A civil partnership, like a civil marriage, is made legal when the couple sign the required forms in the presence of a registrar authorised to perform civil partnerships, and two witnesses who are over 16. A ceremony is not legally required.

For many people, the ceremony will be an essential part of registering their civil partnership. The General Registry Office for Scotland (GROS) has said that ceremonies will be available to any couple in Scotland who want one. Registrars have been given guidance on a suggested form of ceremony, but you should speak to the registrar about the arrangements, and agree the form of words to be used. A civil partnership can be registered with or without a ceremony at any registration office (the Scottish Executive have said that ceremonies will be available everywhere in Scotland), but different venues will have different facilities available.

A registrar must be authorised to perform civil partnerships, just as a registrar must be authorised to perform civil marriages. About 85% of registrars are authorised to perform civil marriages, and not all registrars will be authorised to perform civil partnerships. A registrar who is authorised to perform civil marriage cannot refuse to carry out a civil marriage on "conscientious objection" grounds (for example, a civil marriage where one partner has a gender recognition certificate) but could refuse to be authorised to perform civil partnerships.

You cannot register a civil partnership as part of a religious ceremony, nor can the registration take place in a venue normally used as a place of worship.