# Probate, court, Land Registry and planning fees

url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/probate-court-land-registry-and-planning-fees/
updated: 29 September 2026
licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources.
publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk)

# Probate, court, Land Registry and planning fees



Last updated 29 September 2026.
Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/).





The probate application fee is **£526** since 13 July 2026, up from £300 a year ago. The divorce fee rose on the same day. Some court fees are set above cost by law, with the extra spent on the courts; planning fees go to the council deciding the application.



Figure as of 22 September 2026. Source:
[HM Courts & Tribunals Service (Ministry of Justice)](https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees).





## Key figures



- £526The probate application fee

▲
As of 13 July 2026
- £628A divorce application

▲
As of 13 July 2026
- £548A householder planning application, England

▲
As of 1 April 2026
- £7An official copy of a title register

▬
As of 9 December 2024
- 69%Share of the fee-charging courts’ cost covered by fees

100% would mean fees exactly cover cost
2024–25




Sources: [HM Courts & Tribunals Service (Ministry of Justice)](https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees), [HM Courts & Tribunals Service](https://www.gov.uk/divorce/file-for-divorce), [The local planning authority (council)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a073bb07d7bff3604d6df6/Planning_fees_-_annual_indexation_from_1_April_2026.pdf), [HM Land Registry / HM Treasury](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/931/made).





## What is the short version?



- **Court fees still fall short of cost overall.** Even with some fees set above cost, fee income covered 69% of the cost of the fee-charging courts in 2024–25.
- **The Land Registry covers its costs.** Its fee income was 105% of cost in 2025–26, with registration fees unchanged since January 2022.
- **Planning fees rise with inflation each April.** A householder application is £548 and a new home £610 per dwelling, paid to the council deciding it.
- **No probate fee on small estates.** The fee applies to estates over £5,000.






## How much are the fees now?



£526
Probate application fee, estate over £5,000 (England & Wales)
▲



In force since 13 July 2026. Source:
[HM Courts & Tribunals Service (Ministry of Justice)](https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.



£628
Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales)
▲



In force since 13 July 2026. Source:
[HM Courts & Tribunals Service](https://www.gov.uk/divorce/file-for-divorce). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.



£7
Official copy of a title register - electronic
▬



In force since 9 December 2024. Source:
[HM Land Registry / HM Treasury](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/931/made). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.



£548
Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England)
▲



In force since 1 April 2026. Source:
[The local planning authority (council)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a073bb07d7bff3604d6df6/Planning_fees_-_annual_indexation_from_1_April_2026.pdf). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.








| Fee | Now | A year ago | Year on year | Since | Meant to cover |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Probate application fee, estate over £5,000 (England & Wales)](https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees)Details | £526 | £300 | +£226 (+75.3%) | 13 July 2026 | Set to recover cost |
| A year ago£300Year on year+£226 (+75.3%)Since13 July 2026Meant to coverSet to recover cost | | | | | |
| [Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales)](https://www.gov.uk/divorce/file-for-divorce)Details | £628 | £612 | +£16 (+2.6%) | 13 July 2026 | Set above cost, by policy |
| A year ago£612Year on year+£16 (+2.6%)Since13 July 2026Meant to coverSet above cost, by policy | | | | | |
| [County Court money claim issue fee (by claim value)](https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/court-fees)Details | banded, see below | — | — | — | Set above cost, by policy |
| A year ago—Year on year—Since—Meant to coverSet above cost, by policy | | | | | |
| [HM Land Registry Scale 1 fee - registering a transfer of a whole title (e.g. a purchase)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees)Details | banded, see below | — | — | — | Set to recover cost |
| A year ago—Year on year—Since—Meant to coverSet to recover cost | | | | | |
| [Official copy of a title register - electronic](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/931/made)Details | £7 | £7 | no change | 9 December 2024 | Set above cost, by policy |
| A year ago£7Year on yearno changeSince9 December 2024Meant to coverSet above cost, by policy | | | | | |
| [Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a073bb07d7bff3604d6df6/Planning_fees_-_annual_indexation_from_1_April_2026.pdf)Details | £548 | £528 | +£20 (+3.8%) | 1 April 2026 | Set to recover cost |
| A year ago£528Year on year+£20 (+3.8%)Since1 April 2026Meant to coverSet to recover cost | | | | | |
| [Full planning application for new homes (fewer than 10), per dwelling (England)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a073bb07d7bff3604d6df6/Planning_fees_-_annual_indexation_from_1_April_2026.pdf)Details | £610 | £588 | +£22 (+3.7%) | 1 April 2026 | Below cost |
| A year ago£588Year on year+£22 (+3.7%)Since1 April 2026Meant to coverBelow cost | | | | | |







