SIA Licence Checks: Door Supervisors and Security Staff in the UK
Door supervisors, security guards, CCTV operators and close protection staff in the UK need a licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA). Seeing the card on the first shift is easy. Knowing that it covers the right sector, that it is still on the register, and that it hasn't lapsed three years later is the part that slips.
This post covers who needs a licence, the licence types and fee, how to check one, the offences, the Approved Contractor Scheme and the training changes on the way, then how to track licences in WorkZerk for your own staff and for subcontracted guards.
The law and where it applies
SIA licensing comes from the Private Security Industry Act 2001. It is an offence to engage in licensable conduct without a licence, with a penalty on summary conviction of up to six months in prison, a fine, or both.
The SIA is the regulator for the UK's private security industry, a public body sponsored by the Home Office. The Act covers England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. One sector, vehicle immobilising, is licensed in Northern Ireland only.
Who needs a licence
Licensing mainly applies to people supplied under a contract for services, where one business provides security staff to another. In-house staff, employed directly by the business that uses them, usually don't need one. There are two exceptions: door supervision at licensed premises, and vehicle immobilising in Northern Ireland. A pub's own door staff need a licence, even though they are on its payroll.
In England and Wales, the Licensing Act 2003 adds a matching rule. Where a premises licence requires security staff on the door, it must also require each of them to be licensed under the 2001 Act.
At events, the SIA's licence guidance draws a line between stewarding and security:
- Checking tickets or invitations doesn't need a licence. Refusing entry or removing people does.
- Stewarding, such as showing people to seats, toilets or first aid, doesn't need a licence.
- Unpaid volunteers don't need one.
Front line and non-front line licences
There are two kinds of licence. A front line licence is for anyone who personally does licensable work, whatever their job title. A non-front line licence is for people who manage, supervise or employ them, and for directors and partners of a security business. A front line licence covers everything a non-front line licence does. A non-front line licence does not let the holder work on the front line.
The licence types are:
| Licence | Kind | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Door supervision | Front line | 3 years |
| Security guarding | Front line | 3 years |
| Public space surveillance (CCTV) | Front line | 3 years |
| Close protection | Front line | 3 years |
| Cash and valuables in transit | Front line | 3 years |
| Vehicle immobilisation (Northern Ireland only) | Front line | 1 year |
| Non-front line | Non-front line | 3 years |
| Key holding | Covered by a non-front line licence | 3 years |
Most front line licences are a plastic photo card that must be worn while working. Covert staff such as store detectives don't have to display it. A non-front line licence, which also covers key holding, is a letter.
The fee
A licence costs £204. That has been the fee since 1 April 2026, when a £20 rebate from the SIA's reserves came to an end. If someone applies for more than one licence in the same application, the first costs £204 and each additional one £102. A vehicle immobiliser licence is always £204. The fee is not refundable.
Renewal and the training that goes with it
A licence holder can apply to renew 4 months before it expires. Renewal is not automatic, and nobody can keep working on an expired licence.
Renewing also means training. The current requirements are:
| Licence | To renew | First aid needed first |
|---|---|---|
| Door supervision | Level 2 refresher qualification (mandatory since 1 April 2025) | Emergency First Aid at Work, or equivalent |
| Security guarding | Level 2 security officer refresher (mandatory since 1 April 2025) | Emergency First Aid at Work, or equivalent |
| Close protection | Level 2 close protection refresher (mandatory since 1 April 2026) | Level 3 first aid, such as First Aid at Work |
The first aid certificate must be valid for at least 12 months when the person registers for the course. That makes the first aid certificate a second date worth tracking, because a lapsed one can hold up a renewal.
More change is coming. On 28 August 2026 the SIA opened a consultation on new licence-linked qualifications, to launch in 2027. It proposes making a current first aid qualification a condition of door supervision, security guarding and close protection licences, so the SIA could act when one lapses, and adding an independent English language test. The consultation closed on 23 October 2026. These are proposals until the SIA publishes its decision.
How to check a licence
Look at the card and check:
- the name and photo match the person
- the sector on the card covers the work you are giving them
- the 16-digit licence number
- the expiry date
Then check it on the SIA's Register of Licence Holders. It is free. Search by the 16-digit licence number, or by surname plus details such as date of birth and role. The SIA says all current licence holders appear on the register, and that a search by name and date of birth with no result is "a clear indication" that the person does not hold a current licence.
A card does not show whether a licence has since been suspended or revoked, so check the register, not just the card. Someone whose licence was granted recently may not have the card yet. The SIA says they can start work straight away by carrying their "licence granted" letter and photo ID, and the card should follow within 14 days.
Using a contractor or agency
If you supply security services through someone who is not licensed, that is an offence under section 5 of the Act, with up to five years in prison, a fine, or both on indictment. GOV.UK puts it plainly: "You could be fined or sent to prison if you pay someone to work in security without the right SIA licence" (check a licence).
