#2026/672Updated Fee Payment Wording for Birth, Death, Marriage and Civil Partnership Registration Services
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This regulation updates the wording used for certain registration service fees in England and Wales. It does not change the amount people pay. Instead, it clarifies which official receives the fee and updates descriptions of the relevant services. The change reflects the move toward electronic registers for births, still-births and deaths. For older entries made before 1 July 2009, fees go to the superintendent registrar. For entries made on or after that date, fees may go to the superintendent registrar or the registrar. Registry offices and officials handling corrections or certificates will need to use the updated descriptions from 9 November 2026.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- Clarifies who receives fees for certain registration services depending on whether the register entry was made before or after 1 July 2009.
- Updates correction fee wording so the fee is linked to the official who makes the correction.
- Replaces outdated references to registers being “kept” or held in “custody” with wording better suited to electronic records.
Obligations
What this law requires
From 9 November 2026, when charging fees under row 16A of Schedule 1, officials must treat the fee recipient as the superintendent registrar for register entries made before 1 July 2009, and as either the superintendent registrar or the registrar for entries made on or after 1 July 2009.
From 9 November 2026, for row 17A correction services, officials must use the description of the responsible officer as the person who effects the correction rather than the person with custody of the register.
From 9 November 2026, when charging fees under row 17A, officials must treat the fee recipient as the superintendent registrar for register entries made before 1 July 2009, and as either the superintendent registrar or the registrar for entries made on or after 1 July 2009.
From 9 November 2026, officials must update the row 20 service description so that the relevant certificate or registration document is described as being issued rather than kept.
From 9 November 2026, officials must update the row 21 service description so that the relevant certificate or registration document is described as being issued rather than kept.