{"id":"sr:births-deaths-and-marriages-registration-fees-regulations-2019","name":"Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Regulations 2019","slug":"births-deaths-and-marriages-registration-fees-regulations-2019","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":181636,"registerId":"vic-sr:births-deaths-and-marriages-registration-fees-regulations-2019-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Regulations 2019","content":"Version No. 004\n\n**Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Regulations 2019**\n\n**S.R. No. 78/2019**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n11 November 2025\n\n**TABLE OF PROVISIONS**\n\n*Regulation Page*\n\n1 Objective 1\n\n2 Authorising provision 1\n\n3 Commencement 1\n\n4 Definition 1\n\n5 Fees 1\n\nSchedule 1—Fees 2\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes 3\n\n1 General information 3\n\n2 Table of Amendments 5\n\n3 Explanatory details 6\n\n**Version No.** **004**\n\n**Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Regulations 2019**\n\n**S.R. No. 78/2019**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n11 November 2025\n\n\t1 Objective\n\nThe objective of these Regulations is to prescribe fees for the purposes of the **Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996**.\n\n\t2 Authorising provision\n\nThese Regulations are made under section 59 of the **Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996**.\n\n\t3 Commencement\n\nThese Regulations come into operation on 21 September 2019.\n\n\t4 Definition\n\nIn these Regulations—\n\n***the Act*** means the **Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996**.\n\n\t5 Fees\n\nFor the purposes of the Act, the fees are those set out in Schedule 1.\n\nSch. 1 amended by S.R. Nos 25/2020 reg. 8, 9/2022 reg. 4, 117/2025 reg. 3.\n\nSchedule 1—Fees\n\nRegulation 5\n\n| *Item* | *Section of the Act* | *Description of fee* | *Fee* |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 1 | 25(2) | Application to register change of name (adult) | 5⋅18 fee units |\n| 2 | 26(2) | Application to register change of name (child) | 5⋅18 fee units |\n| 3. | 30A   (3)(c)(ii) | Application to alter record of sex in person's birth registration | nil |\n| 3A. | 30B   (3)(c)(ii) | Application to alter record of sex in child's birth registration | nil |\n| 4 | 30E(4)(d) | Application for document acknowledging person's name and sex | nil |\n| 4A. | 30EA   (4)(d) | Application for document acknowledging child's name and sex | nil |\n| 5 | 43(6) | Application to add, alter or delete registrable information to an entry in the Register | 5⋅18 fee units |\n| 6 | 45(2)(b) | Application for search of the Register | nil |\n| 7 | 46(1) | Application for issue of a certificate certifying the results of a search of the Register | 3∙42 fee units |\n| 8 | 57(3) | Inspection of and, on request, supply of a certified copy of an entry in a register, book of entries or register book in the possession of another person which has not been forwarded to the Registrar under section 31 of the Marriage Act 1898, relating to the period before 18 January 1853 | nil |\n\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes\n\n1 General information\n\nSee [www.legislation.vic.gov.au](http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au) for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.\n\nThe Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Regulations 2019, S.R. No. 78/2019 were made on 10 September 2019 by the Governor in Council under section 59 of the **Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996**, No. 43/1996 and came into operation on 21 September 2019: regulation 3.\n\nThe Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Regulations 2019 will sunset 10 years after the day of making on 10 September 2029 (see section 5 of the **Subordinate Legislation Act 1994**).\n\nINTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)\n\nStyle changes\n\nSection 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.\n\nReferences to ILA s. 39B\n\nSidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided regulation, rule or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subregulations, subrules or subclauses the original regulation, rule or clause becomes subregulation, subrule or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression \"(1)\" at the beginning of the original regulation, rule or clause.\n\nInterpretation\n\nAs from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:\n\n• Headings\n\nAll headings included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any heading inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nThis includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; Orders; Parts into which an Order is divided; clauses; regulations; rules; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms.  \nSee section 36(1A)(2A)(2B).\n\n• Examples, diagrams or notes\n\nAll examples, diagrams or notes included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Statutory Rule. See section 36(3A).\n\n• Punctuation\n\nAll punctuation included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 forms part of that Statutory Rule. Any punctuation inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nSee section 36(3B).\n\n• Provision numbers\n\nAll provision numbers included in a Statutory Rule form part of that Statutory Rule, whether inserted in the Statutory Rule before, on or after  \n1 January 2001. Provision numbers include regulation numbers, rule numbers, subregulation numbers, subrule numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).\n\n• Location of \"legislative items\"\n\nA \"legislative item\" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of a Statutory Rule is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.\n\n• Other material\n\nAny explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of a Statutory Rule. See section 36(3)(3D)(3E).\n\n2 Table of Amendments\n\nThis publication incorporates amendments made to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Regulations 2019 by statutory rules, subordinate instruments and Acts.\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\nBirths, Deaths and Marriages Registration and Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Amendment Regulations 2020, S.R. No. 25/2020\n\n| *Date of Making:* | 21.4.20 |\n| --- | --- |\n| *Date of Commencement:* | Reg. 8 on 1.5.20: reg. 3 |\n\n\nBirths, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Amendment Regulations 2022, S.R. No. 9/2022\n\n| *Date of Making:* | 15.2.22 |\n| --- | --- |\n| *Date of Commencement:* | 1.3.22: reg. 3 |\n\n\nBirths, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Fees) Amendment Regulations 2025, S.R. No. 117/2025\n\n| *Date of Making:* | 11.11.25 |\n| --- | --- |\n| *Date of Commencement:* | 11.11.25 |\n\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\n3 Explanatory details\n\n**Fee Units**\n\nThese Regulations provide for fees by reference to fee units within the meaning of the **Monetary Units Act 2004**. The amount of the fee is to be calculated, in accordance with section 7 of that Act, by multiplying the number of fee units applicable by the value of a fee unit.