Bailiff fees are fixed by law: from 1 May 2026 it is £79 compliance, £247 enforcement and £116 sale, plus 7.5% of any debt above £1,900.
See your optionsBailiff fees in England and Wales are fixed by law. For most debts where enforcement started on or after 1 May 2026, a bailiff can charge a £79 compliance fee, a £247 enforcement fee and a £116 sale fee. For debts over £1,900, the enforcement and sale fees each also include 7.5% of the amount above £1,900. High Court enforcement officers use a separate, higher scale.
The fees come from the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, as updated by the Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026. This guide sets out both scales, shows a worked example, and explains when fees cannot be charged and how to challenge them.
Most debts collected by certificated enforcement agents follow this scale. It covers council tax, parking penalties, magistrates’ court fines, county court warrants of control and most other debts except High Court writs.
| Stage | Fixed fee (from 1 May 2026) | Extra percentage fee | Previous fee (before 1 May 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance | £79 | None | £75 |
| Enforcement | £247 | 7.5% of the debt above £1,900 | £235 plus 7.5% above £1,500 |
| Sale or disposal | £116 | 7.5% of the debt above £1,900 | £110 plus 7.5% above £1,500 |
The new amounts do not affect enforcement action taken before 1 May 2026. If your case started earlier, you may see the old figures on your statement, and that can be correct.
If a county court judgment has been transferred to the High Court for enforcement, a High Court enforcement officer (HCEO) collects it under a writ. They use a four-stage scale.
| Stage | Fixed fee (from 1 May 2026) | Extra percentage fee | Previous fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance | £79 | None | £75 |
| First enforcement | £200 | 7.5% of the debt above £1,200 | £190 plus 7.5% above £1,000 |
| Second enforcement | £520 | None | £495 |
| Sale or disposal | £550 | 7.5% of the debt above £1,200 | £525 plus 7.5% above £1,000 |
Since 1 May 2026, if nobody was contacted at the first visit, an HCEO cannot move to the second enforcement stage until you have had another chance to pay in full, agree a repayment arrangement or sign a controlled goods agreement. If you do one of those and keep to it, only the first enforcement fee can be charged.
Here is how the fees would add up on a £2,500 council tax debt passed to bailiffs after 1 May 2026, if it went through every stage. The percentage is worked out on the debt, not on the fees already added.
So the fees alone would be £532 if the case reached a sale. For a debt of £1,900 or less, there is no percentage fee, so the maximum fixed fees are £79, £247 and £116, which comes to £442.
A High Court example: on a £3,200 judgment debt, the first enforcement fee would be £200 plus 7.5% of £2,000, which is £150, making £350.
As well as the fixed fees, bailiffs can recover some costs they have actually paid out, known as disbursements. These can include:
These charges must reflect real costs. Ask for receipts or invoices for anything you are asked to pay.
Yes, but with limits. If one enforcement company holds several debts for you, such as council tax for two different years, it can charge a compliance fee for each one. According to Citizens Advice, it should not charge several enforcement or sale fees for a single visit that covers more than one debt. Different bailiff companies each charge their own fees.
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You should not have to pay bailiff fees, or some of them, in these situations:
Our guide to your rights when dealing with bailiffs covers complaints about behaviour as well as fees.
No. Debt collection agencies are not bailiffs and cannot add these enforcement fees. Any interest or charges they add depend on your original agreement and, if there is a court judgment, on court rules. See our guide to dealing with Lowell for one example.
The surest way to limit bailiff fees is to act at the compliance stage. Contact the enforcement company and the creditor, offer an affordable payment, and get free advice. Our guide to stopping bailiffs covers the options.
If you have several debts, a formal solution may help. Breathing Space gives 60 days of protection while you get advice. A Debt Relief Order has no application fee and suits people with low income and few assets. A debt management plan, an IVA or bankruptcy may suit others. Most solutions can include council tax arrears and debts with a CCJ, but magistrates’ court fines usually cannot be included.
For enforcement that started on or after 1 May 2026, most bailiffs can charge £79 at the compliance stage, £247 at the enforcement stage and £116 at the sale stage. If the debt is over £1,900, the enforcement and sale fees each include 7.5% of the amount above £1,900. High Court enforcement officers use a separate four-stage scale.
Yes. The Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 raised the fixed fees from 1 May 2026 and raised the threshold for the 7.5% fee from £1,500 to £1,900 (and from £1,000 to £1,200 for High Court cases). Enforcement action taken before that date is not affected, so older cases may show the previous fees.
Usually, yes, if you act quickly. The enforcement fee is only added when a bailiff first visits. If you pay in full or agree an affordable plan during the compliance stage, after the notice of enforcement arrives but before a visit, you should only pay the £79 compliance fee. Since May 2026 you get at least 14 clear days’ notice.
Being vulnerable does not stop all fees, but it adds protection. For a vulnerable person, the enforcement fee (and related costs) can only be charged if the bailiff has given you a proper chance to get help and advice before removing any goods they have taken control of. Tell the bailiff and the creditor about your situation as early as possible.
Ask for a full breakdown and compare it with the legal fee scale. Complain in writing to the enforcement company, then to the creditor that instructed them. For council debts you can then go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. You can also ask a court to assess the fees under Civil Procedure Rule 84.16, but get advice on costs first.
No. According to GOV.UK, you do not need to pay for a Debt Relief Order. A DRO can suit people who owe less than £50,000, have less than £75 a month spare income and assets under £2,000. Debts with bailiff fees added, such as council tax arrears, can often be included. A debt adviser can check if you qualify.
Free, independent debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice.