Mission & Vision
The Office for Professional Body AntiMoney Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) is a statutory body established to protect the integrity of the UKs financial system by overseeing professional bodies that provide AML (AntiMoney Laundering) and CTF (CounterTerrorist Financing) supervision. OPBAS works to ensure that these bodies apply consistent, highquality standards, thereby reducing the risk of illicit finance flowing through professional services.
Organisational Structure
OPBAS is governed by a Board of Directors, supported by a senior management team and specialist units.
| Division | Primary Functions |
|---|---|
| Regulatory Oversight Unit | Assess compliance of professional bodies, conduct inspections, issue enforcement notices. |
| Policy & Standards Unit | Develop AML/CTF policy, produce guidance, coordinate with the FCA and HM Treasury. |
| Risk & Intelligence Unit | Analyse emerging moneylaundering trends, share intelligence with lawenforcement. |
| Stakeholder Engagement Unit | Maintain dialogue with professional bodies, industry groups, and the public. |
| Legal & Enforcement Unit | Manage sanctions, prosecutions, and civil actions arising from noncompliance. |
Key Responsibilities
- Supervisory Framework: Design and maintain a riskbased supervisory framework for professional bodies that certify accountants, lawyers, estate agents, and other designated sectors.
- Registration & Accreditation: Approve professional bodies for registration under the Money Laundering Regulations and monitor their ongoing accreditation.
- Inspection & Audits: Conduct periodic inspections of member bodies, reviewing policies, training programmes, and clientonboarding procedures.
- Enforcement: Issue remedial actions, fines, or suspension of registration where serious breaches are identified.
- Guidance Development: Publish sectorspecific AML/CTF guidance, case studies and bestpractice toolkits.
- Collaboration: Work closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to share intelligence.
- Public Reporting: Produce annual reports highlighting supervisory activities, trends and performance metrics.
Guidance & Resources
OPBAS provides an extensive library of downloadable resources to assist professional bodies and their members in meeting AML obligations.
Key Publications
- OPBAS Supervisory Handbook (2024 edition) Detailed supervisory expectations and compliance checklists.
- SectorSpecific AML Guidance for Legal Professionals Guidance on clientidentification, riskbased approach and recordkeeping.
- Risk Assessment Toolkit for Accountancy Firms Templates and scoring matrices.
- Case Study Compendium Realworld examples of moneylaundering schemes and how they were detected.
Training & Events
Regular webinars, workshops and conferences are offered throughout the year. Upcoming events:
- June 24, 2026 Emerging CryptoRelated AML Risks (Online)
- July 15, 2026 Effective Client Due Diligence for Solicitors (London)
- September 5, 2026 Building a Culture of Compliance (Manchester)
Registration is free for members of registered professional bodies.
Contact OPBAS
For enquiries, complaints or to request a supervisory inspection, please use the contact details below.
Office for Professional Body AntiMoney Laundering Supervision10 Smithfield Avenue
London, EC2A 4TP
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)20 79461234
Email: info@opbas.gov.uk
Alternatively, submit an online inquiry through our Contact Form. Responses are typically provided within two business days.
