Approval of premises for civil marriage and civil partnership (England and Wales)

What this covers

How to get a licence (grant of approval) to hold a civil marriage or civil partnership in your venue, and what requirements or conditions to follow

It applies in England and Wales. Other UK nations run their own regimes — check the equivalent for the nation you trade in.

Why you need it

This licence is not an administrative preference — it exists because Parliament created it. The power to require it comes from Marriage Act 1949.

We have not yet extracted duties, penalties or exemptions for this Act into the graph, so there is nothing more we can add beyond the source text.

Who issues it

Your local council issues this, acting as the licensing authority for the area you trade in. Councils apply the same statute but set their own fees, conditions and timescales, so two neighbouring authorities can reach you differently.

Where to apply

Our guidance on this

Everything below is written out in full elsewhere on Guvnor — this page points at it rather than repeating it.

Licences that often go with this one

Businesses in the same activities usually need one or more of these too.

Duty, penalty and exemption labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the enabling instrument, not the instrument itself. Fees, forms and conditions are set by the issuing authority — always check the linked source.

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