NGO Society Registration: Members, Memorandum and Process

NGO society registration suits groups where many people want an equal say: a club of teachers, a residents' welfare group, a cultural body, a health camp team. A society is formed by members who sign a memorandum and file it with the Registrar of Societies. Darpan Portal Guide is an independent guide, not a government office. Your state Registrar of Societies does the actual registration.

Societies Registration Act basics and state acts

The central Societies Registration Act allows societies for charitable purposes, science, literature, fine arts, libraries, reading rooms, museums, and instruction or spread of useful knowledge. Many states have adopted this Act with their own changes. Others have passed their own societies acts, such as West Bengal, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Manipur. So the rules you follow depend on your state.

People often search for trust registration under society act, society trust registration India, or a single trust and society registration act. These are two different things. A trust is formed by a deed and a society by a memorandum filed with the registrar. A body is either a trust or a society, not both, so there is no combined society trust registration. In Maharashtra, though, a registered society with public charitable objects may also have to register under the state's public trust law. Compare the forms on trust vs society vs section 8.

Minimum members for society NGO registration

Under the central Act, any seven or more persons can form a society by signing the memorandum. Some state acts set a different number, so read your state act or the registrar's checklist before you collect signatures. All founding members should be adults who can sign a legal document.

Memorandum of association and rules

The central Act asks for two documents.

Write the objects clearly. The Income Tax Department and donors read them later. On dissolution, the central Act does not let leftover property be shared among members; it goes to another society.

NGO society registration process with the Registrar of Societies

The process varies by state, but the flow is close to this. First, hold a founders' meeting. Pass a resolution to form the society, adopt the memorandum and rules, elect the first governing body and authorise one person to file. Next, check that the name is free; some states have a separate name approval step. Then file the papers with the registrar, online or at the office.

The registrar's staff check the file. If something is missing, the file is put on hold and you are asked to resubmit. When all is in order, the registrar certifies that the society is registered. Haryana's online process, for example, works this way: online application with scanned papers, check by an official, approval by the District Registrar and the certificate issued online. In West Bengal, the district office says the work runs through the state's e-district portal.

That founders' meeting matters. Many registrars ask for its minutes or resolution, so record who attended, who was elected and what was adopted. This is the society registration meeting India NGO founders keep hearing about.

NGO society registration documents

• Memorandum of association signed by the founding members
• Rules and regulations, certified by governing body members
• Resolution forming the society and authorising the applicant
• List of members and governing body with full addresses
• ID and address proof and photographs of governing body members
• Proof of the registered office: ownership paper, rent deed or the owner's NOC
• Any affidavit or declaration the state registrar asks for

Keep all copies signed in the same way. Name or signature mismatches are a common reason for queries.

Society registration certificate and Darpan

Once registered, you get a registration certificate with a number. Use it for PAN, the bank account and the Darpan sign up. On NGO Darpan, the society is one of the NGO types you pick, and the portal asks for the certificate and details of at least three office bearers, such as the president, secretary and treasurer. Your Darpan society profile should match the certificate exactly. For later steps, see 12A and 80G.

Annual filings and changes

Registration is not the end. Under the central Act, the society must file a list of its governing body with the registrar every year, within 14 days of the annual general meeting, or in January if the rules do not provide for one. State acts often ask for more. Haryana, for example, asks for an annual return with a report of work and an audited balance sheet, and also has a renewal of the registration number. West Bengal asks for an audit report, annual report and a signed member list.

To change the society's purposes under the central Act, the governing body sends a written report to every member, the change is approved by three fifths of members at a special meeting and confirmed at a second meeting held one month later. Changes of name, office or rules are filed with the registrar under your state's rules.

NGO society registration fees and time

We do not quote amounts. NGO society registration fees are set by each state government, and the central Act itself says the fee is fixed by the state. Look for the fee schedule on your registrar's site. Time depends on the state and on whether the file is complete; Haryana's manual, for example, publishes a fixed service time for registration. See NGO registration for the full path and section 8 company if you need a company form instead.