regulatoryidentification

Regulatory identification is the systematic process of determining and documenting all regulatory obligations that apply to a product, service, project, organization, or activity. The goal is to ensure that an entity understands which laws, rules, standards, and licensing requirements apply across the relevant jurisdictions and regulatory domains, and to translate those obligations into actionable controls.

Its core activities include scoping the regulated footprint (products, processes, markets, channels), mapping regulations by jurisdiction (national, regional, local, industry-specific), and identifying sources such as statutes, regulations, guidance, standards, registration and reporting requirements. It also entails creating an obligation register or mapping that aligns each regulatory requirement with responsible parties, compliance controls, dates, and evidence needs.

Regulatory identification is typically part of a broader compliance program and is often supported by risk assessment to prioritize obligations based on impact and likelihood. It should be integrated into project lifecycle or product development to support timely launch and ongoing compliance, with change management to reflect new or amended laws.

Outputs commonly include a regulatory register, an obligation matrix, a control mapping, and an evidence repository. Tools in the RegTech field, such as automated regulation discovery or product descriptor-based screening, may assist in identifying applicable obligations and maintaining currency.

Challenges include fragmented laws, frequent updates, ambiguity in requirements, and resource constraints. Proper governance, clear ownership, training, and regular audits help maintain accuracy and reduce legal risk, while improving transparency for stakeholders and external reviewers.