Scottish Ministers have signed the Scottish Register of Tartans Fees Order 2025, updating charges for the first time since 2009. Made on 4 November and laid before the Scottish Parliament on 6 November, the Order comes into force on 19 January 2026 and revokes the 2009 fees instrument. It follows statutory consultation with the Keeper of the Scottish Register of Tartans and is signed by Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.

For businesses, the direction of travel is clear: core charges are set to step up. National Records of Scotland’s consultation set out the intended levels, with the registration fee moving from £70 to £150, amendments rising from £25 to £54, duplicate certificates from £15 to £32, and research charged at £85 per hour. Inspection of documents moves to £12.80 and copies to £5.40 per five sheets, while a new £32 certificate of inclusion is added and framed certificates are discontinued. These proposals were recommended for adoption by the Keeper and underpin the Order.

Why now? NRS says the tartan service cost around £60,000 to run in 2023–24 but brought in roughly £31,000 in fee income, a shortfall that has built up because prices have not changed since the Register launched in 2009. The Register now holds over 10,000 designs and adds about 400 a year, with registrations making up the bulk of requests. The fee uplift is designed to achieve full cost recovery rather than generate surplus.

What does this mean for a small weaving mill? On a typical £2,000 bespoke tartan brief, the registration charge rises from 3.5% of project cost to 7.5%. If a mill registers six designs a year, the increase in registration fees alone adds £480 to annual outlay. Add, say, four amendments across those projects and ten duplicate certificates for marketing packs, and the extra cost could approach £750–£800 a year. That is not business‑ending, but it is material for margins already squeezed by energy, labour and yarn prices.

Tourism retail will feel this too. Wedding parties, distilleries and visitor attractions often bundle “design + registration + certificate” into premium experiences for international clients. Passing through a £150 registration, plus any amendments or duplicate certificates needed for displays, means re‑pricing packages for 2026. For US and European customers, the clarity of a single upfront line item usually lands better than piecemeal add‑ons, so bundling the registry fee explicitly into quotes is sensible.

There is a short planning window. If you are mid‑project, applications submitted before 19 January 2026 should be charged at current rates, subject to acceptance. After that date, budget on the higher schedule. Certificates are typically dispatched within five working days after registration, but December and early January are busy-build in time for approvals and any name or threadcount tweaks.

Two quick operational notes. First, personal research remains free: inspection charges apply where use is commercial, which matters for designers and corporate commissions but not for hobbyists researching family tartans. Second, the framed‑certificate service is ending; you will still get the standard certificate, but framing moves to the high street or your own supplier.

For heritage SMEs, pricing discipline helps absorb the change. Ring‑fence the registry fee in quotes, require deposits that cover it, and ensure clients sign off naming, ownership and category details early to avoid paid amendments. If you run a micro‑brand, fold the £150 into your “design and sampling” bundle and present one clean price rather than itemised charges that invite negotiation.

Larger houses with steady launch calendars can smooth costs by batching registrations and tightening internal sign‑off to reduce amendments. Where you rely on duplicate certificates for export or trade shows, consider switching to authenticated digital copies for most use‑cases and reserving physical duplicates for key accounts.

The bigger picture is stability. After a 15‑year freeze, ministers have opted for a reset to cover real running costs, and NRS has signalled that future uplifts may track inflation. Budget accordingly for modest, periodic adjustments rather than another long pause followed by a step change. That is easier to plan for-and easier to explain to customers.