What's exempt from Martyn's Law?
Last reviewed:
Very little is genuinely exempt from Martyn's Law. Schedule 2 of the Act excludes a short, specific list: Parliament and the devolved legislatures and governments, freely accessible parks and gardens, undesignated sports grounds, certain transport premises already covered by other security regimes, and some temporary recreational or leisure use. Everything else that falls within the 17 Schedule 1 categories and meets the capacity threshold is in scope, whatever people assume about "obvious" exemptions like charities or places of worship.
Parliament and devolved legislatures
Premises used by Parliament and the devolved legislatures and governments sit outside the Act, since they're covered by their own separate security arrangements.
Freely accessible parks and gardens
Parks, gardens and similar open-air premises are excluded, but only while access genuinely is free and uncontrolled. The moment entry is secured or checked, for example a ticketed event held in a park, the exclusion stops applying to that use, even though the park itself remains excluded as ordinary open space. See our guide to outdoor events for exactly where that line falls.
Undesignated sports grounds
Sports grounds are excluded where they're "undesignated", broadly meaning they haven't been formally designated under separate sports-ground safety legislation as requiring a safety certificate. The official example: a volunteer-run junior football club playing at an open, no-controls ground stays out of scope even when 200 or more people turn up for a tournament, because there's no building and no controlled entry. The moment a sports ground starts checking membership or tickets at the gate, that exclusion can stop applying. See our golf and sports clubs guide.
Transport premises
Certain transport premises, such as parts of the rail network, are excluded because they're already covered by their own dedicated security regimes rather than because travel is considered low-risk.
Temporary recreational or leisure use
Some recreational or leisure premises can also be excluded where the use in question is genuinely temporary, rather than the site's ongoing, regular function.
Boundary case: the park that hosts an event
A freely accessible park stays excluded as a park. But a ticketed festival held inside it is judged separately, as a potential qualifying event, not as "the park", and that turns on its own conditions: 800 or more people reasonably expected, with controlled, checked entry. A free village fete in the same park with no tickets or checks doesn't meet that test, however many people turn up. See outdoor events and outdoor spaces for the full breakdown.
Exempt vs simply out of scope
It's worth separating two different things people call "exempt". Schedule 2 exemptions are specific premises the Act deliberately excludes by category, like the ones above. A small café expecting 80 people isn't "exempt" in that sense at all; it simply never met the 200-person threshold that brings premises into scope in the first place. Same practical outcome, different reason, and worth knowing which one applies to you if your numbers change. See how to count your capacity if you're not sure which side of 200 you sit on.
Not sure where you stand?
Most premises open to the public, in any of the 17 Schedule 1 categories, at or above the relevant threshold, are in scope. Genuine exclusions are the exception, not the default. See who Martyn's Law applies to for the full four-condition test, or use the free checker for a straight answer on your specific premises.
Common questions
Are churches exempt from Martyn's Law?
No, and this is one of the most common mix-ups. Places of worship are not on the Schedule 2 exclusion list; they're one of the 17 Schedule 1 categories, meaning they're in scope, but they're always standard tier regardless of capacity. See our guide for churches and places of worship.
Are charities exempt?
No, there's no general carve-out for charities. Whether Martyn's Law applies turns on the premises and its use, not on who runs it or its legal structure. A charity-run village hall or community centre is assessed the same way as any other premises.
Are schools exempt?
No. Childcare, primary, secondary and further education premises are in scope, and like places of worship, they're always standard tier regardless of how many people attend. Only higher education premises can be enhanced tier.
About this guide. Written by the Martyn's Law Plan team, based on the statutory guidance published under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. Last reviewed: . Read the official guidance on GOV.UK.
Sources: Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025; Home Office statutory guidance (April 2026, updated May 2026) and supplementary documents. Paragraph references are to the statutory guidance. General information, not legal advice. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.