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Premises approval for marriage or civil ceremonies

For civic marriage and civil partnership ceremonies to take place in premises like hotels, stately homes, and civic halls, the venue must first be licensed by Middlesbrough Council.

Applications must be made by the proprietor or trustee of the premises.

Applicants must provide three copies of the plan of the premises, clearly identifying the room(s) in which marriages will be solemnised if approval is granted.

A fee is payable for the licence, and conditions will apply. Licences are valid for 3 years.

How to apply

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You can apply for registration online

Apply for registration

You can also tell us about a change to your existing registration

Make a change to your registration

What happens next?

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We must be satisfied that the premises meets the requirements for a licence. We'll also consult with the fire authority to make sure the premises comply with their requirements, as well as any relating to health and safety.

We also need to be assured that the local planning authority is happy for the premises to be regularly used for these proceedings.

You'll be able to start performing ceremonies if you've not heard from us within 6 weeks.

Redress information

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If you don't agree with our decision, you can ask for a review. The decisions which can be reviewed are:

decision not to grant approval
decision to attach conditions to the approval
decision to refuse to renew an approval
decision to revoke an approval

A fee may be charged for a review.

To find out more about a review, or to request one, please contact the Licensing department via email to licensing@middlesbrough.gov.uk or on 01642 728011.

Customer complaint

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Any person objecting to an application should give written notice of their objection to the council, stating the reasons for the objection, within 21 days of the date on which the public advertisement appeared.

If you're a customer of a licensed/registered premises and wish to complain about the service or products sold, we would advise you to contact the premises in the first instance to resolve the matter.

Trade associations

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