County administrative board

Read more about the county administrative board and how the authority operates within the scope of anti-money laundering supervision.

Glossary
County administrative board

Explained – what does the county administrative board do?

The Swedish County Administrative Boards (Länsstyrelserna) are regional state authorities with broad responsibilities in civil protection, the environment and business. In anti-money laundering (AML), several—though not all—County Administrative Boards act as supervisory authorities over certain obliged entities under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Act (2017:630). Supervisory responsibility is concentrated to the County Administrative Board of Stockholm County, the County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland County and the County Administrative Board of Skåne County. This includes, for example, estate agents, gaming operators, auditors and other professionals within scope. In these matters, many firms also work with an AML lawyer or an anti money laundering lawyer to ensure proper compliance and to access pragmatic aml compliance services across Europe.

We have compiled the full list of sectors subject to the County Administrative Boards’ supervision in an earlier post.

When does the county administrative board become relevant?

Supervision becomes particularly relevant where an obliged entity operates with an elevated money laundering risk or risk of terrorist financing. This may involve licensing, ongoing compliance monitoring, or follow-up on suspected non-compliance. In such cases, the County Administrative Board may issue a request for documentation, conduct site visits and require remedial measures. Engaging an aml lawyer or anti money laundering lawyer, and leveraging aml compliance services, can help prepare for such interactions.

Illustration of AML supervision by a county administrative board, showing identity verification and compliance approval in an official authority setting.

Points to consider in relation to the county administrative board

Obliged entities under County Administrative Board supervision must work systematically to meet AML requirements. The following points are frequently emphasised in supervisory work:

Carry out a general risk assessment that is updated continuously and reflects current risk exposure assessment.
Ensure that governance documents—aml policies, aml procedures and risk assessments—are recorded and available for inspection, including a clear documentation trail.
Train staff so they recognise suspicious behaviours and know how to act, including suspicious transaction reporting and aml roles and responsibilities.
Maintain customer due diligence procedures—know your customer procedures and, where appropriate, enhanced due diligence procedures—calibrated to the business’s risk profile.
Establish clear aml governance with defined accountability for AML across the organisation.
Be prepared to evidence traceability requirements in controls, for example through control logging and robust documentation.

County administrative board

Why is the county administrative board important?

The County Administrative Boards are key actors in preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. Through supervision they ensure that obliged entities operate in a correct and structured manner under the law.

The authorities also provide practical guidance to obliged entities on how to apply the rules in practice. This means that the County Administrative Boards not only monitor but also help foster a shared understanding of the framework.

For businesses, an effective relationship with the County Administrative Board strengthens credibility with customers, partners and society at large. It signals order and transparency—core to long-term trust and effective economic crime prevention.

The authority supervises certain obliged entities to ensure compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Act. Supervisory responsibility is concentrated in Stockholm, Västra Götaland and Skåne. Firms often seek support from an AML lawyer, an anti money laundering lawyer and specialist aml compliance services.

Action may follow where an obliged entity fails to meet legal requirements, for example if customer due diligence is missing or the general risk assessment is deficient. The authority may require measures and, in some cases, impose administrative fines.

Estate agents must maintain clear customer due diligence procedures and reporting processes. Deficiencies may lead to intervention, making it vital to document and regularly update processes and controls.

Several sectors are supervised, most commonly:

Estate agents
Gaming operators
Auditors and accounting consultants
Businesses trading in high-value goods

All must comply with the Anti-Money Laundering Act and report suspicious transactions to the Swedish Financial Intelligence Unit (Finanspolisen).

The authority scrutinises obliged entities that may be exploited for money laundering or terrorist financing. By monitoring compliance and requiring improvements, weaknesses are identified early—reducing vulnerabilities and strengthening economic crime prevention.

The difference primarily concerns scope. The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) supervises banks, insurers and investment firms, while the County Administrative Boards oversee other sectors such as estate agents and gaming operators. Both operate within the same legal framework.