| Band | Online | By post |
| --- | --- | --- |
| £10,000.01 to £200,000Details | 5% of the claim | — |
| By post— | | |
| More than £200,000Details | £10,000 | — |
| By post— | | |




amount null because banded. Fee 1.1 was not among the Civil Proceedings fees changed by SI 2026/642 (its Table 2 starts at fee 1.4). Date the current bands took effect not verified.




| Band | Online | By post |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Up to £80,000Details | £20 | £45 |
| By post£45 | | |
| £80,001 to £100,000Details | £40 | £95 |
| By post£95 | | |
| £100,001 to £200,000Details | £100 | £230 |
| By post£230 | | |
| £200,001 to £500,000Details | £150 | £330 |
| By post£330 | | |
| £500,001 to £1 millionDetails | £295 | £655 |
| By post£655 | | |
| Over £1 millionDetails | £500 | £1,105 |
| By post£1,105 | | |




amount null because banded. Portal/Business Gateway (whole title): £20 (up to £80k), £40 (£80,001-£100k), £100 (£100,001-£200k), £150 (£200,001-£500k), £295 (£500,001-£1m), £500 (over £1m). By post: £45/£95/£230/£330/£655/£1,105. Before 31 Jan 2022 postal fees were £40/£80/£190/£270/£540/£910 (gov.uk 'Fees review 2021 to 2022'). The brief's '£20-£910' mixes current portal and pre-2022 postal figures.



Checked 22 September 2026. Source:
[HM Courts & Tribunals Service (Ministry of Justice)](https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.





## How have the fees moved?




**Probate, court, Land Registry and planning fees: fee history**










**The numbers behind this chart**





| From | Probate application fee, estate over £5,000 (England & Wales) | Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales) | Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England) | Full planning application for new homes (fewer than 10), per dwelling (England) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2024-05-01Details | £300 | — | — | — |
| Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales)—Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England)—Full planning application for new homes (fewer than 10), per dwelling (England)— | | | | |
| 2025-04-01Details | £300 | — | £528 | £588 |
| Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales)—Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England)£528Full planning application for new homes (fewer than 10), per dwelling (England)£588 | | | | |
| 2025-04-08Details | £300 | £612 | £528 | £588 |
| Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales)£612Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England)£528Full planning application for new homes (fewer than 10), per dwelling (England)£588 | | | | |
| 2026-04-01Details | £300 | £612 | £548 | £610 |
| Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales)£612Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England)£548Full planning application for new homes (fewer than 10), per dwelling (England)£610 | | | | |
| 2026-07-13Details | £526 | £628 | £548 | £610 |
| Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales)£628Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England)£548Full planning application for new homes (fewer than 10), per dwelling (England)£610 | | | | |
| 2026-09-29Details | £526 | £628 | £548 | £610 |
| Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales)£628Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England)£548Full planning application for new homes (fewer than 10), per dwelling (England)£610 | | | | |






Figure as of 22 September 2026. Source:
[HM Courts & Tribunals Service (Ministry of Justice)](https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees), [HM Courts & Tribunals Service](https://www.gov.uk/divorce/file-for-divorce), [The local planning authority (council)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a073bb07d7bff3604d6df6/Planning_fees_-_annual_indexation_from_1_April_2026.pdf), [The local planning authority (council)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a073bb07d7bff3604d6df6/Planning_fees_-_annual_indexation_from_1_April_2026.pdf).






