Does Martyn's Law apply to churches and village halls?

Martyn's Law applies to a church or other place of worship when it is reasonable to expect 200 or more people there at the same time, from time to time. It stays in the standard tier at any size. A village hall that is hired out for public events is in scope from 200 people, and it reaches the enhanced tier at 800.

Both rules come from Schedule 1 of the Act and the Security Industry Authority's guidance of 17 July 2026. The SIA expects the Act to come into force in spring 2027.

Why do places of worship stay in the standard tier?

Schedule 1 lists places of worship as a qualifying use and treats them as standard duty premises whatever their size. The SIA guidance says that if 200 or more people may be present, you are in the standard tier, and you "remain in the standard tier" even if numbers reach 800 or more. Schools, further education colleges and childcare premises have the same rule.

For a cathedral, a large mosque or a gurdwara with big festival congregations, that removes the enhanced tier duties: no senior individual, no measures and no document to send to the SIA.

Is a village hall a qualifying premises?

Schedule 1 includes "Halls etc": premises used as venues for hire, exhibition halls and conference centres for public events. A village hall or community centre that hires out its main room usually fits that use.

Most village halls sit below the line. In the Home Office's 2024 standard tier consultation, 72% of village hall and community centre respondents had a capacity of 100 to 199. Under the final law, a hall that never gets 200 people at once is outside the tiers.

Which tier is our building in?

Count the busiest times you can reasonably expect, such as Christmas, Eid, Diwali, weddings, funerals or the annual show. The SIA says the number includes staff.

What does the standard tier ask of us?

Two duties, from the SIA guidance:

1. Notify the SIA who your responsible person is, once the law comes into effect.
2. Have appropriate public protection procedures in place, so far as is reasonably practicable.

The procedures cover evacuation, moving people to a safer place inside (invacuation), stopping people entering or leaving (lockdown) and telling people what is happening. For a church or hall, that can be one or two pages that stewards and key holders know well.

What will it cost a volunteer-run building?

The Home Office impact assessment of 16 July 2024 values first-year training at £126 per place of worship, against £444 for other standard tier premises. The figure is lower because volunteers make up more of the people involved. It measures time, so a parish or committee may spend little or no cash.

Cost still worries volunteer bodies. In the 2024 consultation, concern about financial ability to operate was highest among places of worship (64%) and village halls and community centres (62%).

Do we need to pay an adviser?

Usually not for the standard tier. ProtectUK says premises "do not need to spend money on consultants to be compliant", and its material and the SIA guidance are free. Some committees pay for a training session for volunteers or help with writing the plan. No adviser can certify that you comply, and neither the SIA nor the Home Office endorses any company.

What should a church or hall committee do first?

1. Agree your realistic busiest number, with volunteers on duty included.
2. Agree who will be the responsible person.
3. Draft the four procedures with your stewards or key holders.
4. Brief the people who open up, steward and lock up.
5. Check your denomination's or umbrella body's guidance for any template.

Next step

Answer six questions in the tier check. You see whether your building is in scope, your likely tier and the free guidance before we ask for any details.