Administrative Regulations on the Registration of Social Organizations (Revised in 2026)
Administrative Regulations on the Registration of Social Organizations (Revised in 2026)
Administrative Regulations on the Registration of Social Organizations (Revised in 2026)
Order of the State Council of the People's Republic of China No. 832
March 12, 2026
(Promulgated by the Order of the State Council of the People's Republic of China No.250 on October 25, 1998; revised for the first time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council on Revising Certain Administrative Regulations on February 6, 2016; and revised for the second time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council on Revising the Administrative Regulations on the Registration of Social Organizations on March 12, 2026)
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 The Administrative Regulations on the Registration of Social Organizations (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") are formulated in order to safeguard the freedom of association by citizens, maintain the legitimate rights and interests of social organizations, strengthen the administration for the registration of social organizations and facilitate socialist material and cultural-ethical advancement.
Article 2 For the purposes of the Regulations, the term "social organizations" shall refer to non-profit-making social organizations voluntarily composed of Chinese citizens that perform activities in accordance with the articles of association for the realization of the common desires of the membership.
Organizations other than state authorities may join social organizations as institutional members.
Article 3 The establishment of a social organization shall be subject to the review and consent of its governing entity, and shall be registered in accordance with the Regulations.
social organizations shall be qualified as juristic persons.
The following organizations do not fall within the scope of registration under the Regulations:
(1) people's organizations that are members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference;
(2) organizations confirmed by the administrative department for institutional organization under the State Council and are exempt from registration as approved by the State Council; and
(3) bodies established within government authorities, organizations, enterprises or public institutions with the approval of their affiliated entity, and performing activities therein.
Article 4 social organizations shall abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations and policies of the State, shall not oppose the basic principles set out in the Constitution, shall not endanger the reunification and security of the country or the unity of the nationalities, shall not infringe upon state or public interests or the legitimate rights and interests of other organizations and citizens, and shall not breach social ethics and morality.
No social organizations shall conduct profit-making business activities.
Article 5 The State protects the activities of social organizations performed in accordance with laws, regulations and their articles of association, and no other organizations or individuals may unlawfully interfere with them.
Article 6 The civil affairs department under the State Council and the civil affairs departments of local people's governments at or above the county level are the registration administrations of people's governments at their corresponding levels (hereinafter referred to as the "registration administrations") for associations.
The relevant departments under the State Council and those of local people's governments at or above the county level as well as organizations authorized by the State Council or local people's governments at or above the county level are entities governing social organizations in the relevant trades, academic disciplines or professions (hereinafter referred to as the "governing entities").
Where laws and administrative regulations provide otherwise for the supervision and administration of supervision and administration, such provisions shall apply.
Chapter II Jurisdiction
Article 7 Nationwide social organizations shall be registered and administered by the registration administration under the State Council; local social organizations shall be registered and administered by registration administrations of the people's governments where they are located. Trans-administrative region social organizations shall be registered and administered by the common registration administrations of people's governments at the next higher level over the administrative regions that these social organizations span.
Article 8 Where the domiciles of registration administrations and governing entities are not in the same places as those of the social organizations under their jurisdiction, the registration administrations and governing entities in places where these social organizations are domiciled may be delegated with the supervision and administration within the scope of entrustment.
Chapter III Registration of Establishment
Article 9 An application for establishing a social organization shall be subject to the review and consent by the governing entity concerned, and the promoter shall apply for registration with the registration administration concerned.
Activities that are not directly related to making preparations are prohibited during the preparatory period.
Article 10 A social organization shall meet the following requirements for establishment:
(1) having no less than 50 individual members or no less than 30 entity members, or a total of no less than 50 individual and entity members;
(2) having a normal name and corresponding organizational structure;
(3) having a fixed domicile;
(4) having full-time staff members suitable for its business activities;
(5) having lawful assets and sources of funding; a nationwide social organization shall have an operational fund of no less than CNY100,000 while a local organization and a trans-administrative region organization shall have an operational fund of no less than CNY30,000; and
(6) having the ability to bear civil liability independently.
