Does it apply to your place of worship?
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 applies to premises that are a building (or a building and land), are wholly or mainly used for one of the uses listed in Schedule 1, and where it is reasonable to expect that from time to time 200 or more people may be present at the same time (s.2(2)).
Use for "communal worship, or other communal religious practice, in accordance with the tenets of a particular religion or religious denomination" is one of those uses (Sch 1 para 9). The wording isn't limited to any one faith, so it covers mosques, gurdwaras, synagogues, mandirs, viharas and other temples in the same way.
Count everyone who might be there at your busiest regular occasion, including staff, volunteers and anyone serving food. Think of Friday prayers, Eid, Ramadan evenings, Vaisakhi, Gurpurab, Diwali, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Vesak, or a large wedding or funeral, not an ordinary weekday.
Places of worship are always Standard Tier, even if 800 or more people may attend (Sch 1 para 9(2)). Events held at premises wholly or mainly used for worship are also excluded from the separate "qualifying events" rules, however many attend (Sch 2 para 6).
Check your place of worship in two minutes with our free scope checker.
Halls, kitchens, classrooms and other buildings
Many places of worship are more than a prayer hall: a langar hall or community kitchen, a function or wedding hall, classrooms for faith or language classes, offices or a shop. Where one set of premises has more than one Schedule 1 use, the Home Office principal use guidance explains how to decide which use counts. It gives a place of worship that hosts concerts as an example that stays a place of worship. The guidance says its examples "are not instructions".
Two things are less clear, so take advice and record your reasoning:
- Separate buildings. The guidance says a separate building within a site is its own premises. A detached community centre or wedding hall that is mainly hired out for functions might then be looked at on its own, for example as a hall (Sch 1 para 6), and the "always Standard Tier" rule for worship would not automatically carry over to it.
- Shared meals and classes. Whether a langar, iftar or kiddush counts as "communal religious practice" is for your own judgement against the guidance. We don't think the Act settles it in every case, and we don't want to guess for you.
If more than one part of your site is in scope and you are responsible for both, the Act treats them as one set of premises (s.2(5)).
Who is responsible?
The duty sits with whoever has control of the premises in connection with that use (s.4(1)). For many communities that is a board of trustees or a management committee; for some it is a national body that owns the building. If more than one person has control, each is responsible and they can act jointly (s.4(4)). Agree in writing who is taking the lead, especially if committees change after elections.
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, on the premises or nearby (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.
What the four procedures might look like
These are practical examples to help you think. They are not legal requirements; your procedures should fit your building and your community.
- Evacuation: which exits get people away from the main entrance and street side; how you clear separate men's and women's prayer areas, a balcony or gallery, the kitchen and the children's rooms; and where shoes are left, so that a crowd at the shoe racks doesn't block a door.
- Invacuation: a room that can be closed off and is away from the entrance, such as a classroom, an office or a basement hall, and roughly how many people it holds.
- Lockdown: who can lock or hold each door and gate, and how quickly, including side doors used by volunteers and deliveries.
- Communication: a short form of words the imam, granthi, rabbi, priest or event lead can use over the PA, a signal for stewards, a message group for volunteers on duty, and who calls 999. Think about the languages your congregation speaks.
Briefing stewards and volunteers
Many communities already have stewards, security volunteers or a car park team. Build on what you have rather than starting again. Each person on a rota should know:
- the word or signal that means "something's wrong"
- which door or area they look after and where they send people
- who makes the call and who speaks to the congregation
For big festivals, when extra volunteers help, give a two-minute briefing at the start of each shift. 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, including any separate halls
- Agree who is responsible: trustees, committee, owning body, or more than one
- Write short procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication
- Brief stewards and regular volunteers, and record it
- Plan an extra briefing before your largest festivals
- Practise once and note what you'd change
- Write down how you worked out your maximum number of people (for example prayer hall capacity at your busiest festival, plus 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 building work or change in use