Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania churches are urged to file the state’s decennial report to protect their names and identity insignia/marks and to stay in good standing with the state. The legislative intent for requiring these filings is to identify names and marks that are no longer in use, so that they may be reissued and placed back into the stream of commerce.
A Decennial Report of Association Continued Existence [DSCB:54-503] is required to show that corporations, including churches, who have not made a filing with the Department of State in the last ten years still exist. It is required by Title 54 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Sec. 503. This Pennsylvania law requires this report of continued existence in order for the entities to keep the exclusive right to their name.
Churches must also report to the State any changes to their Board of Officers to maintain good standing with the state.
The Decennial Report filing is required to be made in each year that ends with the numeral “1,” which is why this report is now due. Only churches registered with the Department of State that have not made a new or amended filing with the State Bureau from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2021, must file a Decennial Report with the Department’s Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations in 2021.
The report costs $70 to file.
Churches that fail to file a Decennial Report during the 2021 calendar year lose the exclusive use of their name, as of January 1, 2022. It will not cause a dissolution or termination of the business entity. However, thee church may register the same or an otherwise conflicting name with the Department of State on or after January 1, 2022.
Churches may access all forms here. A Pennsylvania church that needs assistance with filing its Decennial Report can call (888) 724-9870.
