Amendment of rules
Apply to modify your society's constitution.
Last updated 10 September 2026
Registered societies are self-governing entities, bounded by their own constitutions. The constitution is a private contractual agreement governing the rights and liabilities of its members. In carrying out their activities, societies not only have to abide by the rules of their respective constitutions but also the prevailing laws in Singapore.
What you should know
Under the Societies Act, a society may only change its rules with the prior written approval of the Registry of Societies (ROS). Societies that are registered charities must obtain a letter of support from the Commissioner of Charities or the relevant Sector Administrator before presenting the proposed amendments at a General Meeting. Attach the letter of support to the Amendment of Rules application submitted to ROS.
Societies seeking to change their name or registered address must submit the relevant “Change of Name” or “Change of Registered Address” application. After approval of the relevant application, ROS will update the constitution. A separate AOR application is not required unless the society also intends to amend other rules in its constitution.
Application for Amendment of Rules user guide [PDF, 1.4 MB] (opens in new tab)
What information you need
Please use the Amendment of Rules template [DOCX, 36.63 KB] (opens in new tab) when preparing your proposed amendments.
Before submitting your AOR application, please ensure that you have submitted your latest Annual Returns to ROS. Your AOR application will only be processed after the latest Annual Returns have been filed. You are also encouraged to submit all outstanding Annual Returns to ensure regulatory compliance.
An Amendment of Rules application must be submitted online via ROS eServices (opens in new tab). The President and Secretary are required to verify and submit the application online. Proposed amendments should be submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx) format, while other supporting documents should be submitted in .docx or .pdf format. If your society is an Institution of Public Character (IPC) or Charity, please include a support letter from the Commissioner of Charities or the relevant Sector Administrator. The file size of each attachment must not exceed 5MB.
What to expect
A fee of $130 is payable upon submission of the application. The application fee for the amendment of rules is non-refundable.
Upon receipt of the Amendment of Rules application, the Registry of Societies will consider the application and where necessary, seek further clarification from the applicant.
Applicants can log in to our e-Services (opens in new tab) to check on the status of their application. Once the application has been processed, the society will receive a system-generated email notifying it of the outcome.