Names of social organizations shall comply with laws and regulations, and shall not breach social ethics and morality.
......
Order of the State Council of the People's Republic of China No. 832
March 12, 2026
(Promulgated by the Order of the State Council of the People's Republic of China No.250 on October 25, 1998; revised for the first time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council on Revising Certain Administrative Regulations on February 6, 2016; and revised for the second time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council on Revising the Administrative Regulations on the Registration of Social Organizations on March 12, 2026)
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 The Administrative Regulations on the Registration of Social Organizations (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") are formulated in order to safeguard the freedom of association by citizens, maintain the legitimate rights and interests of social organizations, strengthen the administration for the registration of social organizations and facilitate socialist material and cultural-ethical advancement.
Article 2 For the purposes of the Regulations, the term "social organizations" shall refer to non-profit-making social organizations voluntarily composed of Chinese citizens that perform activities in accordance with the articles of association for the realization of the common desires of the membership.
Organizations other than state authorities may join social organizations as institutional members.
Article 3 The establishment of a social organization shall be subject to the review and consent of its governing entity, and shall be registered in accordance with the Regulations.
social organizations shall be qualified as juristic persons.
The following organizations do not fall within the scope of registration under the Regulations:
(1) people's organizations that are members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference;
(2) organizations confirmed by the administrative department for institutional organization under the State Council and are exempt from registration as approved by the State Council; and
(3) bodies established within government authorities, organizations, enterprises or public institutions with the approval of their affiliated entity, and performing activities therein.
Article 4 social organizations shall abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations and policies of the State, shall not oppose the basic principles set out in the Constitution, shall not endanger the reunification and security of the country or the unity of the nationalities, shall not infringe upon state or public interests or the legitimate rights and interests of other organizations and citizens, and shall not breach social ethics and morality.
No social organizations shall conduct profit-making business activities.
Article 5 The State protects the activities of social organizations performed in accordance with laws, regulations and their articles of association, and no other organizations or individuals may unlawfully interfere with them.
Article 6 The civil affairs department under the State Council and the civil affairs departments of local people's governments at or above the county level are the registration administrations of people's governments at their corresponding levels (hereinafter referred to as the "registration administrations") for associations.
The relevant departments under the State Council and those of local people's governments at or above the county level as well as organizations authorized by the State Council or local people's governments at or above the county level are entities governing social organizations in the relevant trades, academic disciplines or professions (hereinafter referred to as the "governing entities").
Where laws and administrative regulations provide otherwise for the supervision and administration of supervision and administration, such provisions shall apply.
Chapter II Jurisdiction
Article 7 Nationwide social organizations shall be registered and administered by the registration administration under the State Council; local social organizations shall be registered and administered by registration administrations of the people's governments where they are located. Trans-administrative region social organizations shall be registered and administered by the common registration administrations of people's governments at the next higher level over the administrative regions that these social organizations span.
Article 8 Where the domiciles of registration administrations and governing entities are not in the same places as those of the social organizations under their jurisdiction, the registration administrations and governing entities in places where these social organizations are domiciled may be delegated with the supervision and administration within the scope of entrustment.
Chapter III Registration of Establishment
Article 9 An application for establishing a social organization shall be subject to the review and consent by the governing entity concerned, and the promoter shall apply for registration with the registration administration concerned.
Activities that are not directly related to making preparations are prohibited during the preparatory period.
Article 10 A social organization shall meet the following requirements for establishment:
(1) having no less than 50 individual members or no less than 30 entity members, or a total of no less than 50 individual and entity members;
(2) having a normal name and corresponding organizational structure;
(3) having a fixed domicile;
(4) having full-time staff members suitable for its business activities;
(5) having lawful assets and sources of funding; a nationwide social organization shall have an operational fund of no less than CNY100,000 while a local organization and a trans-administrative region organization shall have an operational fund of no less than CNY30,000; and
(6) having the ability to bear civil liability independently.
Names of social organizations shall comply with laws and regulations, and shall not breach social ethics and morality.
......