---
title: How to open a US account
group: Getting Started
updated-on: 2026-09-08
subtitle: Open a Light Horse brokerage account from the web application as a U.S. resident — the whole application takes about 3 minutes.
description: Step-by-step guide for U.S. residents opening a Light Horse Securities brokerage account on the web — government ID upload, personal details and SSN, employment and financial profile, investment experience, and account disclosures.
---

This guide walks you through opening a Light Horse brokerage account from the web application as a U.S. resident. The whole application takes about **3 minutes**. You'll upload a government ID, confirm the details we read from it, answer a short set of profile and financial questions, and agree to the account disclosures. When you're done, your application goes to review.

This guide is for applicants who reside in the United States. If you live outside the US, see [How to open an international account](/instructions/getting-started/opening-a-foreign-account) instead.

> ***Have ready:** an unexpired Driver's License or other government-issued ID, and your Social Security Number (SSN). A live photo of the **front and back** of your ID is required.*

## Overview of the Flow

The application is organized into four sections, shown as a progress bar across the top:

1. **Tell us about yourself** — ID upload, personal details, address, SSN, citizenship, marital status, dependents
2. **Tell us more about your employment and financial status** — employment and financial profile
3. **Please share your investment experience** — experience, objective, risk, liquidity
4. **Please review disclosures and agree to the terms** — regulatory questions and disclosure agreements

After the last section you'll land on a **Waiting for Review** confirmation.

## Section 1 — Tell Us About Yourself

1. **Start the application.** On the **Light Horse Account** screen ("Open an account in under 3 minutes"), you'll see the documents you need to prepare: a **Driver's License / Government Issued ID** — a live photo of your unexpired ID is required. Click **Upload Government Issued ID** to begin. If you don't have one, use the **I don't have a Government Issued ID** link instead.
2. **Upload the front and back of your ID.** On the **Upload your Driver's License / Government Issued ID** screen, add a photo for both the **FRONT** and **BACK** slots. This information is used for account-opening verification only.
    - Use **Re-upload** on either slot to replace a photo.
    - Click **Continue** when both sides are uploaded.
    - Prefer to type your details instead? Use the **Manual Input** link.
3. **Review what we read from your ID.** On the **Tell us about yourself** screen, we pre-fill your details from the ID photo. A banner reminds you: *"Here's what we see from the picture. If any info is incorrect, edit the input boxes or Upload again."* Check each field and correct anything that's wrong:
    - **Personal Information** — First Name, Middle Name (optional), Last Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Document expiration date
    - **Address** — Country, Address, Apt, suite or unit (optional), City, State, Postal Code
    - Click **Looks good!** to continue, or **Try another photo** to re-scan your ID.
4. **Enter your SSN.** Type your SSN and click **Continue**.
5. **Confirm citizenship.** Confirm the country (e.g., *United States of America*) and click **Continue**.
6. **Marital status.** Choose one: **Single**, **Married**, **Divorced**, or **Widowed**, then click **Continue**.
7. **Number of dependents.** Enter the number (e.g., 0, 1, 2) and click **Continue**.

## Section 2 — Employment and Financial Status

1. **Employment status.** Choose one: **Employed**, **Self Employed**, **Retired**, **Student**, or **Unemployed**, then click **Continue**.
2. **Employment information.** If you're employed or self-employed, fill in information about your job — Company / Employer name, Position, Years, and Industry — then click **Continue**.
3. **Financial status.** Select a range for each (all are dropdowns, e.g., *$50,001 – 100,000*): **Annual Income**, **Liquid Net Worth**, and **Total Net Worth**. Click **Continue**.

## Section 3 — Investment Profile

1. **Investment experience.** Choose one: **None**, **Limited**, **Good**, or **Extensive**, then click **Continue**.
2. **Investment objective.** Choose one: **Speculation**, **Growth**, **Income**, **Capital Preservation**, or **Other**, then click **Continue**.
3. **Risk tolerance.** Choose one: **High**, **Medium**, or **Low**, then click **Continue**.
4. **Importance of liquidity.** Choose one: **Very Important**, **Somewhat Important**, or **Not Important**, then click **Continue**.

## Section 4 — Disclosures and Terms

1. **Answer the regulatory questions.** Answer **NO** or **YES** to each, then click **Continue**:
    - Are you or a family member a senior executive or 10% or greater shareholder of a publicly traded company?
    - Are you or a family member employed with a member firm of a stock exchange or FINRA registered broker dealer?
    - Are you or a family member a senior political figure (SPF) or politically exposed person (PEP)?
    - Do you want to provide a trusted contact person?
2. **Review disclosures and agree.** Open and review each linked document:
    - Light Horse Customer Agreement
    - Light Horse Terms & Conditions
    - Light Horse Privacy Policy
    - Light Horse Form CRS
    - Light Horse Extended Hours Disclosure
    - Light Horse Fractional Trading Disclosure
    - Light Horse Fully Paid Lending Disclosure
    - Light Horse Market Data Disclosure
    - Light Horse Low Priced Securities Disclosure
    - Apex Customer Agreement
    - Apex Privacy Policy
    - Apex MSLA and Fully Paid Lending Disclosure
    - Apex FDIC Sweep Terms
3. **Submit.** Tick **I agree to all of the above**, then click **Continue** to submit your application.

> *Answering **YES** to any of the first three regulatory questions, or to the trusted-contact question, will prompt you for additional details.*

## Done — Waiting for Review

You'll land on the **Waiting for Review** screen:

> *"Your application has been successfully submitted. You will be notified with any status updates via e-mail or app message."*

Use **View Application Information** to review what you submitted at any time.

## Quick Reference

| Section | Screens |
|---------|---------|
| Tell us about yourself | ID upload (front/back) → confirm personal info & address → SSN → citizenship → marital status → dependents |
| Employment & financial | employment status → employment info → financial status |
| Investment profile | investment experience → objective → risk tolerance → liquidity |
| Disclosures & terms | 4 regulatory questions → review disclosures → agree → submit |
| Result | Waiting for Review |

## Tips & Troubleshooting

- **Blurry or unreadable ID?** Use **Re-upload** on the ID upload screen or **Try another photo** on the *Tell us about yourself* screen. A clear, unexpired ID reads best.
- **Fields read incorrectly from the photo?** You can edit any pre-filled box directly on the *Tell us about yourself* screen.
- **Want to skip the photo entirely?** Use **Manual Input** on the ID upload screen and type your details.
- **Go back a step:** use the **Back** link at the top-left of each screen.
- **No Government Issued ID?** Choose **I don't have a Government Issued ID** on the first screen.

Got questions? Ask us at [newaccounts@lighthorse.io](mailto:newaccounts@lighthorse.io).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How long does it take?

Verification is typically **instant** and most applications are approved automatically within minutes. In some cases manual review may be required, which can take up to **2 business days**. You'll receive an email notification when your account is approved.

### What happens if verification fails?

If we cannot verify your identity automatically, our team will contact you by email to request additional documentation. Common reasons for manual review include a blurry photo, name discrepancies, or an expired ID.

### Can non-U.S. residents open an account?

Yes, except some restricted countries from the [blocked jurisdictions list](/instructions/getting-started/restricted-countries). See [How to open an international account](/instructions/getting-started/opening-a-foreign-account) for the steps.

### What is the minimum deposit to open an account?

The minimum initial deposit is $100.