Complete the relevant form to register a place for worship or marriage. You can also tell us if a place is no longer used for worship.
Register a place of worship
Download a form for certifying a place of meeting for religious worship
To register a place of worship the minister must send us:
- two copies of Form 76
- a sketch of the floor plan showing which rooms will be used for worship
- a typical weekly timetable showing how the building will be used.
Register a place of marriage
Download an application form to register a place of marriage
This form needs 20 separate householders to say that a building is their usual place of worship and that they desire it to be used for weddings.
No longer used for worship
Download a notice of the disuse of a certified place of meeting for religious worship
If a building is no longer to be used for worship, fill in and send this form to us. We will then forward it on to the General Register Office.
Help and guidance on making entries in a marriage register
Information and guidance on how to make entries in a marriage register and on how to make quarterly returns to the register office are contained in two booklets. One is for clergy of the Church of England and is called Guidebook for the Clergy (pdf 732KB). The second is for authorised persons in non-conformist churches and is called Guidebook for Authorised Persons (pdf 552KB).
You must make register entries with a fountain pen using only Registrar’s Ink, which never fades. To order new registers and marriage certificates, or paper copies of the advice guidebooks above, phone the General Register Office on 0300 123 1837. You should order new registers at least one month before they are needed.
Alternatively, you can apply in writing to:
Marriages and Civil Partnerships Section
General Register Office
Smedley Hydro
Trafalgar Road
Birkdale
Southport PR8 2HH
Quarterly returns
Returns should be made using Registrar’s Ink and relate to the quarterly periods ending 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December. If no marriage has been entered in the register then a nil return form must be completed. Returns should be sent to the register office during April, July, October and January respectively.