About the National Names Index
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The National Names Index (NNI) is an index of Australian corporate and registered business names. It also includes some incorporated associations. It allows you to identify into which of these categories an organisation fits and it provides some very basic, free, information on each organisation:
- its registration number (eg, ABN, ACN, ARBN) - for all organisation types. Where ASIC has been advised by the Australian Business Register that an organisation has been allocated an Australian Business Number (ABN) based on its ACN/ARBN/ARSN, the ABN will also be displayed.
- a company's current status (eg registered or deregistered) - with some exceptions for trusts and managed investment schemes
- date of deregistration for deregistered companies and schemes
- the town or suburb of a company's registered office - not for managed investment schemes or trusts and for only some registered business names and incorporated associations
- a complete list of documents lodged by a company since 1 January 1991 - for all except registered business names and incorporated associations
- jurisdiction - the organisation responsible for administration of the law under which the organisation is created
More about the National Names Index
Why isn't more information provided free?
ASIC provides information free of charge wherever possible. However, the Corporations (Fees) Regulations 2001 require that fees are prescribed for anything other than very basic information. Fees are paid into Government revenue.
If you would like additional information such as the details of officeholders or the addresses of the company then you will need to purchase a full company search (company extract) from an Information Broker or an ASIC Service Centre.
Compare free National Names Index search and a paid full company search (company extract).
Guide to cost of paid searches
What is a company?
In short, a company is a body corporate registered in Australia under the Corporations Act 2001. For a fuller legal definition refer to Section 9 of the Act.
Companies are registered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
A company name will include one of the following legal elements:
- Proprietary Limited (Pty Ltd)
- Unlimited Proprietary (Pty)
- Limited (Ltd)
- No Liability (NL)
Each company is allocated a unique Australian Company Number (ACN). When a company has been issued an ABN the number will be the ACN with two additional leading digits resulting in an 11 digit number (eg; ACN 123 456 789, new ABN xx 123 456 789).
The general characteristics of a company are:
- it is a corporate body created by law;
- it has all the powers of an individual and a corporation
- it can sue and be sued in its own right;
- it has officeholders (director(s), secretary(ies));
- it has a registered office;
- it has member(s);
- it has perpetual succession (ie it continues even if its members die or resign).
What is a registered business name?
A registered business name is a trading name under which a person carries on business or trades. For example: Roxy Cafe, TJ Smith & Co, Hollingdale & Page.
You should note that the word "company" in a name does not necessarily mean that the organisation is registered as a company under the Corporations Act 2001.
The owners of a registered business name are referred to as "proprietors". Registered business names are issued by the State or Territory in which the business or trade is carried out. Each registered business name has an individual number but the format and length vary according to the State of issue.
When reading your results in the NNI, the state of registration precedes the number. For example: NSW E6882145, or QLD BN2027148, or SA 0341685J
For full information on registered business names, contact the appropriate state or territory authority.
What is an incorporated association?
An incorporated association
- is a corporate body created by law
- is a legal entity - it can sue and be sued in its corporate name
- has perpetual succession (ie it continues even if its members die or resign)
- has a public officer and a committee
- has members
- its profits, if any, can only be used to promote its objectives (non profit making)
Incorporated associations are registered by the State or Territory in which the association is based.
Each incorporated association has an individual number but the format and length vary according to the State of issue. When reading your results in the NNI, the state of registration precedes the number. For example: NSW Y0621545, or QLD IA10848, or WA A0822000C
Please note: The information on the National Name Index on incorporated associations is not always current or complete. For full and up to date information on incorporated associations contact the appropriate state or territory authority.
What is the difference between a company, a registered business name and an incorporated association?
 | Company | Registered business name | Incorporated association |
| Status | Legal body by law | Trading name | Legal body by law |
| Owners | Members | Proprietors | Members |
| Administration | Director/secretary | Proprietors | Committee |
| Home | Registered office | Principal place of business | Principal place of administration |
| Life | Perpetual succession | Renewed every 3 years | Perpetual succession |
| Liability | Members of the company are only liable for the money they owe on any shares they own and/or for any amount of money they guarantee to contribute upon winding up of the company. | The partners or sole traders are completely liable for all debts incurred under the registered business name. | Members' liabilities are generally limited to outstanding subscriptions and other charges. |
| Owning | The company itself can own property. | Property can only be held by the proprietors. | The association itself can own property. |
| Legal Rights | The company can sue and be sued. | Proprietors have to sue, and be sued only in their own names. | The association can sue and be sued. |
What is a trust?
