Everyone is welcome to use The National Archives, whether to research our collections in our reading rooms, visit our exhibitions or use any of the other services and facilities we provide.
We kindly ask all visitors to The National Archives to follow our:
1. Conditions of entry
We are committed to ensuring that The National Archives is a safe, inclusive and respectful place for everyone. We will:
- Provide a safe environment
- Ensure our staff are helpful and courteous
- Respond to feedback.
In return, we ask all visitors to help us provide a comfortable and enjoyable visit for everyone by following these simple requests.
- Please treat our staff with respect and follow their instructions – they are there to help. This includes allowing your bags, containers and other possessions to be searched at any time upon request.
- Please only consume food and drink in designated areas, and don’t bring any animals to the archives (other than assistance dogs) – this helps us look after our collections.
- Only smoke in designated areas of our grounds – smoking, using e-cigarettes/vaporizers and the lighting of matches and cigarette lighters is not permitted in any part of our buildings.
- We welcome visitors of all ages, although for safeguarding reasons children aged 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
2. Code of conduct
We would ask that you help us safeguard our building, collections, our staff and other visitors by observing this code of conduct.
This code of conduct is made by the Chief Executive and Keeper under s.2 (4) (c) of the Public Records Act 1958.
Conditions for all visitors
- Please observe our opening hours, as published on our website
- For your own safety, you must observe emergency procedures and alarms, and follow the instructions of our staff if asked to evacuate the building
- You must not deliberately, carelessly or negligently mark, soil, tear, cut, deface, damage, injure or destroy any record, or any furniture, fittings or other contents of The National Archives. Any action deemed to be inappropriate handling of a record will be considered a breach of this Code of Conduct
- Please take all personal possessions with you at the end of your visit
- Any bags, containers and other possessions, including working papers, may be searched at any time at the request of our staff
- We ask that you only consume food and drink in designated areas
- Assistance dogs are welcome to enter our building, but no other animals are permitted
- You must not enter staff-only areas unless given express permission and are accompanied by a member of staff or other authorised person
- Please obtain prior permission, if you wish to display, distribute, or leave any bill, placard, notice or other documents in The National Archives, or offer anything for sale
- Smoking, the use of an e-cigarette/vaporizer and the lighting of a match or cigarette lighter is not permitted in any part of our buildings. Smoking in the grounds is permitted in designated areas only
- Anyone who, in the reasonable opinion of our staff is causing a disturbance to others shall not remain at The National Archives after having been asked to leave by a staff member
- Children are welcome but all conditions apply equally to them, and they and their parent/guardian will be asked to leave if any conditions are broken.
Reading room conditions
- You will only be admitted to the reading rooms with a valid reader’s ticket, which you must show on request
- Personal computers, mobile phones (set to ‘silent’ mode) and audio recorders (for dictation only, not for the recording of interviews or conversations with staff) may be used
- We ask that you return all records to the document delivery points or returns desk ten minutes before closing time
- Please respect the designated areas for quiet research
- You must only bring permitted items into the reading rooms – see our posters and website for details
- You must order or be issued with no more records than the prescribed limits
- We ask that you do not place records anywhere other than on your reading room desk, our dedicated camera stands or the document returns counters
- Damaged, defective or misplaced records must be reported to our staff and recorded on a Collection Care Condition form available on the homepage of the public access terminals
- Only graphite pencils (without erasers) may be used for writing or drawing within the reading rooms
- Copies provided by The National Archives or made by users are subject to the published conditions
- You may photograph or make a digital copy of a record with your own equipment, provided there is no threat of damage to the records and when copyright requirements are met. You may not make a tracing of any record
- Children aged 10 and above (with an accompanying adult) may be admitted to the Reading Rooms at the discretion of the Enquiry Service Manager. For children under 10 there are other opportunities to engage with our collections through our schools and family programmes.
Security
- You must not remove or attempt to remove any record from the reading rooms. Reference material other than public records may be taken to another room with the permission of our staff
- You must not give a false name or address for the purpose of entering any part of The National Archives or for the purpose of using our facilities or services
- We take instances of discrimination or harassment, where behaviour is unwelcome or offensive to the individual receiving it, extremely seriously. We will not tolerate harassment or discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, sex, gender identity or gender expression, ethnicity or race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation
- Professional filming or photography is only permitted within The National Archives by prior arrangement. All approved filming will take place in an invigilated area
- Wheelchairs/mobility scooters and children’s pram/pushchairs are welcomed, but other wheeled vehicles or conveyances are not permitted
- Regrettably we are unable to accommodate bags/luggage larger than cabin bag size (43cm x 42cm x 24cm), sports or recreational equipment (musical instruments), large wheelie bags or boxes
- Visitors are not permitted to use our computer facilities or wifi network to access or view pornographic, unlawful, or offensive material, or online services that might harm or compromise our computer facilities
- You must not intentionally obstruct any staff member in the execution of their duty.
Actions
We understand that most visitors will behave responsibly and abide by this Code of Conduct. However, anyone who contravenes any of the above Code of Conduct may be removed and immediately excluded from The National Archives for a minimum period of one month pending investigation. Visitors exhibiting these behaviours will be asked to stop or to leave the building, and in extreme circumstances we may call the police.
We reserve the right to consider the use of our harassment policy, unreasonably persistent enquiries policy or other appropriate policies to manage or deal with any contraventions of the terms set out in this Code of Conduct.
For information referred to within this document and the exclusions and appeals processes, please see our detailed terms and conditions for visitors.
We thank all our visitors for abiding by this Code of Conduct which exists to protect the records, our visitors, staff, and facilities.