In the United States, whether you need a securities license to ask someone to invest in your bank largely depends on the specifics of what you're offering and how you're offering it:

If you're offering investments like stocks, bonds, or other securities, you generally need to be registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and hold appropriate securities licenses, such as the Series 7 license for general securities or Series 63 for state law compliance. This includes activities like selling shares of your bank if it's publicly traded or issuing new securities.

If you're only dealing with accredited investors (individuals or entities with significant income or net worth), some exemptions from registration might apply, but this depends on the nature of the offering and compliance with regulations like Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933.