This statutory instrument establishes the legal framework and regulatory requirements for the granting and use of armorial bearings by local authorities in Great Britain. The document, issued by the British government, provides the formal administrative procedures and legal standards necessary for local governing bodies to adopt and display official coats of arms. It serves as a foundational regulatory text for municipal heraldry and institutional identity within the British legal system.

Legal professionals and historians of local government identify this order as a primary source for understanding the formalization of municipal identity in the late 20th century. Experts note that the text is highly technical and intended strictly for administrative and legal reference purposes.