Fund or property held or administered (by a Trustee) for the benefit of others.
What is a managed investment scheme?
A managed investment scheme is:
- a scheme that has the following features:
- people contribute money or money's worth as consideration to acquire rights ('interests') to benefits produced by the scheme (whether the rights are actual, prospective or contingent and whether they are enforceable or not)
- any of the contributions are to be pooled, or used in a common enterprise, to produce financial benefits, or benefits consisting of rights or interests in property, for the people (the 'members') who hold interests in the scheme (whether as contributors to the scheme or as people who have acquired interests from holders)
- the members do not have day-to-day control over the operation of the scheme (whether or not they have the right to be consulted or to give directions); or
- a time-sharing scheme.
What is a foreign company?
A foreign company is
- a foreign corporation
- a body registered in an external Territory of Australia or
- an unincorporated body that does not include a corporation sole or an exempt public authority, but that:
- is formed in an external Territory or outside Australia and the external Territories
- under the law of its place of formation, may sue or be sued, or may hold property in the name of its secretary or of an officer of the body duly appointed for that purpose and
- does not have its head office or principal place of business in Australia.
What is a registrable Australian body?
These are bodies not registered under the Corporations Act 2001. They can be either:
- a registered body that is not a company, recognised company, exempt public authority or corporation sole, or
- an unregistered body having certain rights and obligations (may sue or be sued, or may hold property in the name of its secretary or of an officer of the body duly appointed for that purpose). Examples include trading co-operatives and incorporated associations.
Registrable Australian bodies carrying on or wishing to carry on business outside their state of registration are registered on a national basis and each is allotted an Australian Registered Body Number (ARBN).
Registrable Australian bodies do not include foreign companies.
ABN / ACN / ARBN / ARSN - What do they mean?
- ABN = Australian Business Number
This is a number for business dealings with the ATO. An ABN is needed to register for GST and other elements of the tax system.
- ACN = Australian Company Number
Since 1 January 1991, every company in Australia has been issued with a nine-digit ACN. The ACN is an unique identifier and no two companies can have the same ACN.
- ARBN = Australian Registered Body Number
Numbers are issued to registrable Australian bodies and foreign companies. The ARBN is an unique identifier and no two bodies can have the same ARBN.
- ARSN = Australian Registered Scheme Number
Numbers are issued to Managed Investment Schemes. The ARSN is an unique identifier and no two bodies can have the same ARSN
Abbreviations in search results: an explanation
On the initial list of companies provided by the search, or on the page about your selected organisation, there may be some terms or abbreviations which are hard to understand. The most common ones are explained here:
Type
Code |
Description |
|
APTY |
Australian Proprietary Company |
A proprietary company must:
- be limited by shares or be an unlimited company with a share capital
- have no more than 50 non-employee shareholders
- not do anything that would require lodgement of a prospectus
|
APUB |
Australian Public Company |
Any company other than a proprietary company |
FNOS |
Foreign company |
See ‘What is a foreign company?’ |
NONC |
Non company |
An organisation recorded in our corporate database, usually because it has a reportable role within a registered company, but which is not itself known to be registered with ASIC or any of the State Departments of Fair Trading |
RACN |
Registered Australian Body |
See ‘What is a registrable Australian body?’ |
TRST |
Trusts |
See ‘What is a trust?’ |
RACA |
Incorporated Association |
See ‘What is an incorporated association?’ |
RSVD |
Reserved name |
Name not yet allocated to company/registered business but which has been reserved by an applicant. |
NRET |
Non-registered entity |
An organisation that is not required to be registered with ASIC but whose name appears on our database because, under the terms of its incorporation, the organisation is required to lodge certain documents with ASIC, (usually annual returns or annual financial statements). |
|
|
|
|
Business name |
See 'What is a registered business name?' |
|
Association |
See ‘What is an incorporated association?’ |
Status
Code |
Description |
|
ASOS |
Association Strike Off Status |
No longer operating as an Association |
DMNT |
Dormant |
Not active or not trading |
