Church security, mosque security and synagogue safety.

Security arrangements can be useful whatever the size of your congregation. Think about regular worship, festivals, community meals, visiting groups and times when volunteers open or close the building.

Premises principally used for worship are standard tier if they meet the qualifying premises tests and reasonably expect at least 200 people together from time to time. They remain standard tier even above 799. Count relevant staff and volunteers as well as worshippers.

A separately used church hall or faith community centre does not automatically receive the worship exception. Check its principal use. A religious gathering at another kind of venue also needs its own assessment.

Martyn’s Law for churches and places of worshipWhat Martyn’s Law coversHow to count worshippers and volunteers

A church safety team, mosque volunteer team or synagogue welcoming team needs a simple understanding of who leads and how to ask for help. Assign practical roles without assuming a volunteer thereby takes over the organisation’s legal responsibility.

Use behaviour and the circumstances as the basis for reporting concerns. Security arrangements should respect the community’s welcome, worship and accessibility needs.

• Identify the lead for each service or activity and someone who can cover.
• Agree how volunteers report a concern without leaving their own area unsupported.
• Check that the lead can contact emergency services and other relevant people.
• Brief people who open, welcome visitors, supervise activities and close the building.
• Keep useful contacts available without publishing sensitive security arrangements.

Who is the responsible person?Free awareness training for volunteers

For standard-tier premises, Martyn’s Law requires appropriate public protection procedures, so far as reasonably practicable. Consider evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication against the building and the activities taking place.

People may be spread across worship spaces, galleries, classrooms, kitchens or outdoor areas. Think about how instructions reach each group, including children and people who need assistance or accessible information.

• Evacuation: consider routes that lead away from the particular danger.
• Invacuation: identify whether people can move to a place inside with less risk.
• Lockdown: decide which available controls can be used appropriately.
• Communication: agree who gives instructions and how people receive them.
• Busy occasions: check the arrangements when attendance and volunteer roles differ from an ordinary service.

The four public protection proceduresWhat invacuation means

Share relevant procedures with groups using the building when the usual team is absent. Explain the areas they may use, who leads during the booking and how to contact the venue.

Events at premises wholly or mainly used for worship are excluded from the qualifying-event rules. The premises arrangements still need to address their use. A separately operated hall or an event at another location may have a different position.

A short handover and suitable hire terms can help visiting groups understand practical tasks. They cannot transfer the responsible person’s statutory responsibility.

A clause for a church hall hire agreementMartyn’s Law for village and community hallsWhen an event qualifies

The Home Office lists separate routes through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme for other faiths. Check each scheme’s geographical coverage, eligibility and current application arrangements.

The Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme applies in England and Wales to eligible places of worship and associated faith community centres at risk of hate crime. Its guidance describes funded measures such as CCTV, alarms and secure doors, including installation and one year of maintenance.

As checked on 16 October 2026, that scheme’s official page says its application portal is closed. Do not assume an application round is open or that funding will be awarded. Jewish and Muslim places of worship have separate scheme routes.

The Home Office also lists free Faith Security Training for faith communities across England and Wales. ProtectUK provides the training catalogue. These resources support wider security preparation rather than determine whether Martyn’s Law duties have been met.

Walk through the building with the people who run services and community activities. Check how they would report a concern, receive instructions and help people follow the chosen procedure. Recording the decisions and trying the arrangements is useful good practice.

The Martyn’s Law duties are not yet in force. The SIA expects commencement in spring 2027, with no exact date confirmed. Standard tier does not require a paid course, consultant, software or written plan.

This page is general guidance, not legal advice.

The standard-tier preparation checklistA review of your venue’s security arrangementsCheck your place of worship’s tier