\n\nThe value of a fee unit for the financial year commencing 1 July 2025 is $16.81. The amount of the calculated fee may be rounded to the nearest 10 cents.\n\nThe value of a fee unit for future financial years is to be fixed by the Treasurer under section 5 of the **Monetary Units Act 2004**. The value of a fee unit for a financial year must be published in the Government Gazette and a Victorian newspaper before 1 June in the preceding financial year.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Regulations' objective (prescribing fees) remains unchanged (regulation 1), but the fee schedule has been modified since enactment: Schedule 1 was amended by S.R. No. 25/2020 reg. 8, S.R. No. 9/2022 reg. 4 and S.R. No. 117/2025 reg. 3 (see Schedule 1 note). The instrument operates by listing fee‑unit quantities (regulation 5 and Schedule 1) and relies on the Monetary Units Act 2004 mechanism and Treasurer determinations to convert units into dollar amounts (Explanatory details); its effective dollar charges therefore vary over time and require publication of the fee‑unit value. The Regulations also note a statutory sunset date in the Endnotes under the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994."},"complexity_factors":["Simple structure: short instrument with a single operative rule (regulation 5) linking to Schedule 1.","Cross-references to the parent Act for the kinds of applications charged (Schedule 1 references specific Act sections).","Use of fee units rather than fixed dollar amounts requires annual conversion (Monetary Units Act 2004; Explanatory details).","Rounding rule for calculated fees (nearest 10 cents) and published fee‑unit value for each financial year adds an administrative step.","Amendment history: Schedule 1 has been amended multiple times (S.R. Nos 25/2020; 9/2022; 117/2025), so current amounts depend on consolidated updates.","Some items are set to nil (no charge), which creates categorical differences in treatment across application types."],"plain_english_summary":"These Regulations set the dollar charges for services under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 by listing fees in Schedule 1 (regulation 5). They affect people and organisations applying for name changes, alterations to birth records (including sex-record changes), searches of the register, and certified copies. Fees are expressed in fee units; the Treasurer, under the Monetary Units Act 2004, fixes the fee‑unit value each year, which determines the actual dollar amount applicants pay."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulation remains tightly focused on its original purpose of prescribing fees for the parent Act. The 2025 amendments added items 3A and 4A (child-specific sex recognition applications) which expanded coverage to match legislative changes enabling children to apply for sex recognition, but this is a natural extension of the existing fee structure rather than scope creep."},"complexity_factors":["Only 5 substantive regulations plus a Schedule","Single defined term ('the Act')","Straightforward tabular fee structure with only 8 items","No nested exceptions or conditional logic — fees are either a fixed amount or nil","Cross-references limited to section numbers of the parent Act","Fee calculation relies on external Monetary Units Act but this is standard Victorian practice"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a Victorian regulation that sets out the fees people must pay for various services related to births, deaths, and marriages registration. It works alongside the main **Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996**.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Lists specific fees for applications to change names (for adults and children)\n- Sets fees for searching the official Register and getting certificates\n- Makes applications to change sex on birth certificates **free of charge** (both for adults and children)\n- Makes applications for documents acknowledging a person's name and sex **free of charge**\n- Sets a fee for adding, altering or deleting information in the Register\n\n**How fees work:**\nThe fees are calculated using \"fee units\" — a system where the government sets a dollar value for one \"unit\" and multiplies it by the number of units listed. As of July 2025, one fee unit equals **$16.81**. So a fee of 5.18 fee units would cost approximately $87.08.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Anyone applying to change their name or their child's name in Victoria\n- Transgender and gender diverse people applying to change their sex on birth certificates\n- People requesting searches of the Register or certified copies of records\n- Genealogists or historians accessing pre-1853 marriage records held by churches\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis regulation determines how much you'll pay for important identity documents. Notably, it removes financial barriers for gender affirmation by making sex recognition applications free — a significant policy choice supporting trans and gender diverse Victorians."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulation appears to serve its stated and narrow purpose: prescribing fees for births, deaths and marriages registration services. There is no indication from the available text that the scope has drifted from the original intent of setting a straightforward fee schedule under the parent Act."},"complexity_factors":["The regulation is a simple fee schedule — a common and straightforward legislative instrument","No substantive legal rights or obligations are created beyond specifying dollar amounts","The provided document contains only metadata and version history, not the actual fee schedule, limiting full analysis","Fee regulations of this type typically involve minimal interpretation or legal complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"This regulation prescribes the fees payable for services under Victoria’s Births, Deaths and Marriages system — registering births, deaths or marriages, obtaining official certificates, and amending records. It affects anyone needing those registrations or documents, which are often required for passports, education, identity proof or estate matters. The supplied file appears to be metadata, so specific fee amounts aren’t shown."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/births-deaths-and-marriages-registration-fees-regulations-2019","history":"/api/acts/births-deaths-and-marriages-registration-fees-regulations-2019/history","analysis":"/api/acts/births-deaths-and-marriages-registration-fees-regulations-2019/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/births-deaths-and-marriages-registration-fees-regulations-2019/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/births-deaths-and-marriages-registration-fees-regulations-2019/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/births-deaths-and-marriages-registration-fees-regulations-2019/documents"}}