentials).
Profile status. Look for Active (or equivalent) registration status.
Reporting capability test. Confirm you can access reporting modules (CTR, STR, AMLC requests). Inability to create or submit is a red flag.
User roster. Ensure the current CO and authorized users are enabled; remove inactive accounts.
Message center. Check AMLC communications for notices of deactivation, re-validation, or requested updates.

C. Cross-checks outside the portal

Regulator linkage. If you’re under BSP/SEC/IC, ensure the same entity name and license/secondary license numbers appear consistently in regulator filings—discrepancies can trigger AMLC follow-ups.
Corporate changes. If you’ve had a merger, spin-off, change in ownership/controlling persons, change of corporate name, closure/reopening of branches, or change of principal office, confirm you filed AMLC updates and received acknowledgment.
Audit evidence. Maintain the AMLC acknowledgment emails and screenshots of “Active” status for auditors and board reporting.

4) Situations that affect validity (and what to do)

Scenario	Effect on COR	What you should do
Change of corporate name or primary registration number (SEC/DTI/CDA)	Existing COR details become inaccurate; AMLC may require re-validation	File an update in the portal; upload new primary documents; await AMLC acknowledgment; re-download COR if re-issued
Change of Compliance Officer	Communications and certifications may become misdirected	Update CO and contact details in the portal; secure board resolution/appointment papers
New branch or closure	Coverage scope changes	Update covered locations; ensure branch user provisioning or de-provisioning
Dormant account / non-reporting	Risk of deactivation due to inactivity	Submit required nil reports (if applicable to your sector’s rules) and maintain periodic logins
License suspended or revoked by BSP/SEC/IC	AMLC may suspend/deactivate	Notify AMLC; registration may be re-enabled upon regulator clearance
Cessation of business	COR no longer effective	File a deregistration/closure notice in the portal and retain acknowledgment

5) Documentary trail to keep “on file”

Latest COR (PDF) and issuance email/letter
Portal status screenshot showing Active (date-stamped)
Proof of CO appointment and specimen signature
Evidence of updates (change logs, AMLC acknowledgments)
Regulator licenses/secondary licenses and business permits that tie to the COR details
Board approval of the ML/TF Compliance Program referencing registration particulars

6) Using the COR in day-to-day compliance

Customer assurance. Some counterparties (e.g., banks, casinos, real estate developers) may request your COR as part of onboarding or vendor due diligence. Provide the PDF and, if asked, a status screenshot from the portal.
Regulatory exams. Be ready to show the COR plus evidence that the AMLC account is live and that your reporting pipeline works.
Internal training. Teach staff that “no expiry date printed” ≠ “no maintenance obligations.”

7) Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

Assuming perpetual validity without updates. Material corporate changes must be reflected promptly.
Losing access when a CO resigns. Always maintain at least two admin users and institutional email recovery.
Mismatched names. Use the exact legal name across AMLC, BSP/SEC/IC, and tax records.
Branch sprawl. Unreported branches or closure can create gaps in coverage and audit findings.
Inactivity flags. Long periods without portal activity or submissions can lead to account review or deactivation.

8) Practical checklist: “Is our COR valid today?”

We can log in to the AMLC portal with institutional credentials
Our Profile shows Active status
The CO and authorized users listed are current and enabled
We can open (and if needed, test-stage) the reporting modules
Our COR PDF matches our present legal name, address, license numbers
We have documentation of updates for any recent corporate changes
There are no unresolved AMLC messages requesting action

If any box is unchecked, address it and retain the acknowledgment trail.

9) Governance and board reporting language (sample)

“Management confirms that the institution’s AMLC registration remains active as of [date], with the designated Compliance Officer and alternate duly reflected in the AMLC portal. The AMLC Certificate of Registration does not bear a fixed calendar expiry; its effectiveness is conditioned upon the continued active status of our AMLC account and timely updates of material corporate changes. All changes in ownership, directors, principal office, and branch network during the period have been filed with AMLC, with acknowledgments on file.”

10) Quick Q&A

Does the AMLC COR expire annually? Typically, no fixed annual expiry is printed. Treat validity as continuous while your AMLC registration remains active and current.

Do we “renew” every year? There is usually no calendar-based renewal. You are required to maintain your registration (keep details current, respond to AMLC communications, and maintain reporting capability). AMLC may require re-validation after material changes or if your account is flagged.

We changed our corporate name—do we need a new COR? Yes, you should update your AMLC registration and obtain the amended acknowledgment/COR reflecting the new name.

Our CO left. Can we still rely on the old COR? Not safely. Update the CO immediately; otherwise, you risk missed notices and findings on governance.

11) Action plan if you discover a problem today

Capture evidence (screenshots, emails) of the issue.
Rectify in the portal: update entity/CO/branch info; request reactivation if deactivated.
Document the remediation (internal memo + board/management note).
Test the reporting pipeline (including secure communications).
File any backlogged or corrected reports as instructed by AMLC/regulator.

Bottom line

In the Philippines, the AMLC Certificate of Registration generally functions as a status-based credential: it remains effective so long as your AMLC registration is active, accurate, and usable. Build your compliance routines around regular portal checks, prompt updates on corporate changes, and clean documentation—that’s how you keep your COR “valid,” even without a printed expiry date.