On 29 June 2026, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Business Registries Stabilisation and Uplift) Bill 2026 was passed, introducing reforms that require companies to lodge directors’ Director Identification Numbers (DINs) with ASIC and allow company officers to nominate an alternative address for the service of documents.
Director Identification Number (DIN) - New company lodgement obligation
Under the current framework, directors have a personal obligation to obtain a DIN through the Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS). Currently, companies have no obligation to notify ASIC of their directors’ DINs. From 1 July 2027, companies will have a new obligation to lodge their directors’ DINs with ASIC. Lodgements will operate through company reporting processes, including annual reviews and when notifying changes to director details.
Companies should therefore ensure that they hold the DIN for each of their directors and that the corresponding director information recorded with ASIC and ABRS is accurate and consistent.
What you should do
In preparation for the new requirements, companies and their directors should:
confirm that all current directors have DINs and that their personal details are correctly recorded;
confirm that company details recorded with ASIC are current and accurate;
update any incorrect names, addresses or contact details; and
be ready to supply each director’s DIN to ASIC
Director personal information on ASIC’s register
Currently, ASIC’s register, which is publicly searchable, lists the residential address and date of birth for each person who is a company director or secretary. That has given rise to personal information security concerns.
From 1 July 2027, officeholders will be able to nominate an alternative Australian service address. A service is a physical address in Australia at which documents can be served on the officeholder, allowing the officeholder to use that address instead of their residential address for service purposes.
ASIC is currently consulting on the broader access arrangements for information held on the companies register, including the treatment of residential addresses once a service addresses become available. Under the proposal, from 1 August 2028, ASIC will make an officeholder’s residential address available for general access where a service address has not been lodged with ASIC. This would provide companies and officeholders with a transitional period from 1 July 2027 to 1 August 2028 to lodge an address for service.
ASIC also proposes to publish an officeholder’s residential locality (state and country) to facilitate due diligence, while reducing the privacy and safety risks associated with making full residential addresses publicly available.
You can access the consultation process here.
Next Steps
Companies can prepare now for the change by ensuring they hold the DIN of each existing director and by incorporating into their internal processes a requirement to obtain and record a new director’s DIN in the company’s books within seven days of their appointment.
If you require assistance reviewing your company’s records or updating your director appointment procedures ahead of 1 July 2027, please contact Brett Cowell in our Corporate Team.
This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only and does not constitute professional legal advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional legal advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication and to the extent permitted by law, Cowell Clarke does not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting or refraining to act in relation on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it.