The Parochial Fees Order 2026
S.I. 2026/515 · Made 13 May 2026
ECCLESIASTICAL LAW, ENGLAND
Made 13th May 2026
Laid before Parliament 18th May 2026
Coming into force 1st January 2027
In accordance with section 2(1) of the Ecclesiastical Fees Measure 1986f1(“the Measure”) a draft of this Order has been laid before, and approved by, the General Synod.
The Archbishops’ Council, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 1 and 2 of the Measure f2 makes the following Order.
Annotations to the whole text
Footnotes
- f1
-
1986 No. 2. Amendments have been made to section 2 by section 2 of the Ecclesiastical Fees (Amendment) Measure 2011(No. 2) and by paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to S.I. 1998/1715.
- f2
-
Amendments have been made to section 1 by section 1 of the Ecclesiastical Fees (Amendment) Measure 2011 and section 8 of the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2018 (No. 7).
Contents
- 1Citation, commencement and interpretation
- 2Period for which fees are prescribed
- 3Base figures
- 4Prescribed fees
- 5Supplementary
- Signature
- Schedule 1Parochial Fees: base figures
- Schedule 2: Incidental provisions
- 1Certificates and certified copies
- 2Costs and expenses included in prescribed fees
- 3Parish church cathedrals
- 4Approval of inscriptions
- 5Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880
- 6Banns published by lay person
- 7Registers in custody of churchwardens
- Explanatory note
1Citation, commencement and interpretation
This Order may be cited as the Parochial Fees Order 2026.
It comes into operation on 1st January 2027.
In this Order “the Measure” means the Ecclesiastical Fees Measure 1986.
2Period for which fees are prescribed
This Order prescribes parochial fees for the period 1st January 2027 to 31st December 2031.
3Base figures
The “base figure” for a matter listed in the first column of the table in Schedule 1 is the amount specified in respect of that matter in the second column of the table for the diocesan board of finance or (as the case may be) in the third column for the parochial church council.
4Prescribed fees
Parochial fees are payable to a diocesan board of finance and to a parochial church council in respect of each of the matters listed in the first column of the table in Schedule 1 as follows.
The fee payable in the calendar year 1st January to 31st December 2027 is the base figure for that matter—
increased by the lower of—
the percentage by which the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for August 2026 is greater than that for August 2025, and
5%, and
rounded up to the nearest £1.
The fee payable in each subsequent calendar year is the fee payable for that matter in the preceding calendar year (“Year A”)—
increased by the lower of—
the percentage by which the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for August in Year A is greater than that for August in the calendar year preceding Year A, and
5%, and
rounded up to the nearest £1.
But where there is no increase in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), the percentage for the purposes of paragraph (2) or (3) is to be treated as zero.
5Supplementary
Schedule 2 contains incidental provisions that apply in relation to the parochial fees prescribed by article 4.
Article 4 is subject to section 1(8) of the Measure (which provides that where the relevant parish is a parish of which a cathedral is the parish church, any fees which would, apart from that subsection, be payable to the parochial church council or to the diocesan board of finance, are instead payable to the Chapter of the cathedral).
Signature
The draft of this Order was approved by the General Synod on 13th February 2026.
A.S. McGregor
Registrar of the General Synod
Church House, Westminster
Signed on behalf of the Archbishops’ Council by two authorised officers
S.J. Gallagher
D.P. White
Church House, Westminster
13th May 2026
Schedule 1Parochial Fees: base figures
| Matter | Diocesan board of finance | Parochial church council | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| BAPTISMS | |||
| Certificate issued at time of baptism | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Short certificate of baptism given under section 2 Baptismal Registers Measure 1961 | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| MARRIAGES | |||
| Publication of banns of marriage | 0 | 39 | 39 |
| Certificate of banns issued at time of publication | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Marriage service in church (*) | 257 | 309 | 566 |
| FUNERALS AND BURIALS OF PERSONS AGED 18 YEARS OR MORE | |||
| A. Service in church | |||
| Funeral service in church, whether taking place before or after burial or cremation (*) | 132 | 112 | 224 |
| Burial of body in churchyard immediately preceding or following on from service in church | 19 | 371 | 390 |
| Burial or other lawful disposal of cremated remains in churchyard immediately preceding or following on from service in church | 19 | 152 | 171 |
| Burial of body, or burial or other lawful disposal of cremated remains, in cemetery immediately preceding or following on from service in church | 37 | 0 | 37 |
| Cremation immediately preceding or following on from service in church | 37 | 0 | 37 |
| Burial of body in churchyard on separate occasion | 54 | 371 | 425 |
| Burial of cremated remains in churchyard or other lawful disposal of remains on separate occasion | 54 | 152 | 206 |
