Fees Act 1920

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act to provide for the levy of fees and payments for licences.

[28 November 1921]

Short title

1. This Act is the Fees Act 1920.

Minister for Finance may prescribe fees, etc.

2. The Minister for Finance may by order prescribe —

(a)	the fees and payments for licences, permits and otherwise;
(b)	the charges and penalties for the late payment of any fee or payment referred to in paragraph (a); and
(c)	the interest payable on any outstanding amount of any fee, payment, charge or penalty referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) or for any payment thereof by instalment,

that are leviable or to be leviable, in the subordinate courts of civil and criminal jurisdiction, and in all public offices and departments.

[Act 4 of 2008 wef 01/04/2024]

Publication

3. Every order under section 2 shall —

(a)	be published in the Gazette;
(b)	have effect from the date of the publication; and
(c)	be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication. [Act 4 of 2008 wef 01/04/2024]

Officers may decline to act till payment

4. The officer of any court, public office or department required to do anything for which a fee or payment is chargeable under this Act may decline to do that thing until the fee is paid or the payment is made.

Fees, etc., recoverable as fines before Magistrate’s Court

5.—(1) All fees, payments, charges, penalties and interest prescribed in any order under section 2 shall be recoverable when not otherwise provided for by summary procedure before a Magistrate’s Court in the manner provided for the recovery of fines and penalties before a Magistrate’s Court, on complaint by or on behalf of the officer to whom the fees, charges, penalties and interest ought to have been paid or the payments ought to have been made.

(2) A certificate by such officer that the fee, charge, penalty or interest has not been paid, or that the payment has not been made, shall be held to be prima facie proof of non-payment.

[Act 4 of 2008 wef 01/04/2024]

Payments by stamps

6. The Minister for Finance may by order declare that all or any fees or payments for licences or permits in any of the subordinate courts of civil and criminal jurisdiction, public offices and departments so fixed, or to be fixed, shall be payable by means of stamps under any written law in force relating to the collection of stamp duties.

Minister for Finance may declare fees and payments to be payable in stamps or money

7. The Minister for Finance may by order declare that all or any fees or payments in any of the public offices and departments now made payable by means of stamps shall be paid in money, notwithstanding any Act in force to the contrary.

Fees, etc., prescribed by written law

8. Nothing in this Act shall be held to affect the amount of any fee, payment, charge, penalty or interest leviable or chargeable under any written law in force when express provision is made as to the amount of such fee, payment, charge, penalty or interest in that written law.

[Act 4 of 2008 wef 01/04/2024]

Remission of fees, etc.

9.—(1) Notwithstanding section 8, it shall be lawful for the Minister for Finance to remit wholly or in part, and either generally or in any particular case or class of cases, any fee, payment, charge, penalty or interest prescribed under this Act or under any other written law.

(2) The Minister for Finance may, in making any order under section 2 prescribing fees, payments, charges, penalties or interest, provide for the remission of any such fees, payments, charges, penalties or interest and may specify in the order the person by whom remissions shall be granted.

[Act 4 of 2008 wef 01/04/2024]

Validation of collection of charge or penalty for late payment of fee or payment, etc.

10. Every amount collected before the date of commencement of the Statutes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2008 as, or purportedly as —

(a)	a charge or penalty for the late payment of any fee or payment under this Act; or
(b)	interest on any outstanding amount of any such fee or payment or for any payment thereof by instalment,

shall be deemed to be and always to have been validly collected, and no legal proceedings shall lie or be instituted or maintained in any court of law on account of or in respect of any such collection.

[Act 4 of 2008 wef 01/04/2024]

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Fees Act 1920

This Legislative History is a service provided by the Law Revision Commission on a best-efforts basis. It is not part of the Act.

