# Martyn’s Law for churches > Places of worship with 200 or more people are standard tier when worship is the principal use. Check your numbers and next steps. Churches, mosques, synagogues, gurdwaras and temples are standard tier if they meet the qualifying premises tests and reasonably expect 200 or more people at once. They remain standard tier even at 800 or more, provided worship is the principal use. Below 200, premises fall outside the Act’s scope. The aim of the law is that, if there were ever an attack during a service or event, your stewards and volunteers would know how to help people to safety. ## At a glance - **Likely tier**: Standard tier if qualifying, with worship as the principal use. - **What you need**: SIA notification and four appropriate public protection procedures. - **When**: Expected in spring 2027; the exact commencement date is not set. - **Key point**: Standard tier requires neither a risk assessment nor a written plan. ## Start with how your premises are used The premises must include a building, be wholly or mainly used for a qualifying activity, reasonably expect 200 or more people at the same time from time to time, and not be excluded. Access limited to members does not itself take a venue outside scope. The special treatment depends on worship being the principal use. A religious gathering in a town hall does not automatically make that hall a place of worship. If your site includes a separately operated hall, café or visitor attraction, examine how each part is used and controlled. [Check your tier](https://wardcote.co.uk/check-your-tier) · [Understand qualifying premises](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law) ## Count your busiest expected gatherings Look at people present together, rather than total attendance across a day. Consider Sunday services, Friday prayers, religious festivals and other predictable busy gatherings. Count employees, contractors and volunteers in the areas used for the qualifying activity, as well as worshippers and visitors. Use attendance records, seating or another reasonable method. Add staff and volunteers if your starting figure excludes them. For a qualifying group of buildings, add the numbers together. Keep a short explanation of your method and the evidence behind it. [How to count people](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/counting-people) ## Identify who has legal responsibility The responsible person is whoever controls the premises in connection with their qualifying use. This will often be an organisation. Being the church warden, faith leader or person holding the keys does not, by itself, settle who has legal responsibility. Record who controls the site and who handles day-to-day preparation. Legal responsibility cannot be delegated to a consultant or volunteer. Where more than one responsible person exists, they must co-ordinate. Share practical arrangements with people running groups and activities. [Understand the responsible person](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/responsible-person) ## Make the four procedures work for your congregation Standard tier requires appropriate procedures, so far as reasonably practicable, for use when terrorism is suspected. They cover leaving the premises, moving people to a safer place inside, preventing entry or exit, and communicating information. Staff with roles must understand what to do. Walk through an ordinary service with your volunteers. Consider who can speak to the congregation, which doors they can operate and how people needing assistance would receive information. Do not simply copy your fire assembly arrangements: evacuation procedures should account for a different situation. - Agree how the duty team will communicate during a busy gathering. - Consider different rooms, entrances and languages used by your congregation. - Documenting, practising and reviewing the procedures is recommended; a written plan and formal risk assessment are not standard-tier legal requirements. [Explore the four procedures](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/public-protection-procedures) ## Check halls, hirers and special events Events at qualifying worship premises are excluded from the qualifying-event rules. A large concert there does not become a qualifying event simply because it has tickets and 800 or more people. A church hall whose principal use is hiring space may need a separate assessment. For premises hired out, responsibility normally stays with the operator. Hire terms can specify what hirers must do, but cannot transfer that legal responsibility. [Read the village hall guide](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/village-halls) · [Check the event criteria](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/events) ## Prepare at a steady pace The core duties are not yet enforceable. Commencement is expected in spring 2027, with the exact date still to be confirmed. Gather your attendance evidence and responsible person details now so you can prepare the SIA notification. The law does not require buying software or specialist services. Wardcote’s standard-tier subscription helps you write procedures, brief staff and volunteers, keep records and prepare notification. You can start free if that support would be useful. [Prepare your SIA notification](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/sia-notification) · [Wardcote’s standard-tier software](https://wardcote.co.uk/pricing) ## Questions ### Does Martyn’s Law apply to small churches? Premises reasonably expecting fewer than 200 people at once are outside scope. Count staff and volunteers as well as worshippers, and consider predictable busy services. ### Can a place of worship be enhanced tier? Where worship is the principal use, qualifying premises stay standard tier even at 800 or more people. Other premises on a religious site may need separate consideration. ### Do churches need a risk assessment or written plan? Neither is required by the Act at standard tier. Documenting procedures is recommended, and people with roles need to understand them. ### Does a ticketed concert in a synagogue qualify as an event? Events at qualifying worship premises are excluded from the qualifying-event rules. Check the premises’ principal use rather than assuming the exception applies to every religiously owned venue. ## Sources - [Act: premises, duties and exclusions](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/10/enacted) - [Home Office statutory guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-terrorism-protection-of-premises-act-2025/terrorism-protection-of-premises-act-2025-statutory-guidance) - [Home Office myth buster](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69281f35b3b9afff34e960f0/martyns-law-mythbuster.pdf) - [SIA: implementation and regulator role](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-martyns-law-and-the-sias-role-as-regulator) ## Related - [Martyn’s Law standard tier: what you need to do](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/standard-tier) - [Martyn’s Law for village halls](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/village-halls) - [How to count people for Martyn’s Law](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/counting-people) - [The four public protection procedures](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/public-protection-procedures) --- Source: https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/churches · Last reviewed 2026-10-16 · Wardcote, venue and event security. General guidance, not legal advice.