Nunavut Societies Act Incorporation Guide (2026) | BizFile

Nunavut Societies Act incorporation is the route by which community organizations across the territory become legal entities. Nunavut's Societies Act, RSNWT (Nu) 1988, c. S-11 — carried forward from the Northwest Territories statute book at division — allows five or more persons to incorporate a society for community purposes. Filings go to the Registrar of Societies at the Legal Registries Division of the Department of Justice, Government of Nunavut, based in Iqaluit.

This guide is written for the founders of Nunavut's community groups — hunters and trappers committees' sister organizations, arts and cultural societies, recreation and sport clubs, church groups, and organizations that may later seek charitable registration. It covers the incorporator requirement, the constitution and by-laws, the exact fees, and the annual filings that keep a society in good standing.

Key facts at a glance

What counts as a not-for-profit in Nunavut

Under Nunavut's Societies Act, a society is a member-based organization incorporated by five or more people for qualifying non-commercial purposes — culture, recreation, sport, religion, education, social services and similar community aims. A society has members, not shareholders. Its funds and property must be devoted to the objects stated in its application for incorporation, and nothing may be distributed as profit to the people who control it. That non-distribution constraint is what legally separates a society from a business corporation, which exists to return profits to its owners.

Two other distinctions matter for founders. First, incorporation is optional — the Legal Registries guidance notes that groups can operate unincorporated, but incorporation brings benefits such as limited liability for members. Second, an incorporated society is not automatically a registered charity: charitable status is granted separately by the Canada Revenue Agency under the federal Income Tax Act, and only registered charities can issue official donation receipts. Most Nunavut organizations incorporate first, then apply to the CRA.

Why incorporate your not-for-profit

Incorporation gives your organization a legal identity of its own. The society — not its individual volunteers — enters contracts, holds the bank account, owns equipment and can acquire property, and it continues to exist as founders move on. Members gain limited liability, so the organization's obligations do not automatically become personal ones. For groups that manage facilities, employ staff or sign multi-year funding agreements, that separation is essential protection.

Incorporation also unlocks doors. Territorial and federal grant programs, foundations and lenders almost always require an incorporated applicant with a certificate of incorporation, a registered office and up-to-date filings. A society with charitable purposes has the corporate footing the CRA looks for in a charitable registration application. And because every certificate of incorporation is published in the Nunavut Gazette, incorporation puts your organization formally on the public record — a credibility marker for partners and funders.

Step-by-step: how to incorporate

1. Gather five or more incorporators. The Act requires five or more persons to apply to incorporate a society for qualifying purposes. These founding applicants sign the incorporation documents.
2. Choose a distinctive name. Your proposed name must not be similar to that of any other society, and once registered, the exact name must be used in all legal documents. Check existing names before filing — searches through Legal Registries are free under the fee schedule.
3. Complete the Application for Incorporation (Form 1). The application states the society's name, objects and the community where it will operate. The Incorporation Guide and the full Incorporation Package walk through each field.
4. Prepare by-laws covering the eleven mandatory elements. The Act requires by-laws to deal with matters including admission and rights of members, meetings, the appointment and removal of directors, borrowing powers, audit of accounts, custody of records, and the fiscal year end. The government package includes a template you can adapt.
5. Complete the Notice of Registered Office and Notice of Directors. These record your society's official address in Nunavut and its first board.
6. File with the $50 fee. Submit by email as scanned PDFs (minimum 300 dpi) or by mail or hand delivery to Legal Registries, P.O. Box 1000, Station 570, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 — fax submissions are not accepted. The incorporation fee under the Societies Act fee schedule is $50.
7. Receive your certificate of incorporation. Once the Registrar verifies compliance, a certificate of incorporation is issued and notice is published in the Nunavut Gazette. Keep the certificate with your by-laws and registers as the start of your minute book.

Official forms and links

After incorporation: ongoing compliance

Nunavut societies live on an AGM-centred compliance cycle. The annual general meeting must be held in Nunavut, cannot fall within 30 days of the fiscal year end, and members must be presented with financial statements for the preceding fiscal year. Then, within 14 days after the AGM, the society must file with the Registrar: its financial statements (audited, or signed by directors if the society has no auditor), a Notice of Directors listing each director's name, address and occupation, and any by-law amendments or constitutional resolutions passed at the meeting. Under the fee schedule, filing financial statements and director notices is free; amendments to the name, constitution or by-laws cost $20 per meeting's worth of changes.

Staying current is not optional housekeeping. A society that stops filing loses its good standing with the Registrar, which jeopardizes grant eligibility, banking and — for registered charities — standing with the CRA, and persistent default exposes the society to being dissolved and removed from the register. Keep the registered office address current, use the society's exact registered name on all legal documents, and diarize the AGM and the 14-day filing window every year. A certificate of status, often requested by funders, costs just $10.

Frequently asked questions

How many people do you need to incorporate a society in Nunavut?

Five. Nunavut's Societies Act provides that five or more persons may apply to incorporate a society for qualifying community purposes. The Act does not set a minimum board size — your by-laws govern how directors are appointed and removed — but you must file a Notice of Directors at incorporation and after every AGM.

How much does it cost to register a society in Nunavut?

The government incorporation fee is $50 under the Societies Act fee schedule. Ongoing costs are minimal: annual filings of financial statements and director notices are free, amendments to the constitution or by-laws cost $20, a certificate of status is $10, and registry searches are free. Dissolution, if ever needed, carries no fee.

How do I file society documents with Nunavut Legal Registries?

Submit your Application for Incorporation, by-laws, Notice of Registered Office and Notice of Directors by email as scanned PDFs at 300 dpi or better, or by mail or hand delivery to Legal Registries, P.O. Box 1000, Station 570, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0. Fax submissions are not accepted. The Registrar issues your certificate once documents comply.

Does a Nunavut society have to file an annual return?

Yes. Within 14 days after its annual general meeting — which must be held in Nunavut — a society must file financial statements (audited, or director-signed if there is no auditor), a Notice of Directors with names, addresses and occupations, and any amendments passed. There is no government fee, but non-filing puts the society into default.

What must be in a Nunavut society's by-laws?

The Societies Act prescribes eleven mandatory elements, including admission and rights of members, meeting procedures, the appointment and removal of directors, borrowing powers, audit of accounts, custody and inspection of records, and the society's fiscal year end. The government's incorporation package includes a by-law template you can adapt to your organization.

Can a Nunavut society become a registered charity?

Yes, if its purposes are exclusively charitable. Incorporation under the Societies Act creates the legal entity; charitable registration is a separate application to the Canada Revenue Agency, which reviews the society's objects, activities and governing documents. Once registered, the charity can issue official donation receipts — provided it also keeps its territorial filings current.

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Related guides

• Not-for-Profit Incorporation in Canada: The Complete Guide
• Nunavut grants for not-for-profits
• Federal not-for-profit incorporation (Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act)