Pictorial Overview of Predecessor Acts

Legislative History Details

Part 1
The Fees Ordinance, 1881
(Ordinance I of 1881)

Act XII of 1867—Fees Act, 1867

Bill

Information not available

First Reading

20 June 1867

Second Reading

26 June 1867

Notice of Amendments

26 June 1867

Third Reading

1 July 1867

Commencement

1 July 1867 (passed)

Ordinance V of 1873—The Court’s Ordinance, 1873

Bill

Information not available

First Reading

11 March 1873

Second Reading

25 March 1873

Notice of Amendments

19 April 1873

Third Reading

7 July 1873

Commencement

1 June 1874

Note:

This Ordinance repealed the Fees Act, 1867 (Act XII of 1867).

Ordinance I of 1881—The Fees Ordinance, 1881

Bill

G.N. No. 143/1881

First Reading

22 March 1881

Second Reading

12 April 1881

Notice of Amendments

12 April 1881

Third Reading

19 April 1881

Commencement

19 April 1881

Part 2
The Fees Ordinance, 1883
(Ordinance VI of 1883)

Ordinance VI of 1883—The Fees Ordinance, 1883

Bill

G.N. No. 266/1883

First Reading

4 June 1883

Second Reading

19 June 1883

Notice of Amendments

19 June 1883

Third Reading

6 July 1883

Commencement

6 July 1883

Part 3
Fees Act 1920
(2020 Revised Edition)

1920 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 27 (Fees)

Operation

28 November 1921

Note:

This Revised Edition consolidated The Fees Ordinance, 1881 (Ordinance I of 1881) and The Fees Ordinance, 1883 (Ordinance VI of 1883).

1926 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 27 (Fees)

Operation

1 August 1926

1936 Revised Edition—Fees Ordinance (Chapter 226)

Operation

1 September 1936

Ordinance 31 of 1938—Fees (Amendment) Ordinance, 1938

Bill

G.N. No. 2991/1938

First Reading

31 October 1938

Second Reading

23 November 1938

Notice of Amendments

23 November 1938

Third Reading

23 November 1938

Commencement

6 December 1938

1955 Revised Edition—Fees Ordinance (Chapter 165)

Operation

1 July 1956

10.

Ordinance 31 of 1958—Legislative Assembly (Presentation of Subsidiary Legislation) Ordinance, 1958

(Amendments made by section 2 read with the Schedule to the above Ordinance)

Bill

158/1958

First Reading

16 July 1958

Notice of Amendments

10 September 1958

Third Reading

10 September 1958

Commencement

25 September 1958 (section 2 read with the Schedule)

11.

G.N. No. S 223/1959—Singapore Constitution (Modification of Laws) Order, 1959

Commencement

3 June 1959

12.

G.N. No. S (N.S.) 178/1959—Singapore Constitution (Modification of Laws) (No. 4) Order, 1959

Commencement

20 November 1959

13.

Act 53 of 1966—Fees (Amendment) Act, 1966

Bill

53/1966

First Reading

5 December 1966

Second and Third Readings

21 December 1966

Commencement

6 January 1967

14.

1970 Revised Edition—Fees Act (Chapter 138)

Operation

30 April 1971

15.

1985 Revised Edition—Fees Act (Chapter 106)

Operation

30 March 1987

16.

2013 Revised Edition—Fees Act (Chapter 106)

Operation

31 August 2013

17.

2020 Revised Edition—Fees Act 1920

Operation

31 December 2021

18.

Act 4 of 2008—Statutes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2008

Bill

49/2007

First Reading

12 November 2007

Second and Third Readings

22 January 2008

Commencement

1 April 2024

Abbreviations

(updated on 29 August 2022)

G.N.

Gazette Notification

G.N. Sp.

Gazette Notification (Special Supplement)

L.A.

Legislative Assembly

L.N.

Legal Notification (Federal/Malaysian)

Malaya/Malaysia (including Federated Malay States, Malayan Union, Federation of Malaya and Federation of Malaysia)

Parl.

Parliament

Subsidiary Legislation

S.I.

Statutory Instrument (United Kingdom)

S (N.S.)

Subsidiary Legislation (New Series)

S.S.G.G.

Straits Settlements Government Gazette

S.S.G.G. (E)

Straits Settlements Government Gazette (Extraordinary)