Registered liquidators
Important notice: Registered liquidators can now submit certain statutory reports, all applications for assetless administration funding, and requests for ASIC's assistance in an external administration to us via the ASIC Regulatory Portal. Visit our information page for more detail about this change.
You must be registered as a liquidator to be appointed to any type of insolvent external administration.
A registered liquidator is a natural person who is registered as a liquidator under the Corporations Act 2001 (Corporations Act). They are allocated a Registered Liquidator Number and their name and number appear on ASIC's Register of Liquidators.
Registered liquidators act in a fiduciary capacity, and often have total management control of the affairs, money and other property of a body corporate.
An application for registration as a registered liquidator is made to ASIC and will be referred to a committee who will interview the applicant and may require that the applicant sit an examination. The committee must decide to register a person as a liquidator if the committee is satisfied the person:
- has certain base level qualifications, experience, knowledge and abilities
- will take out the required insurance
- has not been convicted, within 10 years before making their application, of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty
- is not, and has not been within 10 years before making their application, an insolvent under administration
- have not had their registration as a liquidator under the Corporations Act or as a trustee under the Bankruptcy Act 1966 cancelled within 10 years before making the application, other than in response to a written request by the person
- is not disqualified from managing corporations under Part 2D.6 of the Corporations Act or under a law of an external Territory or a law of a foreign country
- is otherwise a fit and proper person
- is resident in Australia
ASIC must register a person as a liquidator if the committee decides the person should be registered and the person produces evidence in writing to ASIC that they have taken out the required insurance. The registration has effect for three years.
Related links
- Regulatory Guide 258 Registered liquidators: Registration, disciplinary actions and insurance requirements
- Apply to access and lodge documents through the registered liquidators portal
- List of registered liquidators
- Search our professional registers
- Regulatory resources for registered liquidators
- Major changes following the Insolvency Law Reform Act 2016
- Insolvency forms – 2017 reforms following the Insolvency Law Reform Act 2016
- AFSA, ARITA and ASIC joint liaison meetings