Luton Borough Council

Premises for civil marriage and civil partnership approval

The approved venue system is essentially a licensing system under which premises may be approved by the local authority permitting civil marriages and civil partnerships to be conducted on those premises by registrars.

Regulation summary

The local authority of the Registration District is responsible for issuing, renewal, monitoring and any revocation of the licence under the guidance of the Registrar General's guidance to authorities, for the approval of premises as venues for marriages under section 26(1)(bb) of the Marriage Act 1949 and Civil Partnership under section 6(3a)(a) of the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

How to apply for an approved venue status

Please read the contents of this page before you decide to apply, along with our local requirements, available to download below. If you have any queries, please telephone the Proper Officer's Representative at the Luton Registration Service as detailed in the contact section on this page.

When applying for a venue you must ensure that the premises meet the following criteria:

a permanent structure and not a temporary building
never been used as a venue for religious marriages and/or worship
available for both civil marriages and civil partnerships
be a safe and accessible place for registrars and members of the public

You may require planning consent. Please contact our planning department, Development Control, to inform them of your application to ensure you will not be contravening any planning restrictions if approval of the licence is granted.

Development Control
Telephone: 01582 546317
Email: [email protected]

A visit will take place and the premises will be inspected as part of the application process. You will be contacted to arrange a convenient time after your formal application is received.

The current fee for a licence is £2,050. An annual fee change takes effect in April.

You must advertise your application as a public notice in a paid local press allowing a period of 21 days for objections to be lodged. If no valid objections are received and the premises meet the current standard then approval will be issued. A licence is granted for a period of three years.

Will tacit consent apply?

No. In England and Wales, a legally binding marriage or civil partnership can only take place in a building which is licensed as an approved venue for these functions.