| Burial of body, or burial or other lawful disposal of cremated remains, in cemetery on separate occasion | 70 | 20 | 90 |
| B. No service in church | |||
| Funeral service (including burial of body) at graveside in churchyard | 132 | 371 | 503 |
| Funeral service (including burial or other lawful disposal of cremated remains) in churchyard | 132 | 152 | 284 |
| Funeral service in crematorium or funeral service (including burial of body or burial or other lawful disposal of cremated remains) in cemetery | 207 | 37 | 244 |
| Funeral service in premises belonging to funeral director, whether taking place before or after burial or cremation | 244 | 0 | 244 |
| Cremation immediately preceding or following on from funeral service in premises belonging to funeral director | 37 | 0 | 37 |
| Burial of body in churchyard (committal only) | 54 | 371 | 425 |
| Burial of cremated remains in churchyard or other lawful disposal of remains (committal only) | 54 | 152 | 206 |
| Burial of body, or burial or other lawful disposal of cremated remains, in cemetery (committal only) | 37 | 0 | 37 |
| C. Certificate issued at time of burial | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| MONUMENTS IN CHURCHYARDS | |||
| Permitted in accordance with rules, regulations or directions made by the Chancellor including those relating to a particular churchyard or part of a churchyard (but excluding a monument authorised by a particular faculty) including inscription on existing monument— | |||
| Small cross of wood (†) | 19 | 41 | 60 |
| Small vase not exceeding 305mm x 203mm x 203mm or tablet, plaque or other marker commemorating a person whose remains have been cremated (†) | 19 | 77 | 96 |
| Any other monument (†) | 19 | 160 | 179 |
| Additional inscription on existing monument | 19 | 20 | 39 |
| SEARCHES IN CHURCH REGISTERS ETC. | |||
| Searching registers of marriages for period before 1st July 1837— | |||
| for up to one hour | 0 | 39 | 39 |
| for each subsequent hour or part of an hour | 0 | 39 | 39 |
| Searching registers of baptisms or burials (including provision of one copy of any entry therein)— | |||
| for up to one hour | 0 | 39 | 39 |
| for each subsequent hour or part of an hour | 0 | 39 | 39 |
| Each additional copy of an entry in a register of baptisms or burials | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Inspection of instrument of apportionment or agreement for exchange of land for tithes deposited under Tithe Act 1836 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Furnishing copies of above (for every 72 words) | 0 | 20 | 20 |
1Certificates and certified copies
The fee for a certificate issued at the time of baptism is for a certified copy of the entry in the register book of baptisms giving the particulars required in Form No 1 in Schedule 1 to the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978f1.
The fees payable for a certified copy of an entry in a register book of baptisms issued at any other time are the fees prescribed for searching registers of baptisms or burials and, if applicable, for each additional copy of an entry in a register of baptisms or burials.
Any fee prescribed under the heading “SEARCHES IN CHURCH REGISTERS ETC.” for a copy of an entry in a register or of an instrument or other document is for a certified copy; and where provision of a copy is included in the fee for searching a register, that fee includes the provision of a certified copy.
2Costs and expenses included in prescribed fees
Where a matter is marked (*) in the table in Schedule 1, any costs and expenses incurred in relation to that matter in respect of routine administration (including arranging dates and times and the making of entries in registers), making the church available and lighting it are included in the fee prescribed as payable to the parochial church council.
3Parish church cathedrals
Where section 1(8) of the Measure applies, paragraph 2 applies as if the reference to the parochial church council were to the Chapter of the cathedral.
4Approval of inscriptions
The fees prescribed for matters marked (†) in the table in Schedule 1 include fees in respect of the approval of the original inscription by the incumbent.
5Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880
In the case of a burial under the Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880f1, the fees payable are those prescribed in respect of a funeral service (including burial of body) at a graveside in a churchyard.
6Banns published by lay person
Where a lay person publishes banns under section 9(2) of the Marriage Act 1949f1, the fees prescribed in respect of the publication of banns of marriage are payable.
7Registers in custody of churchwardens
Where a churchwarden allows a search to be made in a register of baptisms or burials or gives a copy of an entry in such a register under section 20(1) of the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978, the fees prescribed in respect of such searches and to the giving of such copies are payable.
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Order)
The Order prescribes the parochial fees payable for the period 1st January 2027 to 31st December 2031 in connection with marriages, funerals and burials and the erection of monuments in churchyards and in respect of other, miscellaneous matters.