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STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS
2026 No. 515
ECCLESIASTICAL LAW, ENGLAND
The Parochial Fees Order 2026
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 1986(1)(“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
(2) makes the following Order.
Citation, commencement and interpretation
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Parochial Fees Order 2026.
(2) It comes into operation on 1st January 2027.
(3) In this Order “the Measure” means the Ecclesiastical Fees Measure 1986.
Period for which fees are prescribed
2. This Order prescribes parochial fees for the period 1st January 2027 to 31st December 2031.
Base figures
3. 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.
Prescribed fees
4.—(1) 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.
(1) 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.
(2) 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).Document Generated: 2026-05-18
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(2) The fee payable in the calendar year 1st January to 31st December 2027 is the base figure
for that matter—
(a) increased by the lower of—
(i)the percentage by which the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for August 2026 is greater
than that for August 2025, and
(ii)5%, and
(b) rounded up to the nearest £1.
(3) The fee payable in each subsequent calendar year is the fee payable for that matter in the
preceding calendar year (“Year A”)—
(a) increased by the lower of—
(i)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
(ii)5%, and
(b) rounded up to the nearest £1.
(4) 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.
Supplementary
5.—(1) Schedule 2 contains incidental provisions that apply in relation to the parochial fees
prescribed by article 4.
(2) 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).
The draft of this Order was approved by the General Synod on 13th February 2026.
A.S. McGregor
Church House, Westminster Registrar of the General Synod
Signed on behalf of the Archbishops’ Council by two authorised officers
Church House, Westminster S.J. Gallagher
13th May 2026 D.P. White
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SCHED ULES
Schedule 1 Article 4
Parochial Fees: base figures
Matter Diocesan board Parochial Total
of finance church council
£ £ £
BAPTISMS
Certificate issued at time of baptism 0 20 20
Short certificate of baptism given 0 20 20
under section 2 Baptismal Registers
Measure 1961
MARRIAGES
Publication of banns of marriage 0 39 39
Certificate of banns issued at time of 0 20 20
publication
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 132 112 224
taking place before or after burial or
cremation (*)
Burial of body in churchyard 19 371 390
immediately preceding or following
on from service in church
Burial or other lawful disposal 19 152 171
of cremated remains in churchyard
immediately preceding or following
on from service in church
Burial of body, or burial or other 37 0 37
lawful disposal of cremated remains,
in cemetery immediately preceding or
following on from service in church
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Matter Diocesan board Parochial Total
of finance church council
Cremation immediately preceding or 37 0 37
following on from service in church
Burial of body in churchyard on 54 371 425
separate occasion
Burial of cremated remains in 54 152 206
churchyard or other lawful disposal of
remains on separate occasion
Burial of body, or burial or other 70 20 90
lawful disposal of cremated remains,
in cemetery on separate occasion
B. No service in church
Funeral service (including burial of 132 371 503
body) at graveside in churchyard
Funeral service (including burial or 132 152 284
other lawful disposal of cremated
remains) in churchyard
Funeral service in crematorium or 207 37 244
funeral service (including burial of
body or burial or other lawful disposal
of cremated remains) in cemetery
Funeral service in premises belonging 244 0 244
to funeral director, whether taking
place before or after burial or
cremation
Cremation immediately preceding or 37 0 37
following on from funeral service in
premises belonging to funeral director
Burial of body in churchyard 54 371 425
(committal only)
Burial of cremated remains in 54 152 206
churchyard or other lawful disposal of
remains (committal only)
Burial of body, or burial or other 37 0 37
lawful disposal of cremated remains,
in cemetery (committal only)
C. Certificate issued at time of burial 0 20 20
MONUMENTS IN
CHURCHYARDS
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Matter Diocesan board Parochial Total
of finance church council
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 19 77 96
203mm x 203mm or tablet, plaque or
other marker commemorating a person
whose remains have been cremated (†)
Any other monument (†) 19 160 179
Additional inscription on existing 19 20 39
monument
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 0 39 39
hour
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 0 39 39
hour
Each additional copy of an entry in a 0 20 20
register of baptisms or burials
Inspection of instrument of 0 0 0
apportionment or agreement for
exchange of land for tithes deposited
under Tithe Act 1836
Furnishing copies of above (for every 0 20 20
72 words)
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Schedule 2 Article 5(1)
Incidental provisions
Certificates and certified copies
1.—(1) 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 1978(3).
(2) 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.
(3) 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.
Costs and expenses included in prescribed fees
2. 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.
Parish church cathedrals
3. 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.
Approval of inscriptions
4. 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.
Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880
5. In the case of a burial under the Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880(4), the fees payable
are those prescribed in respect of a funeral service (including burial of body) at a graveside in a
churchyard.
Banns published by lay person
6. Where a lay person publishes banns under section 9(2) of the Marriage Act 1949(5), the fees
prescribed in respect of the publication of banns of marriage are payable.
Registers in custody of churchwardens
7. 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
(3) 1978 No. 2.
(4) 43 & 44 Vict. c. 41.
(5) 12, 13 & 14 Geo. 6 c. 76.
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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.
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