Does it apply to your church?
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 applies to premises that are a building (or a building and land), are mainly used for one of the uses listed in Schedule 1, and where it is reasonable to expect 200 or more people may be present at the same time, from time to time (s.2(2)).
"Use for communal worship or other communal religious practice" is one of those uses (Sch 1 para 9).
Count everyone who might be there at your busiest regular occasion, including clergy, staff and volunteers. Think Christmas, Easter, a large funeral, a school carol service or a concert in the building, not an ordinary Sunday.
Places of worship are always Standard Tier, even if 800 or more people may attend (Sch 1 para 9(2)). Events held at premises mainly used for worship are also excluded from the separate "qualifying events" rules (Sch 2 para 6).
Check your church in two minutes with our free scope checker.
Who is responsible?
The duty sits with whoever has control of the premises in connection with that use (s.4(1)). If more than one person has control, each is responsible and they can act jointly (s.4(4)). In a Church of England parish that may involve the incumbent and the PCC. Check your diocese's advice and the Home Office guidance rather than assuming.
What you have to do (Standard Tier)
So far as is reasonably practicable, you need appropriate procedures to reduce the risk of physical harm if there is reason to suspect an act of terrorism is happening, or about to happen, at or near the church (s.5). The Act lists four kinds:
- Evacuation: getting people out.
- Invacuation: moving people to a safer place inside.
- Lockdown: stopping people entering or leaving.
- Communication: giving people information.
You also need to make sure the people who will carry these out are informed and, where appropriate, trained, and you must notify the SIA within three months of the duties starting, using its free service (Notification Requirements Regulations 2026). The notification asks for the most people you expect at once and how you worked that out, so keep a note of your counting. Standard Tier does not require you to buy equipment or make physical changes to the building.
Churches with other uses. If your church also hosts concerts or other events, the main use still decides the tier. The Home Office principal use guidance gives a place of worship that hosts concerts as an example of premises whose principal use stays worship, so it is Standard Tier however many people attend. The guidance says its examples "are not instructions", so check it against your own building.
What the four procedures might look like in a church
These are practical examples to help you think. They are not legal requirements; your procedures should fit your building.
- Evacuation: which doors get people out fastest and away from the street side; who opens locked doors (vestry, tower) and who checks the toilets and children's area.
- Invacuation: a room that can be closed off and is away from the main entrance, such as a vestry, hall or crypt, and how you'd move a congregation there calmly.
- Lockdown: who can lock or hold which doors, and how quickly. Heavy west doors may take two people.
- Communication: a short form of words the service leader can use from the lectern or PA, a way to alert the sidesmen and stewards, and who calls 999.
Briefing sidesmen, stewards and volunteers
Most church volunteers need two minutes, not a course. Make sure each person on a rota knows:
- the word or signal that means "something's wrong"
- which door they look after and where they send people
- who makes the call and who speaks to the congregation
Keep a simple record of who has been briefed and when.
Checklist
- Check whether you are in scope and keep a dated note of your reasoning
- Agree who is responsible (incumbent, PCC, or both)
- Write short procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication
- Brief everyone on the sidesmen, steward and welcome rotas, and record it
- Practise once and note what you'd change
- Write down how you worked out your maximum number of people (for example seats plus standing room, staff and volunteers)
- Notify the SIA within three months of the duties starting (it is free)
- Review at least once a year, and after any change in use