| Fee | Then | Now | Fee change | Prices change | Then, in today’s prices |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Probate application fee, estate over £5,000 (England & Wales) (since 2024)Details | £300 | £526 | +75.3% | +8.1% | £324.19 |
| Now£526Fee change+75.3%Prices change+8.1%Then, in today’s prices£324.19 | | | | | |
| Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales) (since 2025)Details | £612 | £628 | +2.6% | +4.1% | £637.33 |
| Now£628Fee change+2.6%Prices change+4.1%Then, in today’s prices£637.33 | | | | | |
| Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England) (since 2025)Details | £528 | £548 | +3.8% | +4.1% | £549.86 |
| Now£548Fee change+3.8%Prices change+4.1%Then, in today’s prices£549.86 | | | | | |
| Full planning application for new homes (fewer than 10), per dwelling (England) (since 2025)Details | £588 | £610 | +3.7% | +4.1% | £612.34 |
| Now£610Fee change+3.7%Prices change+4.1%Then, in today’s prices£612.34 | | | | | |





Prices from CPIH, as of 1 August 2026. Source:
[Office for National Statistics](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economics/inflationandpriceindices).





## What are the fees meant to cover?



The Lord Chancellor may set some court fees above the cost of the service, under section 180 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, as long as the extra is spent on the courts and tribunals. Money claims and divorce are charged this way; probate is set to recover cost.

HM Land Registry is required by the Treasury to cover its costs from fees over a period of years, and its fees for registering a purchase have been unchanged since January 2022.

Planning fees in England were raised sharply in April 2025 and now rise with inflation each April. They go to the local planning authority, and still do not cover the cost of deciding many applications.


+75%
The probate application fee rose from £300 to £526 on 13 July 2026, a rise of three-quarters in one step for a fee set to recover cost.


- **Probate application fee, estate over £5,000 (England & Wales):** MoJ/HMCTS (19 June 2026): 'An increase to the probate application fee to £526. This recovers the cost of an ever-improving service, and the new cost accounts for rising inflation as well as investment in delivering an efficient and modern service.' No fee if the estate is £5,000 or less. Extra copies ordered with the application cut from £16 to £2.
- **Divorce / dissolution / nullity application fee (England & Wales):** HMCTS ARA 2024-25: 'Section 180 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 gives the Lord Chancellor, with consent of HMT, the statutory power to set certain court and tribunal fees above cost recovery levels. The income generated must be reinvested back into the courts and tribunals service. Government introduced enhanced fee charging for money claims on 9 March 2015, and further enhanced fees including divorce, civil and some tribunals in March, April and July 2016.' Overall, fee income covered only part of the cost of the fee-charging jurisdictions (2024-25 shortfall £373.8m). Divorce is named among the fees 'enhanced' in 2016.



**How much of the cost do the fees recover?**



- 1. HM Land Registry

105% 2025–26
- 2. Courts and tribunals (HMCTS)

69% 2024–25




Fees exactly cover cost: 100%



Latest year published, shown against each body. Above 100% is a surplus; below it, the gap is met from general taxation. The figures are in the table further down.




**Show as a table**





| Name | Fee income as a share of cost |
| --- | --- |
| 1. HM Land Registry | 105% |
| 2. Courts and tribunals (HMCTS) | 69% |







- **HM Land Registry Scale 1 fee - registering a transfer of a whole title (e.g. a purchase):** EM to SI 2024/931: 'HM Treasury (HMT) currently requires HMLR to ensure that its fee income covers its operational and investment costs over a number of years.' Scale fees unchanged since 31 Jan 2022. HMLR ARA 2025-26: statutory registration of title income £473.5m vs cost £471.2m.
- **Official copy of a title register - electronic:** EM to SI 2024/931: 'This instrument applies a flat rate increase of £4 to information services fees. This is expected to generate additional income of around £119m per year.' The rise was agreed with HMT to fund HMLR's overall budget, not tied to the cost of the copy; information fees 'have not increased since 2009'. 'covers' is an interpretation, not HMLR's own label.

£23.3m
by which HM Land Registry fee income exceeded cost in 2025–26, after a shortfall of £41.1m in 2024–25.


