Registered Australian bodies

Key points:

Becoming a registered Australian body allows certain entities to operate across Australia.
A registered Australian body is not a legal entity but a type of registration.
It is mostly used by incorporated associations.
Registration comes with obligations.
There is a process to apply for registering as an Australian body.

About registered Australian bodies

A registered Australian body is not a type of legal entity, like a company or an incorporated association is. It is a registration that allows certain entities to operate across Australia when they would not usually be allowed to. These include:

incorporated associations
some body corporates
unincorporated bodies.

By registering with ASIC they can carry out their activities Australia-wide.

For example, Fantastic Football Club is registered as an incorporated association in NSW. The club decides it wants to expand into Queensland. To do this, the club must apply to become a registered Australian body. Once it’s registered, it can expand into any other states as well.

We give registered Australian bodies an Australian Registered Body Number (ARBN).

There is a fee to register as a registered Australian body. The current fees are:

{I08} for a non-association
{I07} for an association.

Obligations of registered Australian bodies

As a registered Australian body, you must meet your obligations.

Display details at your offices

You must display your organisation’s name outside all your offices and places of business. This does not include offices or places of business in the state or territory where your organisation is from.

Unless you’re an authorised deposit-taking institution (ADI), you must also show:

where your organisation is from, such as country, state or territory
the words ‘registered office’ at your registered office
notice of the member limited liability (if the organisation’s name does not end in ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’).

Display details on your documents

Your name and ARBN must appear on all your public documents, including^[1]:

all documents lodged with ASIC
documents required to be signed, issued or published under the law
documents that are signed or issued by, or on behalf of, the company for the purposes of a particular transaction or dealing
invoices and statements of account
receipts (unless they are machine-produced)
orders for goods and services
business letterhead
official company notices
letters of credit
cheques, promissory notes and bills of exchange.

^[1] Section 601DE of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act)

You do not need to display your ARBN on machine-generated receipts.

Unless you’re an ADI, your documents must also show:

where your organisation is from, such as country, state or territory
notice of the member limited liability (if the organisation’s name does not end in ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’).

You can use some abbreviations when displaying these details. These include:

Australian – Aust
Registered – Regd
Number – No
Australian Registered Body Number – ARBN or A.R.B.N.

For more information on acceptable abbreviations see: Rules for acceptable company names.

Keep your details up to date

You must tell us when your details change. This includes changes to your name, address, and directors. See the bottom of this page for the forms you’ll need.

Registered charities

If you are a registered charity, you’ll have different obligations. You’ll also have to report to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). Find out more about your obligations:

Registered charities, ACNC and ASIC

How to register as an Australian body

Check the name you want is available

You cannot register a name that is identical to another reserved name, registered company name or business name. Use our Check name availability search.

There are other rules for acceptable company names that you should know.

If it is available, you can reserve the name (see Register a company) for 2 months.

Prepare your supporting documents

When you apply to register, you will need to give us documents to support your application.

Certificate of incorporation or registration

You must give us a certified copy of the organisation’s current certificate of incorporation or registration. It must be certified by the authority that administers your organisation. It should be certified no more than 3 months before you lodge it with us.

Constitution

You must give us a certified copy of the organisation’s constitution. This might be a Memorandum and Articles of Association. It must be current and include all resolutions that have affected the constitution.

It must be certified by:

whoever has lawful custody of the original document (the ‘ASIC-equivalent’)
a public notary, or
a director or officer of the organisation, making a statement in writing.

If your organisation does not have a constitution, its director or officer must give us a written statement. It should say that the organisation does not have, or does not need to have, a constitution.

The copy should be certified no more than 3 months before it’s lodged with us.

Download and fill in the form

Fill in this form to apply for registration:

Form 401 Application for registration of a registrable Australian body

You will need to provide details about your current organisation. You must also tell us details of all directors and officers, including their date and place of birth.

If the registered office is not your own address, you must get their written permission to use the address. For example, you may use your accountant’s office.

Make sure your application form is signed by a director or authorised person.