Certifying a place of worship

Under the provisions of the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855, a congregation may apply to certify a place of worship.

The congregation must do this by applying to the superintendent registrar in the district where the venue is situated. This excludes churches or chapels of the Church of England, unless they share a church building with another religious denomination.

The person who acts as minister, proprietor or trustee at the place of worship has to complete two copies (not photocopies) of Form 76 (opens new window).

If the building is in Sunderland Registration District, the completed copies need to be sent to Sunderland Register Office with:

• A sketch of the floor plan identifying which rooms would be used for worship
• An average weekly timetable of how the building will be used
• A cheque or postal order for £28.00 made payable to Sunderland City Council

We will then return a certificate of registration to the applicant.