You can apply for a ‘grant of approval’ to hold civil marriages and civil partnerships.
If you would like to talk to us before you apply, you can contact us.
Before you apply
You must be the proprietor (owner of the business) or trustee of a commercial business to apply to hold civil marriages and civil partnerships.
You must also meet certain conditions. You can view these conditions on gov.uk.
Cost of licence
The license fee is £1,750 and covers a period of 3 years. You can apply to renew your grant of approval if it expires in less than a year.
How to apply
You will need to send us:
- details of yourself and your venue
- a plan of the building showing the inside room or rooms where ceremonies will be held, and the boundaries of the grounds where outdoor ceremonies can be held, if applicable
- a copy of your latest fire risk assessment
- a copy of your public liability insurance certificate
You can apply by filling out our approved premises application form.
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After you apply
To be successful your application must be in the correct format and your premises deemed suitable.
We will inspect your premises.
However your application may still be refused if you fail to meet certain conditions.
Public Notices for current licence applications
Your application and plan will be made available to the public for inspection.
New applications are available to the public for a minimum of 21 days on our public notices for current licence applications page.
Penalties
You may lose your grant of approval if you do not follow these conditions, or if the superintendent registrar feels that your venue is no longer appropriate.