- **Householder planning application - enlarging or altering a single house (England):** EM to SI 2025/342: 'Planning application fees provide local planning authorities with an income which contributes towards the costs of providing a planning service. However, these fees do not fully cover the overall costs of the planning application (development management) service.' Estimated overall shortfall £362 million (2023-24 data). Fees now index to September CPI every 1 April (capped at 10%) under the 2023 amendment regulations. The rise to £528 'is estimated to be the cost for local planning authorities to determine these applications.'





| Body | Year | Fee income | Cost | Surplus or deficit | Share of cost recovered |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [HM Land Registry](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-land-registry-annual-report-and-accounts-2025-to-2026/annual-report-and-accounts-2025-to-2026-html)Details | 2025–26 | £501m | £478m | £23.3m | 105% |
| Year2025–26Cost£478mSurplus or deficit£23.3mShare of cost recovered105% | | | | | |
| [HM Land Registry](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-land-registry-annual-report-and-accounts-2025-to-2026/annual-report-and-accounts-2025-to-2026-html)Details | 2024–25 | £400m | £441m | £-41.1m | 91% |
| Year2024–25Cost£441mSurplus or deficit£-41.1mShare of cost recovered91% | | | | | |
| [Courts and tribunals (HMCTS)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6879134a2bad77c3dae4ddc8/HMCTS_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2024-25_Online.pdf)Details | 2024–25 | £830m | £1.2bn | £-374m | 69% |
| Year2024–25Cost£1.2bnSurplus or deficit£-374mShare of cost recovered69% | | | | | |





- [Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order 2004 (SI 2004/3120), fee 1, as amended by the Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 (SI 2026/642); commencement moved to 13 July 2026 by SI 2026/665](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/642/made)
- [Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008 (SI 2008/1054), as amended by SI 2025/351 and SI 2026/642](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/642/made)
- [Civil Proceedings Fees Order 2008 (SI 2008/1053), Sch 1 fee 1.1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1053/schedule/1)
- [Land Registration Fee Order 2024 (SI 2024/931), in force 9 Dec 2024, replacing the 2021 Order; scale fees carried over unchanged](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/931/made)
- [Land Registration Fee Order 2024 (SI 2024/931)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/931/made)
- [Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/2920), as amended incl. the 2023 amendment regulations (indexation) and SI 2025/342](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/342/made)
- [Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications...) (England) Regulations 2012, Sch 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2920/contents)






## Who receives the money?






**Court and probate fees**



Paid to a named body HM Courts and Tribunals Service. Some fees are set above cost by law, and the extra must be spent on the courts.



[Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, s180](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/12/section/180)






**Land Registry fees**



Paid to a named body HM Land Registry, required by the Treasury to cover its costs over several years.



[Land Registration Fee Order 2024](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/931/made)






**Planning application fees**



Kept by the body that collects it the local planning authority that decides the application.



[Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations 2012, as amended](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2920)






Legal position as of 22 September 2026. Source:
[legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.






## Are the fees fair?





### The case for the current fees



- People who use a service pay for it, rather than every taxpayer.
- Above-cost court fees fund the courts without a call on general taxation.
- Land Registry fees have been flat since 2022.





### The case against



- Access to justice should not depend on ability to pay.
- The probate fee rose by three-quarters in one step.
- Planning fees still do not cover the cost of the service, so councils subsidise it.









## Common questions


How much is probate?
£526 for estates over £5,000, from 13 July 2026.How much is a householder planning application?
£548 in England from 1 April 2026.





## Sources for this page





| Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [GOV.UK Applying for probate: fees; SI 2026/642; SI 2026/665; SI 2024/476](https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees) | HM Courts & Tribunals Service (Ministry of Justice) | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [GOV.UK Get a divorce; SI 2026/642; SI 2025/351](https://www.gov.uk/divorce/file-for-divorce) | HM Courts & Tribunals Service | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [MHCLG Planning fees: annual indexation from 1 April 2026](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a073bb07d7bff3604d6df6/Planning_fees_-_annual_indexation_from_1_April_2026.pdf) | The local planning authority (council) | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [legislation.gov.uk Land Registration Fee Order 2024](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/931/made) | HM Land Registry / HM Treasury | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH)](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economics/inflationandpriceindices) | Office for National Statistics | 1 August 2026 | monthly | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [legislation.gov.uk and official guidance, provision by provision](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/) | legislation.gov.uk | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |





Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations
are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.