DRGD |
De-registered |
Company no longer exists as a legal entity |
EXAD |
External Administration |
Due to insolvency or other problems the company is being administered by an outside agency appointed by the company, a liquidator or a chargee |
NOAC |
Non-active |
Non-active company |
NRGD |
Not registered |
Status for a non company |
PEND |
Pending |
Business Name is pending registration |
REGD |
Registered |
Company is active and/or trading |
RMVD |
Removed |
Business Name is removed from the register |
RSVD |
Reserved |
Name has been been reserved for use by an applicant |
SOFF |
Strike-off action in progress |
Company is part way through the process of being struck off the Register of Companies |
|
|
|
|
Not available |
An organisation that is not required to be registered with ASIC but whose name appears on our database because, under the terms of its incorporation, the organisation must lodge certain documents with ASIC. |
Class
Code |
Description |
|
LMGT |
Limited by guarantee |
The members' (shareholders’) liability is limited to a certain amount that they undertake to contribute in the case of a winding up. The amount is specified in a clause in the company's constitution. A member of a company limited by guarantee is not required to pay in any capital while the company is a going concern |
LMSG |
Limited by shares and guarantee |
A member's liability is to the extent of the amount unpaid on his shares and, as a guarantor to the amount nominated in the constitution, in the event of a winding up
Although the Corporations Act 2001 no longer allows for registration of companies limited by both shares and guarantee existing registrations are allowed to continue |
LMSH |
Limited by shares |
The liability of the members (shareholders) is limited to the amount unpaid on their shares. Members are not required to contribute any further monies (in the case of a winding up) if the shares they have taken up are fully paid |
NLIA |
No Liability |
Mining companies only. No legal obligations on the members to pay calls on their shares |
NONE |
Does not have an equivalent Australian liability |
|
UNKN |
Liability unknown |
|
UNLM |
Unlimited |
Is formed on the principle that there is no limit on liability of the members. Simply, a registered partnership, eg Mercantile Services Pty, Solicitors |
List of documents
In your search results you can also see a list of the last three documents lodged by a company (including foreign companies, trusts and managed investment schemes) since 1 January 1991. Additionally, you can obtain a full listing of documents lodged by clicking on the link Complete document listing.
If you are thinking of investing in the company you can find out if it has a prospectus.
This information is provided free of charge.
You may also like to read our brochure 'Don't get burned'. Subtitled, ‘how to avoid shonky businesses and reduce your changes of being swindled’, this brochure may help you when making your business decisions.
BPAY Reference Number
In your search results you can also see the BPAY reference number and biller code that relate to the organisation. Please use the number and code if paying statutory fees to ASIC on behalf of this company.
DO NOT use this reference number and biller code to pay for a company search. Purchase a full company search (company extract) from an Information Broker or an ASIC Service Centre.
Can the NNI searches be invoked automatically?
Developers of web sites can invoke the ASIC NNI search program, passing the search details as parameters.
The program is currently located at http://www.search.asic.gov.au/cgi-bin/gns030c.
The parameters required for a name search are name=name+to+be+checked and scope=n, where n is a digit corresponding to the position of the search scope radio button to be selected.
| 0 | Registered And Reserved Company And Business Names, Schemes, Trusts And Non Registered Entities |
| 1 | Registered, Reserved And Deregistered Company And Business Names, Schemes, Trusts And Non Registered Entities |
| 2 | Registered Company Names, Non-Company Names, Schemes, Trusts And Non-Registered Entities |
| 3 | Business and State Names |
| 4 | All Names |
Note that for the first radio button n=0, for the second n=1, etc. If the scope parameter is not provided the scope defaults to 0.
Thus, to search the name Fred Pty Ltd with scope of 'Business and State Names', invoke [http://www.search.asic.gov.au/cgi-bin/gns030c?name=FRED+PTY+LTD&scope=3].
The parameters for a name details search is acn=nnnnnnnnn, where nnnnnnnnn is the ACN/ARBN/ARSN to be retrieved. Thus, to retrieve ACN 000 666 366, invoke [http://www.search.asic.gov.au/cgi-bin/gns030c?acn=000666366].
The parameter values must be URL-encoded to RFC 2396, titled 'Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax'.
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ASIC Website: Printed 02/10/2010
