{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-partnership-act-2004/section-33",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-partnership-act-2004/section-33.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2004/33",
  "legislation_title": "Civil Partnership Act 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-partnership-act-2004",
  "path": "section/33",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "33",
  "heading": "Offences relating to the recording of civil partnerships",
  "text": "(1) A civil partnership registrar commits an offence if he refuses or fails to comply with the provisions of this Chapter or of any regulations made under section 36.\n(2) A civil partnership registrar guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable—\n(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine (or both);\n(b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;\nand on conviction shall cease to be a civil partnership registrar.\n(3) A person commits an offence if—\n(a) under arrangements made by a registration authority for the purposes of section 2(4), he is under a duty to record information required to be recorded under section 2(4), but\n(b) he refuses or without reasonable cause omits to do so.\n(4) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (3) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.\n(5) A person commits an offence if he records in the register information relating to the formation of a civil partnership by the signing of a civil partnership schedule, knowing that the civil partnership is void under section 49(b) ....\n(6) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (5) is liable on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to a fine (or both).\n(7) A person commits an offence if he records in the register information relating to the formation of a civil partnership by the signing of a Registrar General’s licence, knowing that the civil partnership is void under section 49(b) ....\n(8) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (7) is liable—\n(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to a fine (or both);\n(b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.\n(9) A prosecution under subsection (5) or (7) may not be commenced more than 3 years after the commission of the offence.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 33(5) omitted (27.2.2023) by virtue of Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 (c. 28), s. 7(1), Sch. para. 4(5)(a) (with s. 8); S.I. 2023/88, reg. 2 (with regs. 3-17)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 33(7) omitted (27.2.2023) by virtue of Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 (c. 28), s. 7(1), Sch. para. 4(5)(b) (with s. 8); S.I. 2023/88, reg. 2 (with regs. 3-17)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/33/section/33",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:16:53.191982+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}