Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval

The SEC began developing an electronic disclosure platform in 1983. In 1984, the agency launched EDGAR as a pilot program. The system was initially intended for voluntary filers, and it remained voluntary until 1992, when the SEC made an operational submission platform more widely available in 1992 and a year later, it began adopting mandatory electronic filing rules.^[3][4]

The agency initiated mandating electronic filings through EDGAR in early 1993,^[5] and, following a three-year phase-in, required all public company filings to be submitted through EDGAR, rather than on paper, by May 6, 1996.^[6] On November 4, 2002, the SEC also began requiring foreign companies and foreign governments to submit filings through EDGAR. Before then, electronic filing by foreign companies had been voluntary.^[7] In September 2024, the SEC adopted EDGAR Next, under which individuals acting on behalf of filers use credentials obtained through Login.gov to access EDGAR accounts and make filings.^[8]

EDGAR's search tools allow users to locate filings by company name, ticker symbol, or Central Index Key (CIK), and to search the full text of electronically filed submissions dating back to 2001.^[9][10] It also provides access to recent filings as they are submitted, making it a central tool for tracking new corporate disclosures.^[11]

Not all SEC filings by public companies are available on EDGAR. As of May 6, 1996, all public domestic companies were required to submit their filings through EDGAR, except for filings made on paper under a hardship exemption. Third-party filings relating to those companies, such as tender offers and Schedule 13D filings, are also filed through EDGAR.^[12]

EDGAR includes a wide range of filings, including registration statements, annual and quarterly reports, proxy statements, and beneficial ownership reports.^[13][14]

The vast majority of documents are now filed electronically, and the system processes about 4,700 filings per day.^[15]

Historically, annual reports to shareholders, except in the case of mutual fund companies, did not have to be submitted on EDGAR, although some companies did so voluntarily.^[16] By contrast, the annual report on Form 10-K is required to be filed on EDGAR. Beginning January 11, 2023, filers were also required to submit "glossy" annual reports to security holders electronically on EDGAR.^[17][18]