Licence Summary
To hold a civil ceremony or wedding at premises in North
Somerset they must be approved by us.
A building can be registered as a place for religious marriage,
in which case it would also need also to be registered as a place
for religious worship. A secular building can also be registered
(called Approval) for Civil Marriages and Partnerships.
Churches or chapels of the Church of England do not need to be
registered for worship/marriage but if they are shared with another
denomination, the trustees of the congregation sharing the building
may register.
A
fee is payable for the approval process. Conditions may be
imposed to a premises approval.
If you are the owner or custodian of a building which has been
registered for marriage but is no longer used for these purposes,
you should apply for de-registration on Form 77 available form
Registration Services.
Eligibility Criteria
You must be the proprietor or a trustee of the premises to apply
for permission to hold civil ceremonies or weddings.
The application must be in writing (including by electronic
means) and include:
- the name and address of the applicant
- such other information as the local authority requires
- a plan of the premises which clearly identifies the room or
rooms in which the proceedings will occur
- Public liability insurance certificate
The Service Manager will be happy to discuss your plans and may
be able to arrange an informal visit to the premises. The decision
to grant approval rests with the Proper Officer for
Registration.
Regulation Summary
The main legislation covering this permission is the
Marriages and
Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005.
Application Evaluation Process
Your premises will be inspected.
Your application and plan will be made available to the public
for inspection and a public notice of the application will be put
in a local newspaper as part of a public consultation process.
To be granted your application must be in the correct format and
your premises deemed suitable.
However your application may still be refused if it is felt that
there are too many approved premises in the area for the registrars
to attend.
Will Tacit Consent Apply?
Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your
application is granted if you have not heard from us by the end of
the target completion period of 42 calendar days.
Apply online
Downloadable forms and other documents
If you wish to complete an application by hand and return it to
us by post, you can download the following application forms:
Failed Application Redress
Please contact us in the first instance.
You have the right to seek a review of the local authority's
refusal to grant your application.
You must deliver your request for review to the proper officer
of the local authority, accompanied by any requested fee.
Licence Holder Redress
Please contact us in the first instance.
You have the right to seek a review of the local authority's
imposition of conditions, refusal to renew or revocation of
approval.
You must deliver your request for review to the proper officer
of the local authority, accompanied by any requested fee.
Consumer Complaint
We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the
first contact is made with the owner of the approved premises by
you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If
that has not worked, contact the Registration Service.
Other Redress
If you object to an application for premises approval you may
give notice to us within 21 days of the notice of application
appearing in the local newspaper.
Public Registers
Please contact the Registration Service for more information on
the registers held.
Trade Associations
Contact Details
For more information please contact the
Registration
Service
