Incorporation of an Association - South Australia

Description

You will need to register if you intend to incorporate an association in South Australia. Incorporation provides legal status to an association, allows an association to exercise certain rights and requires an association to fulfil certain responsibilities.

Your incorporated association may:

  • enter into contracts
  • sue and be sued
  • invest and borrow money and apply for grants
  • buy and sell property
  • protect members from personal liability
  • accept gifts, donations or bequests.

Incorporation is suitable for community-based and not-for-profit associations. Your association will not be incorporated if its purpose is to engage in trade or commerce or make profit for its members.

Please contact the agency for more information.

Service type

Licence

A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.

Eligibility requirements

Only associations with an eligible purpose may apply for incorporation. An eligible purpose includes:

  • a religious, educational, charitable or benevolent purpose
  • for the purpose of providing medical treatment or promoting the interests of people suffering from a disability
  • for the purpose of promoting or encouraging science, literature or the arts
  • for the purpose of preserving environmental, historical or cultural heritage
  • for the purpose of sport, recreation or amusement
  • for the purpose of promoting the interests of students or staff of an educational institution
  • for the purpose of a community centre or promoting the interests of a community.

To apply for incorporation, your association must hold a meeting to authorise a person to act on the association's behalf. You must appoint a public officer for your association to be the central contact person for the association. The name of your association must reflect the association's nature, object and purpose. Your association must have its own set of rules to govern the management of the association.

Please consult the agency for more information regarding eligibility requirements.

Ongoing eligibility requirements

An incorporated association is subject to many obligations. For example, an incorporated association must hold an annual general meeting at least once each year, lodge financial receipts with the agency, and keep meeting minutes and accounting records.

Details can be found in the attached document.

Duration

Ongoing

Fees

Fees Details for this service in table format.

Task Type Business Structure Amount
Apply Application All $220.00

Forms

Task Business Structure Resources
Apply All Application to Incorporate an Association (Opens in new window)

Application process

Apply

Please lodge your completed application with:

  • your association's proposed rules (or constitution)
  • your completed checklist for the proposed rules
  • any trust documents connected to the rules, including documents establishing the trust.

Transfer

This licence cannot be transferred

Additional information

Please see the attached document for more information on why you may want to incorporate your association, if your association is eligible for incorporation, how you may incorporate your association, and rules for incorporated associations.

You will need to be aware of other legislation and licensing which may affect your association's fundraising capacity.

Administering agency

Consumer and Business Services

Contact details

Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.

Please use these contact details for help or more information:

Associations and Cooperatives

Consumer and Business Services
Operating address: 91 Grenfell Street
Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Mailing address: GPO BOX 1719
Adelaide, South Australia 5001
Phone: 13 18 82
Email: associations@sa.gov.au
Website: Consumer and Business Services (Opens in new window)