What to do after registration

When your corporation is registered, we will:

• send you a certificate of registration, which has your Indigenous Corporation Number (ICN) on it
• send you the approved rule book
• publish details of your corporation on the Register of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations.

Here’s what you need to know about what happens next. 

Finding your corporation on the Register of corporations

Once a corporation has been registered, its details and information are placed on the register of corporations. The Register of corporations provides access to a number of corporation documents.

You can search for your corporation by name or ICN, or search for corporations in a particular state.

Search the Register of corporations. 

Using your ICN

An ICN is a unique identifying number (up to 5 digits) for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act).

Where to display your ICN

Your ICN must be on all 'public documents' and 'negotiable instruments'. Some examples of these items include:

• all documents lodged with ORIC
• statements of account, including invoices
• receipts that are not machine-produced
• orders for goods and services
• business letterheads
• official company notices
• cheques, promissory notes and bills of exchange.

A corporation’s name and ICN must appear on the first page of any documents.

When multiple corporations or companies are on a document (for example, a letterhead), the ICN or ACN for each organisation must be displayed next to each company's name.

The ICN must always be clear, easily readable, and obvious as to which corporation it belongs to.

Places of business

If a corporation’s registered size is large, it is required to have a registered office. The corporation must display its name and ICN prominently at its registered office and at every place the corporation carries on business if that place is open to the public.

Common seal

A common seal is the official stamp or ‘signature’ of an organisation. Your corporation does not have to have a seal but if it does, the seal must include the corporation’s name and ICN.

Where the ICN is not required

You do not need to put the corporation’s ICN on:

• packaging and labelling, including envelopes and transport documents
• advertisements that do not make a specific offer (such as advertisements that only promote the corporation)
• credit cards and credit card vouchers
• machine-generated receipts, including cash register receipts
• business cards and 'with compliments' slips, and other corporate stationery
• items that are not documents (for example, vehicles, television advertisements).

Hold your first annual general meeting

Newly registered corporations must hold a general meeting of members within 3 months of registration.

All members recorded on the corporation’s register of members are eligible to attend general meetings.

The agenda for your first general meeting might include:

• membership update
• financial update, such as the receipt and expenditure of funds
• operations update, for example the appointment of any key staff
• development of corporate documents such as strategies or plans
• planning of projects or initiatives
• appointing an auditor, when relevant.

Find out more about general meetings. 

When your reports are due

For most corporations, the financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June. All corporations need to lodge their reports with ORIC within 5 months after the end of the financial year – by 30 November.

The period of time a new corporation’s first report(s) needs to cover depends on when it was registered. 

Find out more about what reports your corporation needs to lodge and how to lodge them. 

Check if you need other registrations

There may be other registrations you need to operate your corporation. Find out more about other registrations.