Guidance on registration

Summary

This is ODPA (Guernsey) guidance explaining the annual registration requirement under The Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2017. It applies broadly to any entity or individual established in the Bailiwick who processes personal data outside of purely domestic/household purposes, including businesses, charities, landlords, sole traders, companies, branches of overseas organisations, and administrators. The guidance sets out the 'registration trinity' test for who must register, the applicable fees, and various FAQs covering controllers/processors, special category data, FTE calculation, and closure/dormancy scenarios.

• Who must register: Anyone established in the Bailiwick who processes personal data (beyond domestic/household use) must register or arrange payment via a Levy Collection Agent, including landlords, sole traders, small businesses, companies (unless all directors are corporate directors and no other processing occurs), branches of parent organisations, and non-Bailiwick entities using a Bailiwick-based processor.
• 2026 annual levy/fees: £2,488.80 for organisations with 50 or more full-time-equivalent staff; £62.22 for organisations with 0-49 FTE staff; £0 for charities and not-for-profit organisations, effective from January 2026 (increased in line with inflation from £2,400 and £60 respectively).
• Updating or cancelling registration: Registered controllers and processors must notify the ODPA of any changes to their registration details, and may cancel via their ODPA account when they cease processing personal data.
• Ongoing registration during closure: Companies or businesses in liquidation, administration, being struck off, or dormant/non-trading must maintain registration as long as they continue processing or retaining personal data (e.g. a Directors' Register or client records).
• FTE calculation: Registration fee tier is based on total FTE employees of the entity globally (not just Bailiwick-based staff), calculated per Schedule 1D of the Data Protection (General Provisions) Regulations.

The page is informational/FAQ guidance rather than a standalone legal instrument, but it operationalises statutory registration duties under the 2017 Law and directs readers to further detailed guidance documents (e.g. on 'establishment', Levy Collection Agents, and special category data).

Key obligations

• Any entity or individual established in the Bailiwick that processes personal data (other than for domestic/household purposes) must maintain an annual registration with the ODPA or pay via a Levy Collection Agent.
• Registered controllers and processors must notify the ODPA of any changes to their registration details within 28 days, though preferably as soon as practicable.
• Companies, including dormant or closing companies, must maintain their registration for as long as they continue to process or hold personal data (e.g. a Directors' Register).
• Registration fees must be paid annually according to the applicable FTE-based tier (or the entity qualifies for the £0 charity/not-for-profit rate).

Applies to

landlords, taxi drivers, sports clubs, builders, residents associations, charities, schools, small businesses, government bodies, large multinational organisations, sole traders, companies, branches of overseas organisations, fund/fiduciary administrators, administered entities, Levy Collection Agents, controllers, processors

Deadlines

• within 28 days: Registered controllers and processors must notify the ODPA of any changes to their registration details within 28 days of the change.
• from January 2026: New 2026 annual registration levy/fee rates (£2,488.80, £62.22, or £0 depending on entity size/type) take effect.