Scotland. Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010
Registering a care service with the Care Inspectorate
In Scotland, care services must by law be registered with the Care Inspectorate before they operate, under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. The application fee is published and depends on the service type and size, from £28 for childminding to £3,849 for a care home, and the Care Inspectorate aims to assess applications within six months. This is Scotland only: England is regulated by the CQC and Wales by Care Inspectorate Wales, with different rules. Tell us about your service and a registration consultant will come back to you.
How it works
- Tell us the service type, the size and where you are up to. Two minutes, no account.
- We pass your details to consultants who work on Scottish care service registrations, and to no one else.
- They contact you directly with what they would charge and how long it would take. Compare, choose, or walk away.
Care Inspectorate Registration is an independent information site and free introduction service operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by the Care Inspectorate, the Scottish Government or any other body named here, and nothing on it is legal or regulatory advice. We pass your details to relevant registration consultants who contact you directly, and we may receive a fee from providers; you pay nothing and are under no obligation. Fees and timescales are quoted from the Care Inspectorate's published pages on the updated date above and change without notice: confirm them at careinspectorate.scot before budgeting.
Care Inspectorate registration and continuation fees, Scotland
Last updated
The Care Inspectorate publishes what it charges to register a care service and to keep it registered. Fee bands turn on service type and on size, measured in whole-time equivalent staff who provide and manage the service, except for care homes and similar services, which are charged per registered place.
Every figure is read from the Care Inspectorate's published fees table at careinspectorate.scot, page last updated 21 July 2026 and checked on 14 August 2026. Definitions of small, medium and other vary between the service groups on that page and are reproduced in the notes column here. The application fee must be paid before an application can be considered and all application fees are non-returnable. This table is Scotland only. Confirm current figures with the Care Inspectorate before budgeting.
| Care service | Application for registration | Annual continuation fee, and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Childminding | £28 | £17 |
| Daycare of children, small | £28 | £17. Small means not more than three whole-time equivalent staff |
| Daycare of children, other | £220 | £165. Other means more than three whole-time equivalent staff |
| Support service, care at home, small | £1,261 | £676. Small means not more than three whole-time equivalent staff |
| Support service, care at home, medium | £2,050 | £1,476. Medium means more than three and not more than fifteen |
| Support service, care at home, other | £2,798 | £2,255. Other means more than fifteen whole-time equivalent staff |
| Housing support service, small | £1,261 | £676. Same size bands as care at home |
| Support service, day care, small | £1,711 | £856. Small means not more than three whole-time equivalent staff |
| Support service, day care, other | £3,422 | £1,711. Other means more than three whole-time equivalent staff |
| Nurse agency | £1,399 | £699 |
| Child care agency, small | £1,087 | £676 |
| Care home service | £3,849 | £157 per registered place |
| Secure accommodation service | £5,544 | £221 per registered place |
| Offender accommodation service | £4,510 | £180 per registered place |
| Fostering or adoption service, small | £2,112 | £1,250. Small means not more than three whole-time equivalent staff |
| Schoolcare accommodation service, small | £4,340 | £3,472. Small means up to 40 registered boarding places |
- Care Inspectorate application fees in Scotland run from £28 for childminding to £5,544 for a secure accommodation service, with an annual continuation fee payable for every year the service stays registered (fees page updated 21 July 2026).
- The Care Inspectorate aims to assess care service applications, other than childminding, within six months, but says that presumes a competent and fully detailed application plus any additional information requested.
- Providing a care service in Scotland while not registered is an offence under section 80 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, imprisonment for up to three months, or both.
Cite this page
“Care Inspectorate registration and continuation fees, Scotland”, Care Inspectorate Registration, https://careinspectorateregistration.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). Every figure is read from the Care Inspectorate's published fees table at careinspectorate.scot, page last updated 21 July 2026 and checked on 14 August 2026. Definitions of small, medium and other vary between the service groups on that page and are reproduced in the notes column here. The application fee must be paid before an application can be considered and all application fees are non-returnable. This table is Scotland only. Confirm current figures with the Care Inspectorate before budgeting.
Go deeper
Sourced, dated, kept current.
Care Inspectorate registration fees: what Scotland actually charges
Care Inspectorate application and annual continuation fees by service type and size, plus the PVG scheme costs the fee table does not include. Scotland only.
The Care Inspectorate registration process, stage by stage
What the Care Inspectorate assesses in a Scottish care service application: fitness of applicant and manager, the premises, provisions for people, and timing.
Which care services must register in Scotland?
Section 47 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 lists the care services that must register with the Care Inspectorate, including child contact services.
Frequently asked
How much does Care Inspectorate registration cost?
The Care Inspectorate publishes a fee scale by service type and size. Childminding is £28, a small care at home service £1,261, a nurse agency £1,399 and a care home £3,849 plus £157 per registered place, with annual continuation fees on top (fees page updated 21 July 2026).
How long does Care Inspectorate registration take?
The Care Inspectorate aims to assess applications other than childminding within six months, and says that presumes a competent and fully detailed application plus any further information it requests. Childminding registers through a separate route.
Who has to register with the Care Inspectorate?
Anyone providing one of the care services listed in section 47 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 in Scotland: support services, care homes, nurse and child care agencies, fostering, adoption, adult placement, childminding, day care of children, housing support and more.
Does the Care Inspectorate regulate England or Wales?
No. The Care Inspectorate regulates Scotland only. England is regulated by the Care Quality Commission, Wales by Care Inspectorate Wales under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, and Northern Ireland by the RQIA.
Do I need a PVG check to register a care service?
Yes, where applicable. The Care Inspectorate says you must pay an additional fee for Protection of Vulnerable Groups scheme record checks, that it must be a counter signatory to your scheme record, and that the application must be progressed through it rather than directly.
Is this service really free?
Yes, free to you, with no obligation. We pass your details only to consultants who work on Scottish care service registrations; we may receive a fee from those providers, which is how the service is funded.