Regulation D - Rules Governing the Limited Offer and Sale of Securities Without Registration Under the Securities Act of 1933

Link to an amendment published at 76 FR 81806, December 29, 2011.

Authority:   Sections 230.501 to 230.506 issued under secs. 3(b), 4(2), 19(a), 19(c), 48 Stat. 75, 77, 85; sec. 209, 48 Stat. 908; c.122, 59 Stat. 167; sec. 12, 78 Stat. 580; 84 Stat. 1480; sec. 308(a)(2), 90 Stat. 57; sec. 18, 92 Stat. 275; sec. 2, 92 Stat. 962; secs. 505, 622, 701, 94 Stat. 2291, 2292, 2294 15 U.S.C. 77c(b), 77d(2), 77s(a), 77s(c).

Source:   Sections 230.501 through 230.506 appear at 47 FR 11262, Mar. 16, 1982, unless otherwise noted.

Preliminary Notes: 1. The following rules relate to transactions exempted from the registration requirements of section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 (the Act ) (15 U.S.C. 77a et seq., as amended). Such transactions are not exempt from the antifraud, civil liability, or other provisions of the federal securities laws. Issuers are reminded of their obligation to provide such further material information, if any, as may be necessary to make the information required under this regulation, in light of the circumstances under which it is furnished, not misleading.

2. Nothing in these rules obviates the need to comply with any applicable state law relating to the offer and sale of securities. Regulation D is intended to be a basic element in a uniform system of Federal-State limited offering exemptions consistent with the provisions of sections 18 and 19(c) of the Act. In those states that have adopted Regulation D, or any version of Regulation D, special attention should be directed to the applicable state laws and regulations, including those relating to registration of person who receive remuneration in connection with the offer and sale of securities, to disqualification of issuers and other persons associated with offerings based on state administrative orders or judgments, and to requirements for filings of notices of sales.

3. Attempted compliance with any rule in Regulation D does not act as an exclusive election; the issuer can also claim the availability of any other applicable exemption. For instance, an issuer's failure to satisfy all the terms and conditions of Rule 506 shall not raise any presumption that the exemption provided by section 4(2) of the Act is not available.

4. These rules are available only to the issuer of the securities and not to any affiliate of that issuer or to any other person for resales of the issuer's securities. The rules provide an exemption only for the transactions in which the securities are offered or sold by the issuer, not for the securities themselves.

5. These rules may be used for business combinations that involve sales by virtue of rule 145(a) (17 CFR 230.145(a)) or otherwise.

6. In view of the objectives of these rules and the policies underlying the Act, regulation D is not available to any issuer for any transaction or chain of transactions that, although in technical compliance with these rules, is part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration provisions of the Act. In such cases, registration under the Act is required.

7. Securities offered and sold outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S need not be registered under the Act. See Release No. 33–6863. Regulation S may be relied upon for such offers and sales even if coincident offers and sales are made in accordance with Regulation D inside the United States. Thus, for example, persons who are offered and sold securities in accordance with Regulation S would not be counted in the calculation of the number of purchasers under Regulation D. Similarly, proceeds from such sales would not be included in the aggregate offering price. The provisions of this note, however, do not apply if the issuer elects to rely solely on Regulation D for offers or sales to persons made outside the United States.

[47 FR 11262, Mar. 16, 1982, as amended at 47 FR 54771, Dec. 6, 1982; 55 FR 18322, May 2, 1990]