Adding a new charity trustee to OSCR Online
PLEASE NOTE: This guidance applies from 30 June 2025. Trustee details cannot be added in OSCR Online before this date.
Before you start
Before you start adding charity trustees on OSCR Online, you must:
- Check that every charity trustee understands the automatic disqualification criteria. It is the responsibility of the individual to confirm they are not disqualified and can act as a charity trustee. The person entering the information into the system is not responsible for verifying eligibility or disqualification status.
For information on how to check if an individual is eligible to be a charity trustee, please see our guidance on Recruiting Charity Trustees. - Collect the required charity trustee information:
- Full name
- Home address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Date of birth
- Date of appointment as charity trustee
- Check if any charity trustee has the intention to apply for an exemption from having their name published on the Scottish Charity Register.
PLEASE NOTE: Exemptions can only be submitted from 30 June 2025 onwards.
Exemptions will only be granted after an application has been submitted and OSCR is satisfied that it is likely that the safety or security of that charity trustee or premises would be jeopardised if the information was published. For more information, please see our exemption from publication of trustee details guidance.
Putting charity trustee information into OSCR Online
After completing the steps above, your charity must submit charity trustee details using OSCR Online. Each charity can grant access to up to three individuals, known as charity users, who can manage the OSCR Online account. You can find guidance on how to use OSCR Online here.
From early 2026, only the first and last names of charity trustees who do not have an exemption will be published on the Scottish Charity Register. All other trustee information will remain confidential, unless a charity chooses to disclose additional details in its own annual report and accounts.
If your charity is also a company, the charity trustees are often also company directors. Their names must be listed on the public register maintained by Companies House. You can find information on how to report changes to Companies House here.