Changes of Corporate Title and Address Booklet

Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency
Washington, DC 20219

COMPTROLLER’S LICENSING MANUAL

Changes of Corporate
Title and Address

January 2017

Contents
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................1
Change of Address .............................................................................................................. 1
Change of Corporate Title .................................................................................................. 2
National Banks .............................................................................................................. 2
Federal Savings Associations ....................................................................................... 2
Amending the Articles of Association or Charter......................................................... 2
Procedures: Address Change ..................................................................................................4
Filing the Notification ......................................................................................................... 4
Procedures: Corporate Title Change .....................................................................................5
Filing the Notification ......................................................................................................... 5
National Banks .............................................................................................................. 5
Federal Saving Associations ......................................................................................... 5
References .................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) requires notification by any national
bank or federal savings association (FSA) of changes to its corporate title or address,
including branch addresses and mailing addresses. National banks and FSAs 1 must submit a
notice regarding a change of corporate title or change of address under 12 CFR 5.42 and
5.52, respectively. 2 The notice should include the old and the new title or address and the
effective date of the change.
The OCC is developing an electronic filing system, the Central Application Tracking System
(CATS), which will allow the filing of most applications and notices with the OCC online.
CATS is expected to be launched in phases starting in early 2017. The OCC will notify
institutions when they may begin submitting filings through CATS.
CATS will be accessed through BankNet, the OCC’s web portal for the institutions it
regulates. All national banks, FSAs, and federal branches and agencies will be able to access
CATS after receiving permission for CATS through BankNet.
Once CATS is accessible to banks, they may still submit filings in paper form, although the
OCC will strongly encourage filing through CATS. Questions on the filing process and the
availability of CATS for electronic filing should be directed to the appropriate OCC licensing
office.

Change of Address
A change in address does not involve an actual change in the physical location of the bank or
branch. The address change may be the result of renaming of a town; street renumbering or
renaming; or mailbox, drawer, mail stop, or zip code changes by the U.S. Postal Service.
If the name of the town, city, or village changes or if the boundaries are redrawn, resulting in
a change of address of the main office of a national bank, the bank should amend its articles
of association if the articles list the location of the bank, pursuant to 12 USC 21a. In the same
circumstances involving the home office of an FSA, the FSA must amend its charter pursuant
to 12 CFR 5.21 or 5.22, as applicable.
If the physical location of the main/home office or branch of a bank will change, consult the
“Branches and Relocations” booklet of the Comptroller’s Licensing Manual.
When the OCC sends a mailing to banks, the address generally used is the address of the
bank’s main/home office. If bank management wants OCC mailings to be sent to an alternate
1

Throughout this booklet, national banks and FSAs are referred to collectively as banks, except when it is
necessary to distinguish between the two.

2

No additional notice is required if a change in address results from another type of corporate filing or
notification to the OCC such as a merger or an application to relocate an office.

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address, such as a branch, another office of the bank or holding company, or a post office
box, the bank should notify the OCC of the desired mailing address. Updating a bank’s
mailing address does not change the actual location of the bank in the OCC’s records.

Change of Corporate Title
A change of corporate title is considered a management decision, and prior OCC approval is
not required. A bank that wishes to operate under a name other than its official corporate title
should refer to OCC Bulletin 1998-22, “Branch Names,” for guidance and ensure compliance
with 18 USC 709 regarding prohibitions against false advertising and the misuse of names. 3
A bank shall promptly notify the OCC after a change in corporate title.

National Banks
Pursuant to 12 USC 30, a national bank must use the word “national” in the corporate title.
Abbreviations of the word “national,” such as NA for national association, are not acceptable
in the bank’s articles of association. If the corporate title is listed in the articles of
association, a national bank must amend its articles of association to effect a change in
corporate title.

Federal Savings Associations
An FSA shall change its corporate title by amending its charter in accordance with
12 CFR 5.21 or 5.22, as applicable.

Amending the Articles of Association or Charter
National Banks
Amendments to the articles of association must be approved by the shareholders (generally a
majority of the shares unless otherwise provided for in the articles),according to the
procedures of 12 USC 21a, to change a national bank’s title, or city and state, if listed in the
articles of association. A certified copy of every amendment to the articles of association
adopted by the shareholders must be forwarded to the OCC.

3

A bank that wants to protect its proprietary interest in its corporate title may wish to consult legal counsel to
determine whether protection is available under state or federal law. Furthermore, a bank may wish to seek legal
counsel before a title change to determine whether a proposed title could be challenged.

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Federal Savings Associations
Pursuant to 12 CFR 5.21 and 5.22, an FSA must comply with the following requirements to
amend its charter to reflect an address or title change: 4
•
•

Obtain board of directors approval of the charter amendment.
Submit the proposed charter amendment to the OCC at least 30 days before the date the
amendment is to be mailed for consideration by the association’s shareholders if the FSA
is a stock association, or 30 days before the effective date of the change for a mutual
association.

4

These are general requirements. Applicants should review 12 CFR 5.21 (federal mutual charter) and 5.22
(federal stock charter) for specific requirements pertaining to mutual and stock associations, respectively.

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Procedures: Address Change
Filing the Notification
All Banks
Submit to the appropriate OCC licensing office, promptly after the effective date, a notice of
a change in the address of the bank’s main/home office or a branch, and/or the bank’s
mailing address, including the effective date of the change.

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Procedures: Corporate Title Change
Filing the Notification
National Banks
1. Amend the articles of association by following the procedures in 12 USC 21a, 5 if a
national bank’s corporate title is specified in the articles of association.
2. Submit to the appropriate OCC licensing office, promptly after the effective date, a notice
of the change of corporate title, including the old and new titles and the effective date of
the change. If the articles of association were amended, submit a copy of the amendment
with certification of board of director and shareholder approval.

Federal Savings Associations
1. Change the corporate title in accordance with the procedures for amending a charter in
12 CFR 5.21 or 5.22, as applicable. These procedures include any prior approval or prior
submission requirements to the OCC regarding the amendment to the charter. The
submission to the OCC should include a copy of the amendment, the certification of
board of director approval, and, for stock associations, the planned date when shareholder
approval is expected.
2. Submit to the appropriate OCC licensing office, promptly after the effective date, a notice
of the change of corporate title, including the old and new titles and the effective date of
the change.

5

See 12 CFR 7.2001 for general requirements regarding notice of shareholder meetings.

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References
In this section, references apply to both national banks and federal savings associations
unless noted otherwise that the referenced law, regulation, or issuance applies to National
Banks or Federal Savings Associations.
Change of Address
Regulation

12 CFR 5.52

Change of Title
Regulation

12 CFR 5.42

False Advertising
Law

18 USC 709

National Banks
Amendments to Articles of Association
Law

12 USC 21a

Change of Address
Law

12 USC 93a, 161, and 481

Change of Title
Law

12 USC 30

Effect of Change of Name
Law

12 USC 31 and 32

Organization Certificate
Law

12 USC 22

Federal Savings Associations
Amendments to Charter
Regulation

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12 CFR 5.21 and 5.22

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