{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/financial-services-and-markets-act-2000/section-20",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/financial-services-and-markets-act-2000/section-20.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2000/8",
  "legislation_title": "Financial Services and Markets Act 2000",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/financial-services-and-markets-act-2000",
  "path": "section/20",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "20",
  "heading": "Authorised persons acting without permission.",
  "text": "(1) If an authorised person other than a PRA-authorised person carries on a regulated activity in the United Kingdom, or purports to do so, otherwise than in accordance with permission—\n(a) given to that person under Part 4A, or\n(b) resulting from any other provision of this Act,\nhe is to be taken to have contravened a requirement imposed on him by the FCA under this Act.\n(1A) If a PRA-authorised person carries on a regulated activity in the United Kingdom, or purports to do so, otherwise than in accordance with permission given to the person under Part 4A or resulting from any other provision of this Act, the person is to be taken to have contravened—\n(a) a requirement imposed by the FCA, and\n(b) a requirement imposed by the PRA.\n(2) A contravention within subsection (1) or (1A)—\n(a) does not, except as provided by section 23(1A), make a person guilty of an offence,\n(b) does not, except as provided by section 26A, make any transaction void or unenforceable, and\n(c) does not, except as provided by subsection (3), give rise to any right of action for breach of statutory duty.\n(3) In prescribed cases a contravention within subsection (1) or (1A) is actionable at the suit of a person who suffers loss as a result of the contravention, subject to the defences and other incidents applying to actions for breach of statutory duty.\n(4) Subsections (1) and (1A) are subject to section 39(1D).\n(5) References in this Act to an authorised person acting in contravention of this section are references to the person acting in a way that results in a contravention within subsection (1) or (1A).",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(1) inserted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 9 para. 2(2)(a) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 20(1)(a) substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 9 para. 2(2)(b) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Word in s. 20(1) substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 9 para. 2(2)(c) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 20(1A) inserted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 9 para. 2(3) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 20(2) substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 9 para. 2(4) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(3) substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 9 para. 2(5) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "S. 20(4)(5) inserted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 9 para. 2(6) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 20 excluded (1.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/2636, arts. 1(2)(b), 62(1)-(4); S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)S. 20 applied (1.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/2636, arts. 1(2)(b), 62(5); S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)S. 20 modified (31.10.2001) by S.I. 2001/3374, art. 1, Sch. para. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 20 modified (31.10.2004) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Transitional Provisions) (Mortgages) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/2615), arts. 1(2)(b), 5, Sch. para. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 20 modified (14.1.2005) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Transitional Provisions) (General Insurance Intermediaries) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/3351), arts. 1(2)(b), 5, Sch. para. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 20 modified (6.4.2007) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1969), arts. 1(3), 7, Sch. para. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "S. 20 modified (30.6.2008 for certain purposes, otherwise 1.1.2009) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/3510), arts. 1(2), 7(1)(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "S. 20 modified (1.7.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 30.6.2010) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1342), arts. 1(2), 34, {Sch. paras. 1, 2}"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C7",
      "text": "S. 20 modified (2.4.2013) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/655), arts. 1, 10(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C8",
      "text": "S. 20 modified (1.4.2015) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/369), arts. 1, 7(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C9",
      "text": "S. 20(1)(1A) excluded (22.7.2013) by The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1773), regs. 1, 76(2), 78(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C10",
      "text": "S. 20(1)(1A) excluded (temp.) by S.I. 2013/1773, reg. 72(6B)(a) (as inserted (16.6.2014) by The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/1292), arts. 1(2), 4(5)(b))(as amended by S.I. 2014/1313, arts. 1, 2(a))"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 20 wholly in force at 1.12.2001; s. 20 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 431(2); s. 20(3) in force for certain purposes at 25.2.2001 by S.I. 2001/516, art. 2(b), Sch. Pt. 2; s. 20 in force in so far as not already in force at 1.12.2001 by S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/8/section/20",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:21:21.899993+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}