Journalist access to ASIC business registers
Journalists can access information on ASIC’s business registers for free as part of their work. You can apply to ASIC for access.
Who can apply for access as a journalist?
To apply for journalist access, you must do one or more of the following:
- work in a professional capacity for a media organisation
- work freelance and regularly sell stories to media organisations
- publish stories on a commercial basis.
You are not considered a journalist if you:
- exclusively run a social media platform
- regularly publish stories in your own free time or as a hobby.
How to apply for access
To apply for journalist access, complete the following form:
Application for journalist search access (PDF 323 KB)
Email it to journalist.apply@asic.gov.au.
If we approve your application, we will email you a:
- search exemption code
- portal username
- password.
What you can access for free
You can get extracts from the following registers for free when you provide your search exemption code:
- business names register
- companies register
- AFS licensee register
- credit licence register
- professional registers
- SMSF auditor register.
See how to read extracts in the following guides:
Guide to reading current and historical business name extracts (PDF 320 KB)
Guide to reading current company extracts (PDF 501 KB)
How you can access information
There are two ways you can access information as a journalist:
- ASIC Connect journalist portal
- email request.
The method you should use depends on the register and information you want to access. For more details, see how to access information for each register below.
See how you can also access information through an information broker.
Journalist portal
Use your username and password to log in to the journalist portal. You will need to enter the search exemption code with each search request.
Learn more: How to search the journalist portal (PDF 544 KB)
See what information you can get from the journalist portal under How to access search products for each register below.
Email requests
To get information by email, send us a request by filling in this form:
Journalist search request for information (PDF 387 KB)
You will need to include your search exemption code. Email the form to journalist.search@asic.gov.au.
See what information you can get by email under How to access search products for each register below.
Information brokers
You may choose to ask an information broker to help you find information on the companies register. They can access any of the search products listed in Table 2 Companies register below.
You must provide your exemption code when applying to an information broker. They can then apply to ASIC to search the register on your behalf. The information broker will generally charge a service fee.
For more information about their services, see Information brokers on ASIC Connect.
How to access information for each register
The following tables provide an overview of how you can access information for each register.
Terms and conditions
You must agree to the ASIC journalist portal terms and conditions (PDF 127 KB) to use the portal.
Troubleshooting
If you cannot log in even when you enter the correct login details, try logging in from a different internet browser.
Also try clearing your cache and cookies.
Typing your password directly into the password field may help rather than using saved details or copying and pasting your password.
If you still cannot log in, email journalist.apply@asic.gov.au to have your password reset.
Legislation
Journalists do not have to pay fees for certain information or documents on ASIC registers under the Business Names Registration (Fees) Regulations 2022, the Corporations (Fees) Regulations 2001, the National Consumer Credit Protection (Fees) Regulations 2010 and the Superannuation Auditor Registration Imposition Regulations 2022.