Updating your industrial and provident society’s rules
How to advise us of changes
If you decide to make any changes to your society’s rules, follow the internal procedures set out in your existing rules document.
You must register any change to your society’s rules with us. Rule changes are only valid once they have been registered.
In this guide
The information you need to provide
Make sure that any rule changes:
- Are made in accordance with your current rules.
- Have been approved by a special resolution of members if the amendment includes a change in the society’s name or any other matter that requires a special resolution under the Act.
- Are signed by 3 members and the secretary, and
- Are registered with us online.
Register a rule change with us by uploading the updated rules online.
We recommend you seek independent legal advice when changing your rules.
What must be included in the rules
Schedule 2 of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1908 (the Act) specifies what must be included in your society’s rules.
- Object and name of the society and the location of its registered office.
- Terms of admission of members, including any society or company investing funds under section 10(c) or (d) of the Act.
- Mode of holding meetings, and right of voting and of making, altering, and rescinding the registered rules.
- Appointment and removal of a committee of management, a secretary and managers or other officers, and their respective powers and remuneration.
- Determination of the amount of interest in the shares of the industrial and provident society that any member other than another registered society may hold.
- Determination whether the shares or any number of them shall be transferable; and, if so, provision for the form of transfer and registration of the shares, and for the consent of the committee; and, if it is determined that the shares or any of them can be surrendered, provision for paying the balance due on them when a member withdraws from the society.
- Provision for auditing the accounts.
- Determination whether and how members may withdraw from the society, and provisions for the claims of executors or administrators of deceased members, or trustees of the property of bankrupt members.
- How profits are to be applied.
- Provision for the custody and use of the common seal that must show the registered name.
- Determination whether and by what authority, and in what manner, any part of the society's funds may be invested.
File formats for uploading documents
Any documents you upload must be:
- clear and easily read
- saved in PDF format, and
- no larger than 20MB.
How to change your rules online
You will need:
- a RealMe® login, and
- confirmed authority with us to update this society.
If it is your first time updating details for an industrial and provident society, you will be prompted for information to set up an online account with us.
For help check our guides
Step by step
- Log in using your RealMe login.
- Select 'Authorities' from the menu.
- Choose your society from the list.
- Select ‘Create Filing Service’.
- Choose ‘Change of Rules’ (for the type of service).
- Upload the amended rules documents (signed by 3 members and the secretary).
- Submit your change.
We email you confirming that your change has been submitted. We will then review your changes and contact you if we have any questions or need any further information.
If we register your change, we will confirm that by email. If we reject your change, we will email you and outline the reasons why.
You can check the status of your change by logging into the Industrial and Provident Societies Register. Choose the ‘Filing Services’ option to view any changes that are in progress. If your change status shows as ‘Draft’ you can edit or discard it by choosing the drop-down arrow alongside the filing service.
Last updated September 2025