Set up an incorporated association

An incorporated association has the same powers, benefits and responsibilities as a person. It can own land, sign a lease and appear in court. However, it is legally separate from its members in that:

the committee makes the decisions
the association is legally liable for the decisions the committee makes
individuals on the committee aren't personally liable, if they act in good faith.

Before you can be incorporated in Queensland your unincorporated association must:

have at least 7 members
be not for profit
have a physical Queensland address
convene a general meeting to set up your association and adopt its rules.

Ready to apply online?

Apply to be an incorporated association

Fees apply.

Supporting information

You will need to supply the following (where relevant) with your application:

the name, address and contact details of your committee members
your association's objects, if you adopt the model rules as your association's rules
your association's rules, if you create your own rules, and a statutory declaration confirming you adopted them (you can upload these now or provide them later)
information about any land owned or leased by your association
a letter of agreement from a parent association if your association is a branch of another association.

Find out more about the general meeting

Explore the steps your unincorporated association needs to take at a general meeting before you can become incorporated.

You must pass a resolution with a 3/4 majority to become an incorporated association.

You must appoint someone to complete the application to become an incorporated association.

You must choose a name for your incorporated association that:

contains only English characters (letters A to Z, numbers 0 to 9, apostrophes, brackets and full stops)
has 'Incorporated' or 'Inc.' at the end.

The name can't:

be similar or identical to the name of
- another association
- a business
- a cooperative
- a company
be confused with government agencies or financial or educational institutions
imply an affiliation that doesn't exist with the royal family, ex-serviceperson organisations or major sporting events.

Find the full list of restrictions in the Associations Incorporation Regulation 1999.

Search the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's (ASIC) registers to see if the name you want is already taken.

All incorporated associations must have a written set of operating rules, sometimes known as the constitution.

The rules must set out:

how the association operates
the rights of members
how the management committee works
how meetings will run.

You can use the model rules provided by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) or you can write your own.

The rules come into effect once your association is incorporated.

Learn more about adopting rules for your association.

You need to follow your association's rules when electing the management committee.

There must be a minimum of 3 committee members, e.g. a president, treasurer and secretary, and your rules should help you decide the length of their appointment.

Learn more about incorporated association management committees.

Ongoing requirements of incorporated associations

Once incorporated, your association must:

comply with the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 and the Associations Incorporation Regulation 1999
review its financial affairs every year
lodge copies of its rules, annual returns and financial statements with us.

Note: the public can access copies of documents lodged with us.

Read more about running an incorporated association.