Martyn's Law for churches and places of worship

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 is not in force yet. The SIA expects it to come into force in spring 2027 and will confirm the date. Here is how it applies to a church: how to count your capacity, which tier you fall into, and what has to be in place.

Counting capacity

The figure that decides the tier is the greatest number of people it is reasonable to expect to be present at the same time, from time to time, including staff. For a church that means the number of people who can be present at once across the building, including the largest service, a concert or a funeral. Figures vary a lot between churches and places of worship, so work out your own. Below 200 the Act does not apply. At 200 and over a place of worship is standard tier however many people are expected, by Schedule 1 to the Act, so the enhanced tier does not arise.

Which tier

Places of worship are standard tier however large they are, by paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 to the Act. A cathedral whose main use is worship and which has 1,500 at a carol service is standard tier, not enhanced. The rule applies only where worship is the building's main use. A building whose main use is something else, such as a community centre that hosts prayers, is assessed on that use. Events held at a place of worship, such as a concert, are not qualifying events. If fewer than 200 can reasonably be expected at the fullest service or event, the Act does not apply.

What a standard tier church must have

Once the Act is in force, notify the SIA of the premises and the responsible person through the SIA's online portal. Anyone already responsible on the start date has three months. Have public protection procedures in place, so far as reasonably practicable, for four situations: evacuation (getting people out), invacuation (bringing people in and keeping them inside), lockdown (securing the premises) and communication (telling people what to do). Staff who have a role in them need to know what it is. No equipment, no searches and no security staff are required at this tier. The SIA can impose a penalty of up to £10,000, and up to £500 a day if a compliance notice is not met.

What that looks like in a church

A church is open to anyone who walks in, often with no one on the door, and the procedures have to accept that. Where a building cannot practically lock in a hurry, the pack's lockdown section asks you to say what you will do instead, such as moving people away from the entrance into a side room or the vestry, and who makes that call.

The responsible person is whoever controls the building for worship. Depending on the denomination that may be the PCC, the trustees or another body, and the pack's first document records which. For a parish with several churches, one pack per building, with the shared procedure wording copied across.

The communication procedure is the place to cover a common gap in a church: a visiting minister or a choir leader who has never heard the plan. A short briefing note kept with the service sheets helps.