An area that’s easy to overlook, but essential for compliance under the 2022 Act, is the requirement for an incorporated society to maintain an up-to-date membership register. The 2022 Act says every society must keep a register of members, listing each member’s name and contact details. It must be held at the society’s registered office (or be accessible from it), kept accurate, and available for inspection by any member, free of charge and at a reasonable time.
If a person won’t provide the information needed for the membership register, they can’t become a member because the society has a legal duty to record that information. When someone resigns or their membership ends, their details must be removed promptly.
Members have the right to inspect the register, but not to copy or share it. The intent is transparency, not publication. A practical approach is to let members view it on request, under supervision, or to provide a redacted version that shows names only.
The law doesn’t prescribe format, so the membership register can be kept digitally (for example, in Excel or a membership database) or on paper, as long as it’s secure, accurate, and accessible. Ideally, one person is responsible for maintaining it, usually the Secretary or Membership Officer.
The Act also requires you to keep separate records for officers. Officers are the people who make up your governing committee or board, and anyone in a senior decision-making role such as a Chief Executive or General Manager. Their names and contact details must be kept up to date and filed with the Registrar, but don’t need to be published internally or online. There’s a template form available on the Companies Office website to assist with this https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/assets/incorporated-societies/2022-act/template-is22-cco-officer-consent-and-certificate.pdf
Having a clear, current membership register isn’t just a legal box-tick. It underpins voting rights, meeting notices, and communication with members, and helps avoid disputes about who is (or isn’t) a member when it counts.
If you’re reviewing your constitution or systems early this year, it’s a good time to make sure your membership register process is clear, consistent, and secure.
Further Membership Registers Reading:
Incorporated Societies Register – Records you should keep (including the member register):
https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/help-centre/running-your-incorporated-society/records-you-should-keep/
