Registration rules for trade unions, political parties and charities

This guide covers the registration regimes that attach to specific kinds of membership organisation, on top of the shared duties in run a compliant membership organisation. Work through the section for what you are — an organisation can sit in more than one section.

Trade unions: list with the Certification Officer

A trade union may apply for entry on the Certification Officer's list and, if it meets the independence test, a certificate of independence — and trade unions, listed or not, file a statutory annual return covering accounts, membership and any political fund. This regime covers Great Britain; Northern Ireland has its own Certification Officer.

If you are an employer dealing with unions rather than running one, see working with trade unions.

Political parties: register with the Electoral Commission

An organisation that wants to field candidates under a party name must register with the Electoral Commission, appoint a registered treasurer, keep proper accounting records, and report donations and loans — donations from impermissible sources are prohibited. This applies UK-wide.

Charitable bodies: register with your charity regulator

An organisation established for exclusively charitable purposes for the public benefit — including most religious congregations and many membership bodies — may need to register with the charity regulator for its nation: the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR in Scotland, and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

The detailed charity guides cover the rest: register a charity with the Charity Commission, register with OSCR, trustee duties and charity accounts using SORP.

Next steps

Make sure the shared duties in run a compliant membership organisation are in place, then confirm everything with the membership organisations compliance checklist.