Renu Suresh

Expert

Published on: Sep 16, 2026

West Bengal Society Registration

A society is an association of individuals united by a common objective to provide services for the betterment of others. The West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961 governs the procedure for society registration and operation in West Bengal. It is essential for societies in West Bengal to be registered with the appropriate Registrar in the district where they plan to establish operations. Once registered, a society gains legal recognition and can operate legally. This article details the process for obtaining West Bengal Society registration.

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West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961

The Society Registration Act defines a society as an organized group of individuals united by agreement for non-profitable services. Societies must register at formation with an application to the proper Registrar of Firms, requiring at least seven general members and a minimum of three executive committee members.

Objectives of Society

A society can be formed for various purposes under the Society's Registration Act, including:

Promotion of literature, arts, science, or religion
Charitable purposes such as care or relief for orphans, the aged, sick, or indigent persons
The diffusion of knowledge
Dissemination of social, political, or economic education
Alleviation of animal suffering
Establishing and maintaining libraries or reading rooms
Collection and preservation of manuscripts, artworks, scientific instruments, etc.
Other public-benefit objects as notified by the State Government

Acceptable Name for Society

Societies should not have names identical to or resembling existing entities incorporated under the West Bengal Society Registration Act or other laws. Prohibited words in society names include:

Union, State, Mortgage, Gandhi, Reserve Bank
Any word implying the sanction or approval
Patronage of Central or State Government
Government Emblems and Names
Names prohibited by State or Central Government
Names of Indian Institutes or Universities

If two societies exist with the same name, the Government will order a name change, and the society must amend its memorandum within three months. Note: Name changes do not affect rights, liabilities, or legal proceedings by or against the society.

Evidence of Society Registration

Seven or more individuals pursuing any of the aforementioned objectives may subscribe to a Memorandum of Association (MOA) and file it with the Registrar to register the association as a society. Upon registration, the society receives a Certificate of Regulation and a MOA, serving as evidence of registration.

Memorandum of Association (MOA)

The MOA includes the following details:

Name of the association
Registered office's address
Objectives of the association
Names of the first members of the Governing Body
Names, addresses, and occupations of the memorandum signatories

Note: Once registered, the memorandum cannot be changed.

Copy of Regulations - Bye-Laws of Society

The Registrar will not accept any memorandum without accompanying regulations. These regulations include:

Composition of the Governing Body
Methods for election or appointment of the Governor Body members, President, Secretary, and other officers
Membership admission, resignation, and removal procedures
Maintenance of member registers and inspection facilities
Safe custody of society property
Meeting procedures for the society
Maintenance and audit of accounts
Inspection of accounts and meeting proceedings by members
Other matters related to the association's objects or affairs

Documents Required for Registration

To register a society in West Bengal, furnish the following documents:

Application Form in Prescribed format
Proceedings of the first meeting
Self-attested copies of By-Laws
Self-attested copies of Address and ID Proofs of the office bearers
Photographs of Executive Committee members
ID and address proof of Executive Committee members
Registered lease agreement if premises are rented
Declaration if office is owned and no rent is collected

Processing Time

Society registration is typically completed within 30 days from the date of application.

Applicable Fee for Registration

The fee structure for West Bengal Society Registration is as follows:

S.No	Service	Fee
1	Society Registration	Rs.150
2	Memorandum of appeal	Rs.70
3	Alteration of Memorandum or Regulations	Rs.50
4	Annual return	Rs.25
5	Change in the composition of the Governing Body or in the holder of the office of the President or the Secretary	Rs.5
6	For certified copy of Memorandum of Association or extract of any document	Rs.10
7	For duplicate copy of the certificate of Registration	Rs.10

Note: All fees must be paid in cash

West Bengal Society Registration Procedure

The procedure for registering a society under the WB Society registration Act involves several steps:

Approach Registrar Office

Step 1: Submit the Memorandum of Association (MOA) and the regulations (Bye-Laws of Society) with necessary documents and application to the concerned Registrar. The Application Form can be found here.

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Step 2: After submitting the application and applicable fee, you'll receive an acknowledgement slip.

Verification

Step 3: The Registrar verifies the application, MOA, regulations, and supporting documents.

Once satisfied, the Registrar certifies and seals the society as registered under the Society registration Act, and updates the Register of Societies.

Get Certificate of Registration

The Registrar issues a registered copy of the MOA and regulations. With these documents, the society can operate legally.

The society register maintained at the Registrar's office contains up-to-date information about registered societies. To obtain a certified copy of the Memorandum of Association or extracts from any document, one must submit an application and pay the applicable fee.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about West Bengal Society Registration.

A society is an organized group of people united together by agreement with the objective of providing non-profitable services. A society should have a minimum of 7 members (general body) and a minimum of three executive committee members.

A society can be formed for purposes such as promotion of literature, arts, science or religion, charitable purposes, diffusion of knowledge, dissemination of social, political or economic education, alleviation of animal suffering, establishment and maintenance of libraries or reading-rooms, collection and preservation of manuscripts, works of art, and other objects beneficial to the public or a section of the public.

The proposed name for your society should not be identical or too similar to any other existing society or corporate body. It should not contain words like 'Union', 'State', 'Mortgage', 'Gandhi', 'Reserve Bank', or any word implying government sanction or patronage. Names containing Indian Institute, University, government emblems, or prohibited names are also not acceptable.

The required documents include an application form, proceedings of the first meeting, self-attested copies of by-laws and address/ID proofs of the office bearers, passport-size photographs of executive committee members, and a registered lease agreement if the office is in rented premises.

The process of registering a society in West Bengal can be completed within 30 days from the date of application, provided all the required documents and fees are submitted.

The process involves submitting the Memorandum of Association (MOA), a copy of the regulations (by-laws), and other required documents to the concerned Registrar. After verification, the Registrar will certify and register the society, update the Register of Societies, and issue a Certificate of Registration.

The fees for registering a society in West Bengal include Rs. 150 for registration, Rs. 70 for a memorandum of appeal, Rs. 50 for alteration of Memorandum or Regulations, Rs. 25 for an annual return, and various other fees for certified copies, duplicate certificates, and changes in the governing body.

The Memorandum of Association (MOA) should contain the name of the association, the address of the registered office, the objects of the association, the names of the first members of the governing body, and the names, addresses, and occupations of the signatories to the memorandum.

The regulations or by-laws should include details on the composition of the governing body, the manner of election or appointment and resignation or removal of members, admission and removal of members, maintenance of member registers, custody of society property, procedure for holding meetings, maintenance and audit of accounts, and inspection of accounts and proceedings.

If two societies continue to exist with the same name, the government may order one of them to change its name. In such a case, the society has to change its name and alter its Memorandum of Association within three months from the date of the order. However, the change of name does not affect the rights and liabilities of the society or any legal proceedings by or against the society.