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Martyn's Law by premises type

Martyn's Law for Places of Worship

How places of worship should assess Martyn's Law scope across services, volunteers, congregation peaks, community events, and staff awareness evidence.
Read the Martyn's Law overview →

Where this is up to

It's law. No one's checking yet. You've got time to get ready.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent in April 2025. The duties are not yet in force: commencement is expected no earlier than spring 2027, after a 24-month implementation period. Nothing has to be submitted to the SIA today, so the work now is recording your scope, your procedures, and your staff awareness.

  1. Apr 2025 The Act received Royal Assent
  2. Apr 2026 Home Office statutory guidance first published
  3. Jun 2026 SIA enforcement guidance in consultation (until 12 June)
  4. Spring 2027 Earliest the operator duties commence

Worth doing now

  • Confirm the number behind your tier, and keep the method you used to reach it.
  • Draft the four procedures (evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communication) and brief your team.
  • Start building records now, so they're there before duties commence.

Places of Worship

How the worship-use rule changes things

A place of worship can be in scope at 200 or more people, but worship use has its own standard-tier rule even when attendance is large. Record what trustees decided, how capacity was assessed, and which volunteers know the procedures.

  • Worship stays standard tier

    Where the principal use is worship, the premises remains standard tier even if expected attendance reaches 800 or more. Record the basis for that conclusion rather than treating size alone as the answer.

  • Service peaks matter more than averages

    Ordinary weekday use may be small, but recurring services, festivals, funerals, weddings, concerts, and community events can change the number reasonably expected at the same time.

  • Trustees need a minute, not a fortress

    A short trustee, PCC, committee, or board record can show the capacity method, tier conclusion, and review trigger.

  • Volunteers need practical records

    Awareness evidence should not assume paid staff. Greeters, wardens, stewards, trustees, clergy, and regular volunteers may all need simple role-specific records.

  • Hired halls need their own logic

    A sanctuary used for worship, an attached hall, and a separately hired community room may not have the same answer. Record who controls each recurring use and what is handed to hirers.

Worked example

How capacity adds up for places of worship

Capacity check

Congregants
850
Security, stewards, and greeters
25
Clergy and staff
15
Contractors and support roles
10

Reasonably expected at the same time

900

Result Standard tier (place-of-worship rule)

Large church service

The attendance is above 800, but where the principal use is worship the premises remains standard tier. The evidence pack should record that principal-use conclusion, the capacity method, and the volunteer awareness plan.

Check separately whether an attached hall, externally promoted concert, or non-worship recurring event has different control or use facts.

Capacity checker

Your busiest moment is what counts

Count recurring worship and community use, then record whether the principal-use worship rule applies.

Place of worship capacity check

Count recurring worship and community use, then record whether the principal-use worship rule applies.

Source: GOV.UK capacity methodology

GOV.UK says to determine the “greatest number of individuals reasonably expected to be present at the same time.” Its factsheet also says to include workers, and to consider immediate-vicinity areas for procedures rather than the threshold count.

Read the GOV.UK factsheet →

Records

What to keep on file for Places of Worship

  • Trustee, PCC, committee, or board minute recording the Martyn's Law assessment, tier conclusion, owner, and review trigger.
  • Principal-use note explaining why the place-of-worship rule applies, or why a separate hall or event needs its own assessment.
  • Capacity assessment covering services, festivals, weddings, funerals, community events, volunteers, staff, contractors, and accompanying halls.
  • Procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, and communication during worship and hired-space use.
  • Volunteer and staff awareness register, including trustees or wardens where they hold operational roles.
  • Hirer or event handover notes for recurring use that affects expected numbers.
  • Review log after congregation growth, festival seasons, tabletop exercises, event-pattern changes, or building layout changes.

Related resources

Martyn's Law resources for Places of Worship

Martyn's Law questions for Places of Worship

Do places of worship fall within Martyn's Law?

They can. Places of worship are within the Schedule 1 categories once duties commence, and the threshold starts at 200 people reasonably expected to be present at the same time.

Can a place of worship be enhanced tier?

Where the premises is used principally as a place of worship, it remains standard tier even if expected attendance reaches 800 or more. Record the principal-use conclusion and review it if the pattern of use changes.

Does a concert in the sanctuary make it a qualifying event?

Not automatically. The place-of-worship rule can still be relevant, but the responsible person should record who controls the event, whether it is worship use, and whether any separate hall or event arrangement needs its own assessment.

Do attached church halls count the same way?

Not always. An attached or separately managed hall can have different control and use facts, so record the hall, hirer, and recurring-event position separately from the main worship space.

Do volunteers count as staff?

The capacity assessment includes people expected to be present at the same time. For awareness records, what matters is who would need to act during an incident, whether paid or unpaid.

Who in the parish is the responsible person?

It is the person or body that controls the premises and its use, which for most churches is the PCC, trustees, or committee that runs the building, not the diocese. The incumbent or minister may hold an operational role within that, and a hirer who promotes their own event is responsible for that event. Record who owns the conclusion so it is clear at review.

Do we need a formal terrorism risk assessment, CCTV, or bag searches?

Not at standard tier. The standard duty is proportionate evacuation, invacuation (moving people to safety inside the building rather than out), lockdown, and communication procedures plus volunteer awareness, not a formal terrorism risk assessment or physical security measures. Funded physical-security help is separate and optional. The Home Office runs grant schemes for faith communities, such as the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, and the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme. None of these are Martyn's Law requirements.

Are duties live now?

No. The Act has received Royal Assent, but operator duties are expected no earlier than spring 2027. For now, record the principal-use conclusion, the capacity method, the procedures, and who has been briefed.

Official sources

Other premises types

Compare another Martyn's Law scenario

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