Applying to restore a 1908 Act society to the register
Societies registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 (1908 Act) can apply to be restored to the register.
You can apply to have your 1908 Act society restored to the register if:
- it was dissolved under the 1908 Act before 5 April 2026, or
- it was removed from the register because it did not reregister under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (2022 Act) by 5 April 2026.
You must apply for restoration before 6 April 2032.
In this guide
Who can apply
You can apply to restore your society to the register if you were an officer or member of the society at the time it was removed from the register.
Grounds for applying
You can apply to restore your 1908 Act society to the register if any of the following reasons apply.
- The society was operating at the time of its removal and there is a proper reason for the society to continue to exist.
- The grounds for removal did not exist (See note 1 below).
- The society was party to legal proceedings (See note 1 below).
- The society was in receivership or liquidation or both (See note 1 below).
The information you need to provide
Evidence of operation
Documentation that shows your society was operating at the time it was removed. Examples include financial transactions, meeting minutes or legal documents.
Latest financial statements (if not already filed)
Incorporated societies must file a copy of their financial statements with the Companies Office each year, unless they are registered with Charities Services. Attach a copy of the most recent financial statements for your society, but only if they have not already been filed. Include a completed financial statement coversheet (Form IS4).
Confirmation that your society has at least 10 members
When you are counting your membership numbers, a member that is a body corporate (such as another society) counts as 3 individual members.
The society’s constitution (it must comply with the 2022 Act)
We have created a checklist for 2022 Act constitutions. Your society can use this checklist to make sure its constitution meets the minimum requirements under the Act.
Contact details for your society
Including the registered office address, addresses for communication, and details of at least 1 contact person.
- Your registered office address must be a full physical address. You cannot use a Post Office box, Private Bag, or DX address. To change your registered office address you must choose a start date that is at least 5 working days after you submit your restoration application (allow longer if you are posting your application to us).
- A contact person does not need to be an officer of your society, but it should be someone who can handle enquiries from us. Each contact person’s details are kept private. This means they can only be seen by the Registrar or people who have authority to update your society’s information on the register.
Details of committee members and other officers
Including their name, physical address, email address, and start date.
- Every society must have at least 3 officers and most of them must also be members. Officer addresses are kept private. This means they can only be seen by the Registrar or people who have authority to update your society’s information on the register.
A restoration fee applies
To apply to restore your society you must pay a restoration fee of $177.78 (plus GST).
We offer 2 payment options for paying this application fee (by card or direct debit). To pay by direct debit you will need to have a direct debit facility in place with us. To set up a new direct debit facility, complete our direct debit form and send it to us to several days before you apply to restore your society.
How to apply
You can only apply by completing a manual form.
Send your completed application to us
By post to:
Companies Office
Private Bag 92061
Victoria Street West
Auckland 1142
or by email to: compliance@companiesoffice.govt.nz
How we process your application
We will review your application and contact you if we have any questions or need any further information.
If we accept your application, we will publish a public notice about the restoration. The notice is published on the Incorporated Societies Register website and the New Zealand Gazette.
News and
Societies removed due to not reregistering
If your society had been removed from the register on 6 April 2026 because it had not reregistered, the public notice will:
- give notice that the Registrar intends to restore your society to the register, and
- provide a period of 20 working days for any objections.
We will email you to confirm the date the Registrar will publish the public notice.
Wait 20 working days to allow for any objections
Once the notice has been published, the public has 20 working days to object to the restoration of your society. We will email you if we receive any objections.
Restore your society to the register
If we have received no objection after 20 working days, your society will be restored to the register (generally the next working day).
Your society will operate under the 2022 Act
Once your society has been restored to the register, it must complete annual returns, file annual financial statements and update other society details when they change.
Other guides in
Restoring an incorporated society to the register
- Application by a society to be restored to the register
- Application by others to restore a society to the register
- Objecting to restoration of a society