If you are a venue or event organiser hiring a security company, ask for the name and licence number of every operative they will send, and check them on the register before the shift.
The Approved Contractor Scheme
The Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) is a voluntary quality standard for security companies. Approved contractors are assessed against 78 areas of their business, including staff training, financial management, and health and safety. You can look a company up on the SIA's register of approved contractors.
An approved contractor can only subcontract to other approved contractors, unless the SIA gives permission. ACS status is about the company. It does not replace checking each operative's own licence.
Martyn's Law
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as Martyn's Law, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. It applies across the UK and sets duties for premises and events where 200 or more people may be present at the same time, with more for those at 800 or more. The SIA is its regulator.
Most of the Act is not yet in force, and no date has been set for its main duties. If you run a venue or events of that size, the SIA will regulate those duties as well as security licensing.
This is general information, not legal advice. The rules depend on your sector and where you work, so check with the SIA or a solicitor. For the rest of the paperwork, see right to work checks and the UK contractor onboarding checklist.
What WorkZerk does and doesn't do
WorkZerk keeps the record side of an SIA licence in one place:
- Each person uploads a photo of their licence card from a private link on their phone, with no account or password.
- They have to enter the expiry date before they can send it. WorkZerk's AI check reads the date on the card and flags it if it differs from the date they typed.
- You approve each licence, and WorkZerk records who approved it and when.
- The licence is saved to the person's contact record, so it counts on every portal they are on and they are not asked for it twice.
- WorkZerk emails the person before their licence expires and asks for the renewed one.
- The Document compliance report shows who is current, expiring or missing a licence, across your own staff and subcontracted guards.
What it doesn't do: WorkZerk does not search the SIA Register of Licence Holders or the register of approved contractors, and it does not decide whether a licence sector covers the work. It does not apply for or renew licences. Those steps stay with you, and WorkZerk gives you somewhere to record that you did them.
Setting it up in WorkZerk
1. Turn on two-factor authentication
Asking people to upload documents needs two-factor authentication on your account. Set it up under Account, then Two-factor authentication (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab).
2. Create the SIA fields
None of the starter packs asks for an SIA licence, so add the fields yourself. Open Fields (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) in the sidebar and add:
- SIA licence, an Upload field with Require an expiry date ticked.
- SIA licence number, a Text field.
- SIA licence sector, a Text field, for door supervision, security guarding, CCTV and so on.
- SIA register checked on, a Date field your team fills in after checking the register.
- First aid certificate, an Upload field with Require an expiry date ticked.
Shortcut: for agency or self-employed guards, start from Contractor onboarding (United Kingdom), which already asks for a UTR, public liability insurance and bank details. Add it from Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab), then Request packs, then Start from a template. See starter request packs.
3. Create a portal for the role or event
Open Portals (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) and click New portal, or use one you already run. Give it a name your people will recognise, such as "Riverside Arena door team 2027".
4. Ask for the licence
On the portal's Requests panel, click + Insert, choose Upload, and name it "SIA licence". Pick your new field under Document type and make sure Require expiry is on. Leave Min files at 1 so the licence is required.
Use the description to say what to send, for example: "A clear photo of the front and back of your SIA licence card. If your card hasn't arrived, upload your licence granted letter and enter the expiry date from your SIA account."
Then add a Fields request for SIA licence number and SIA licence sector, so they are typed in rather than read off a photo. Add a second Upload for the first aid certificate. If only some people on the portal are front line, put these asks in a Section and use Show only for specific people. See asking for documents and info.
5. Add your people
Add people to the portal and send each one their private link. For a large event team, or guards sent by a contractor, turn on the portal's self-registration link and send it to the contractor to pass on.
6. Review, check the register and approve
Uploaded licences wait under Needs review on Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab). For each one:
- Check the name, photo, sector and expiry date against the card. If the date was typed wrong, click Change date and correct it.
- Search the Register of Licence Holders by licence number.
- Approve the licence.
- Enter today's date in SIA register checked on on their contact record.
See reviewing uploads.
7. Switch on the expiry reminders
Open Automations (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab). Switch on Document expiring reminder and Document expired reminder. Both start switched off.
The expiring reminder goes 30 days before a licence expires by default. An SIA licence can be renewed from 4 months before expiry, and renewal needs refresher training first, so consider 90 days. The reminders stop once the person uploads the renewed licence. See automations.
8. Check who is covered before each shift
Open Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) and click Document compliance. Each person shows as current, expiring, needs review, expired or missing for their SIA licence and first aid certificate.
Tick Only people who aren't compliant for the list to work through, and use Download CSV when a licensing officer, client or the SIA asks for your records. See document compliance.
Getting started
Start a free WorkZerk trial at workzerk.com, then work through the steps above. If you get stuck, the getting started guide walks through a first portal end to end, or email us at [email protected].