Who is exempt from Martyn’s Law?
Most of what people call “exemption” is really being out of scope, or being treated as a special case. Here is who the Act does not cover, who is treated differently, and the one thing everyone gets wrong — whether it applies yet at all.
Last reviewed: June 2026
Under 200 people: out of scope
The most common reason the Act does not apply is simply numbers. If it is not reasonable to expect 200 or more people at the same time— staff included — at any realistic peak, your premises are out of scope and there is no duty. It is still worth recording how you reached that figure, in case a busy night or a new booking changes it. Our free capacity calculator works this out in seconds.
Schedule 2: specifically excluded premises
The Act lists certain premises that are excluded even if they are busy. Schedule 2 covers, among others, premises occupied by the Crown or used by Parliament and the devolved legislatures, certain transport premises already covered by other security legislation, and open-air parks, gardens and recreation grounds where access is not checked or secured. These are genuine exclusions, set out in the text of the Act and the Home Office factsheets.
Are churches and schools exempt?
No — but they are treated as a special case. Places of worship, and early years, primary, secondary and further education premises, stay in the standard tier even when 800 or more people are expected, rather than moving up to the enhanced tier. So they are in scope at 200+, but their duties are the simpler, standard-tier ones. Higher education (universities) is not treated this way and can be enhanced. See the places of worship and schools & colleges checklists.
Is Martyn’s Law mandatory yet?
Not yet — and this is the point most people miss. Once it commences, Martyn’s Law will be a legal duty, not optional. But the duties are not yet enforceable: commencement is expected in spring 2027, the exact date is still to be confirmed, and the Security Industry Authority’s notification process is not live. There is nothing you can be penalised for today. The sensible reading is “mandatory, but not yet” — which is exactly why preparing calmly now beats scrambling later.
Not sure which side of the line you are on?
The free readiness checker tells you whether you are in scope and which tier applies, with the reasoning and the official guidance it rests on.
What this is — and what it is not
martynslaw.app is a preparation and document-management tool. It is not legal advice, not official guidance, not official certification, not SIA approval and not a guarantee of compliance. The responsible person must review and approve all documents before use.
martynslaw.app is an independent product. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Home Office, the Security Industry Authority or any other public body. Official sources are cited as sources only.