Ontario's BAO will raise licensing fees 2.1% starting November 1, 2026

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) gave licensees 60 days’ notice on September 1 of a 2.1% inflationary increase to its licensing fees, starting November 1, 2026 (the date varies by licence type). The BAO says the money supports its work as the provincial regulator and describes itself as “wholly funded by licensee fees and not tax dollars.”

Operators pass the change on through the BAO Consumer Protection Fee, which they may show as a separate line on contracts and price lists. Renewal fees follow the previous year’s activity, so operators must start charging the revised fee before the BAO bills them.

For funeral establishments and transfer services, the revised fee is charged from November 1, 2026, and the increased amount is due November 1, 2027. For cemeteries, crematoriums and alkaline hydrolysis facilities, operators begin charging the revised fee January 1, 2027, with the increased amount due to the BAO one year later. Other fees, including application, renewal and late fees, become due April 1, 2027.

The per-death charge for funeral establishments and transfer services moves to $30.63, and the flat fee for those with fewer than 10 deaths a year moves from $300 to $306.30. A personal licence renewal goes from $244.47 to $249.60.

The BAO says it plans to publish a public FAQ based on licensee questions.