SF Fire Credit Union
Easy SF / San Mateo / Marin live/work/worship/school · ASI insured (not NCUA)
Insurance caveat (read first): SF Fire Credit Union deposits are insured by American Share Insurance (ASI) — a private, credit-union-owned fund — not by the NCUA (federal share insurance) and not by the FDIC. Their ASI disclosure states the institution is not federally insured and describes Primary Share coverage of $250,000 per account type in their example table. This is a hard NCUA-vs-ASI difference from most Joinable listings. Confirm current coverage on sffirecu.org before depositing.
Who can join
Live/work/worship/school in San Francisco, San Mateo, or Marin County
How hard
Easy
Fees / share
$5 one-time membership fee (non-refundable)
ATM notes
CO-OP Network ATMs no fee / no surcharges (fee schedule)
- Official name
- San Francisco Fire Credit Union (SF Fire Credit Union)
- Charter / type
- ASI insured — not NCUA / not federally insured. American Share Insurance primary share insurance. Do not treat as NCUA-insured.
- Field of membership (summary)
- Despite the name, membership is not exclusive to firefighters. Published join path: prove you live, work, worship, or attend school in San Francisco, San Mateo, or Marin County (paystub, company letter, school registration/student ID if ID does not show eligibility).
- Join steps (as published)
- Join online or in branch. Need unexpired government photo ID, SSN/TIN, proof of eligibility for the three-county path, and funding. In-branch: cash or check for funding plus the one-time $5 membership fee.
- Fees (only if published)
- Membership (non-refundable): $5.00 (fee schedule). Checking: no monthly fee (fee schedule). Other fees: see personal fee schedule — not fully transcribed.
- ATM / network notes
- Use of SF Fire ATMs: no fee. Use of CO-OP Network ATMs: no fee and no ATM surcharges. ATM surcharge rebates and out-of-network rules published on fee schedule.
- Branches serving Bay Area
- San Francisco HQ published (3201 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94118) plus other Bay branches — use sffirecu.org locator.
- Caveats
- ASI ≠ NCUA. Three-county path only on pages reviewed — not all Bay Area counties. Name does not limit membership to firefighters, but FOM geography still applies.
- Join difficulty rationale
- Easy — published SF / San Mateo / Marin live/work/worship/school path with $5 membership fee; ASI insurance disclosed up front.
Sources
Not a guarantee: Meeting the published field of membership does not mean you will be approved. Credit unions still run identity checks (CIP) and their own account rules.
Last verified: 2026-10-25 (America/Los_Angeles). Confirm eligibility and fees on the credit union’s site before applying. Membership always subject to CU approval and identity verification.