Incorporated societies reregistration requirement with the Companies Office

Published 30 January 2026

If your charity is an incorporated society, you must take action with the Companies Office before 5 April 2026.

If your charity is still registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908, you must do one of the following:

  • Apply to reregister under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 to continue operating as an incorporated society
  • Change to a different legal structure
  • Wind up the organisation. 

What happens if you do not meet the deadline? 

If your society does not take action with the Companies Office by 5 April 2026 it will cease to exist.

This means you will no longer be an incorporated society and:

  • You will no longer be able to make decisions on behalf of your society, including what happens to any assets it owns.
  • Contracts may become void (including funding agreements, leases and insurance policies).
  • Members could be held personally liable.

For registered charities, this also means you are at risk of deregistration with Charities Services, as you will no longer meet the registration requirements. 

Determining if reregistration is required 

You can confirm whether your charity is an Incorporated Society by searching the Incorporated Societies Register.

If your charity is an incorporated society, it will show which Act you are registered under. You need to take action if it is still registered under the 1908 Act.

If your organisation is not an incorporated society, you do not need to take any action.  
 
If you are unsure what your legal structure is, check your rules document. 

What reregistration with the Companies Office involves 

Reregistration with the Companies Office is not automatic. It takes time so it is important to act now to ensure you meet the deadline.

To reregister your society needs to:

  1. Prepare a constitution that meets the requirements of the 2022 Act and review its operational processes.
  2. Hold a general meeting to approve the decision to reregister and adopt the new constitution.
  3. Apply to reregister online through the Companies Office website. 

Your details must also be updated with Charities Services 

No matter which option your organisation chooses with the Companies Office (reregistering, changing your legal structure, or winding up) you must keep your charity’s information up to date with Charities Services.

After you have made changes with the Companies Office, log into your charity’s online account on our website and complete an Update Details form.

Where to get further guidance 

Full guidance is available on the Companies Office support hub: