Martyn's Law for churches & places of worship.
Martyn's Law applies to publicly accessible premises used for a qualifying activity where 200+ people may be present at the same time. Place of worship counts as a qualifying use — so whether your church is in scope comes down to how many people could realistically be present, including staff.
When are churches & places of worship in scope?
Carol services, Easter, weddings and community concerts can take a church past 200 even if usual services are smaller.
The threshold counts the most people reasonably expected at once — including staff — even if that only happens occasionally. Check it against fire occupancy, ticketing or past event records, and record your decision either way. Typically the responsible person is the parish administrator, churchwarden or PCC.
- Festivals, weddings, funerals and concerts can push attendance well above normal services.
- Many people present may be visitors unfamiliar with the building's exits.
- Procedures should suit a mix of clergy, wardens, volunteers and the congregation.
Evacuation
Getting people safely away from the premises.
Invacuation
Moving people into, or to a safer part of, the premises when leaving is not safer.
Lockdown
Restricting access to, or movement within, the premises.
Communication
Alerting people on the premises and sharing clear information quickly.
Get your church sorted in about an hour
PremiseReady walks you through the scope decision, the four procedures and a staff sign-off log — then exports a tidy evidence pack. Enforcement expected Spring 2027.
Start the free check