Q: I am opening new bank accounts for people displaced by the recent hurricane. What information or identification do the Bank Secrecy Act or related regulations require me to obtain to open an account?

A: Bank Secrecy Act regulations require banks to obtain certain information about a person before opening a new account and to verify the identity of individuals within a reasonable time thereafter.

Under the interagency Customer Identification Program rules, before opening an account, a bank must obtain, at a minimum, an individual's