Statute Details
- Title: Fees (Recording of Fingerprint Impressions) Order 2011
- Act Code: FeA1920-S639-2011
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Fees Act (Chapter 106)
- Enacting Authority: Minister for Finance (acting under powers conferred by section 2 of the Fees Act)
- Enacting Formula: “In exercise of the powers conferred by section 2 of the Fees Act, the Minister for Finance hereby makes the following Order.”
- Citation and Commencement: Comes into operation on 1 December 2011
- Key Provisions (from extract): Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Fee)
- Fee Amount (Section 2): $15 for every set of fingerprint impressions recorded
- Fee Payable To: Director, Criminal Investigation Department, Singapore
- Trigger for Payment: Recording of fingerprint impressions for and at the request of a member of the public
- Current Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026 (per the legislation portal status note)
- SL Number: SL 639/2011
What Is This Legislation About?
The Fees (Recording of Fingerprint Impressions) Order 2011 is a short but practically important piece of Singapore subsidiary legislation. Its primary purpose is to set a specific government fee for a particular service: the recording of fingerprint impressions. In plain terms, it answers the question: how much must a member of the public pay when the police (through the Criminal Investigation Department) records their fingerprints at their request?
The Order operates under the broader framework of the Fees Act (Chapter 106), which empowers the Minister for Finance to prescribe fees for services provided by public authorities. This particular Order focuses narrowly on fingerprint recording and specifies both the amount and the payee (the Director, Criminal Investigation Department, Singapore), as well as the circumstances in which the fee becomes payable (when fingerprint impressions are recorded “for and at the request of a member of the public”).
For practitioners, the significance lies in its role as the legal basis for charging a fee. Where a fee is imposed by statute or subsidiary legislation, it is generally expected that the charge is traceable to the relevant legal instrument. This Order provides that traceability for fingerprint recording services requested by members of the public.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1: Citation and commencement is the administrative gateway to the instrument. It provides the short title—“Fees (Recording of Fingerprint Impressions) Order 2011”—and states that the Order comes into operation on 1 December 2011. For legal practice, commencement matters because it determines whether the fee regime applies to requests made before or after that date. If a dispute arises about whether a charge was lawful for a particular transaction, the commencement date is the first checkpoint.
Section 2: Fee is the operative provision. It states that there shall be payable to the Director, Criminal Investigation Department, Singapore a fee of $15 for every set of fingerprint impressions recorded for and at the request of a member of the public.
Several elements in Section 2 are legally meaningful:
- “There shall be payable” indicates a mandatory fee obligation once the conditions are met. It is not framed as discretionary or optional.
- Payee: the fee is payable to a specific office-holder and department—the Director, Criminal Investigation Department, Singapore. This matters for questions about proper collection and accounting.
- Amount: the fee is fixed at $15. There is no indication in the extract of tiered pricing, exemptions, or variation by circumstances.
- Unit of charge: the fee is “for every set of fingerprint impressions recorded.” This implies that the charging mechanism is per set, not per individual finger, per session, or per applicant. In practice, “set” will be operationally defined by how the department records fingerprints (for example, whether it corresponds to a standard set of impressions for identification purposes). Where disputes arise, the factual determination of what constitutes a “set” becomes relevant.
- Trigger: the fee applies when fingerprint impressions are recorded “for and at the request of a member of the public.” This phrase limits the fee to requests initiated by members of the public. It suggests that the fee is not intended to cover fingerprint recording done for other purposes (for example, law enforcement investigations) or done at the request of other authorities or in the course of official duties not initiated by a member of the public.
Although the extract does not include further definitions, practitioners should note that the Order’s narrow scope means that the factual context—who requested the recording and for what purpose—will likely determine whether the fee is properly chargeable. If the recording is not “for and at the request of a member of the public,” the legal basis for charging under this Order may not be engaged.
Finally, the enacting note indicates that the Order was made on 25 November 2011 and is to be presented to Parliament under section 3 of the Fees Act. While this is not a substantive charging provision, it is relevant to legislative process and constitutional propriety. In disputes about validity, compliance with statutory presentation requirements can be relevant, though the extract does not indicate any challenge.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Fees (Recording of Fingerprint Impressions) Order 2011 is structured in a simple, two-section format:
- Section 1 (Citation and commencement): provides the short title and the date the Order takes effect.
- Section 2 (Fee): sets the fee amount and specifies the payee and the circumstances under which the fee is payable.
There are no additional parts, schedules, or detailed procedural provisions in the extract. As a result, the Order functions primarily as a pricing instrument rather than a comprehensive regulatory framework. Practitioners should therefore look to the Fees Act (Chapter 106) and any relevant operational policies or related legislation for procedural details (for example, how requests are made, how payment is collected, and how fingerprint recording is carried out).
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order applies to situations where fingerprint impressions are recorded by the Criminal Investigation Department in circumstances described in Section 2. The fee is payable by the relevant requester—implicitly, the member of the public who requests the recording—because the Order specifies that the recording is done “for and at the request of a member of the public.”
In practical terms, the Order is relevant to:
- Members of the public seeking fingerprint recording services from the Criminal Investigation Department; and
- Administrative and legal stakeholders advising on whether a particular charge for fingerprint impressions is properly grounded in law.
It is less directly applicable to fingerprint recording performed as part of criminal investigations or other official processes not initiated by a member of the public. The “request” element is likely to be the key boundary. Where a request is made by an authority or for a purpose not characterised as “for and at the request of a member of the public,” the fee under this Order may not be the correct legal basis.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Fees (Recording of Fingerprint Impressions) Order 2011 is brief, it is important for at least three reasons. First, it provides the legal authority for charging a fee for fingerprint recording. In administrative law and public finance contexts, fees imposed by government bodies are typically expected to have a clear statutory or subsidiary legislative basis. This Order supplies that basis for the specific service described.
Second, it clarifies the amount and the charging unit. A fixed fee of $15 per set reduces uncertainty for both the public and the department. For practitioners, this can be relevant when advising clients about the cost implications of making fingerprint requests, or when reviewing whether a charge was calculated consistently with the legal instrument.
Third, it highlights the scope limitation tied to the phrase “for and at the request of a member of the public.” This limitation can matter in disputes. For example, if a client is charged for fingerprint recording but the recording was not requested by them (or not for their requested purpose), the client may have grounds to challenge the charge as not falling within the Order’s conditions. Conversely, if the recording was indeed requested by the client for their own purposes, the fee is likely straightforwardly chargeable under Section 2.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the Order also indicates the proper recipient of the fee: the Director, Criminal Investigation Department, Singapore. This can be relevant for internal governance, audit trails, and ensuring that collections are handled in accordance with the legal framework.
Related Legislation
- Fees Act (Chapter 106) — the authorising Act under which the Minister for Finance makes orders prescribing fees.
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Fees (Recording of Fingerprint Impressions) Order 2011 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.