{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1972/section-234",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1972/section-234.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1972/70",
  "legislation_title": "Local Government Act 1972",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1972",
  "path": "section/234",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "234",
  "heading": "Authentication of documents.",
  "text": "(1) Any notice, order or other document which a local authority are authorised or required by or under any enactment (including any enactment in this Act) to give, make or issue may be signed on behalf of the authority by the proper officer of the authority.\n(2) Any document purporting to bear the signature of the proper officer of the authority shall be deemed, until the contrary is proved, to have been duly given, made or issued by the authority of the local authority.\nIn this subsection the word “signature” includes a facsimile of a signature by whatever process reproduced.\n(3) Where any enactment or instrument made under an enactment makes, in relation to any document or class of documents, provision with respect to the matters dealt with by one of the two foregoing subsections, that subsection shall not apply in relation to that document or class of documents.\n(4) In this section “local authority” includes a corporate joint committee, a joint authority, an economic prosperity board, a combined authority, a combined county authority, a fire and rescue authority created by an order under section 4A of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, ... , a police and crime commissioner and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime ... ....",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 234(4) inserted by Local Government Act 1985 (c. 51, SIF 81:1), s. 84, Sch. 14 para. 30"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 234(4) inserted (25.3.2022) by The Corporate Joint Committees (General) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/372), regs. 1(2), 32"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 234(4) inserted (17.12.2009) by Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (c. 20), ss. 119, 148(6), Sch. 6 para. 33; S.I. 2009/3318, art. 2(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 234(4) inserted (26.12.2023) by Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (c. 55), s. 255(2)(c), Sch. 4 para. 46 (with s. 247)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 234(4) inserted (31.1.2017 for specified purposes, 3.4.2017 in so far as not already in force) by Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3), s. 183(1)(5)(e), Sch. 1 para. 32; S.I. 2017/399, reg. 2, Sch. para. 38"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 234(4) omitted (26.5.2015) by virtue of Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20), s. 115(7), Sch. 13 para. 6(7)(t); S.I. 2015/994, art. 6(g)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 234(4) substituted (16.1.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 115; S.I. 2011/3019, art. 3, Sch. 1 (with Sch. 2 para. 36)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 234(4) repealed (1.4.2002) by 2001 c. 16, s. 137, Sch. 6 para. 31, Sch. 7 Pt. 5(1); S.I. 2002/344, art. 3(j)(m) (with transitional provisions in art. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words repealed by Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40, SIF 41:1), ss. 231(7), 235(6), 237(2), Sch. 13 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 234 amended by S.I. 1989/1815, art. 2, Sch. 1 para. 5(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 234 modified (7.8.1991) by S.I.1991/1773, art. 8(2), Sch. 2S. 234: certain functions transferred (7.8.1991) by S.I.1991/1773, art. 8, Sch. 2S. 234 applied (temp. from 4.5.1995 to 31.3.1996) by S.I. 1995/1042, art. 4(1)S. 234: power to make provisions about matters of the kind dealt with in this section conferred (1.9.1997) by 1997 c. 50, s. 44(1), Sch. 4(a)(xiv); S.I. 1997/1930, art. 2(1)(2)(m)S. 234 extended (8.5.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 75 (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(2)(b), Sch. Pt. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 234 applied (with modifications) (22.7.2004) by The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Establishment of Conservation Board) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1777), art. 21(2)(e)S. 234 applied (with modifications) (22.7.2004) by The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Establishment of Conservation Board) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1778), art. 21(2)(e)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "Ss. 224-234 applied (with modifications) (E.) (24.3.2011) by The Hull and Goole Port Health Authority Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/939), arts. 1(1), 7, Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "Ss. 228-234 applied (with modifications) (22.11.2012) by The Police and Crime Panels (Application of Local Authority Enactments) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2734), regs. 1(1), 3-6, Sch. Pt. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "Ss. 228-234 applied (with modifications) (22.11.2012) by The Police and Crime Panels (Application of Local Authority Enactments) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2734), regs. 1(1), 3-6, Sch. Pt. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C7",
      "text": "Ss. 231-234 extended (19.9.1995) by 1995 c. 25, ss. 63(5), 125(2), Sch. 7 para. 17(2)(d) (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117, Sch. 8 para. 7) (as amended (1.5.2021) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), s. 175(7), Sch. 4 para. 18; S.I. 2021/354, reg. 2(c))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C8",
      "text": "S. 234(4) amended by S.I. 1985/1884, art. 10, Sch. 3 para. 1(n)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C9",
      "text": "S. 234(4) modified by S.I. 1987/2110, art. 2(2), Sch. 1 para. 3(n)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C10",
      "text": "S. 234(4) modified (5.10.2026) by The Surrey (Structural Changes) (Pensions etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/1011), art. 1(2), Sch. para. 3(n) (with Sch. para. 10)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/section/234",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:48:26.887741+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."
}