Martyn’s Law is the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It requires certain public venues and events to plan for a terrorist attack, with duties that depend on how many people the premises can hold. Premises for 200 to 799 people fall in the standard tier, and those for 800 or more fall in the enhanced tier, with the SIA acting as regulator.
What is Martyn’s Law?
The law is named after Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. His mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for years for a legal duty on venues to prepare for terrorism. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act became law in 2025.
The aim is simple. If an attack happens, people in charge of a venue should already have thought about what to do, and staff should know how to act in the first few minutes. Most of the duties are about planning, procedures and training rather than buying equipment.
This guide is a plain English overview. It is not legal advice. The Home Office and the SIA publish the official guidance, and you should read it before making decisions about your premises.
Which premises does Martyn’s Law apply to?
The Act applies to premises in certain use categories, such as venues for entertainment, retail, food and drink, sport, leisure, visitor attractions, places of worship, health and education settings, where members of the public are admitted. Whether you are in scope depends on your use and on the number of people you reasonably expect to be present at the same time.
- Standard tier: premises where 200 to 799 people may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time.
- Enhanced tier: premises where 800 or more people may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time.
- Qualifying events: certain events with 800 or more people at the same time, held at premises that are not otherwise in scope, also fall under enhanced duties.
Standard tier duties in plain English
Standard tier premises must notify the regulator that they are responsible for the premises, and must have public protection procedures in place, so far as reasonably practicable. These are procedures your staff would follow if an attack happened or was suspected nearby. They cover four broad areas:
- Evacuation: getting people out safely, away from the threat.
- Invacuation: bringing people inside, or moving them to a safer part of the building.
- Lockdown: securing doors and stopping an attacker getting in.
- Communication: telling staff and the public what is happening and what to do.
Enhanced tier duties
Enhanced tier premises and qualifying events have the standard duties plus more. In broad terms they must put public protection measures in place, so far as reasonably practicable, to reduce both the risk of an attack and the harm one could cause. These measures cover monitoring the premises and surroundings, controlling how people move in and out, the physical safety of the site, and security of information that could help an attacker.
Enhanced tier premises must also keep a documented security plan, give it to the regulator when required, and designate a senior individual where the responsible person is a company or similar body. This is where specialist security input, such as a risk assessment and trained door or event staff, usually starts to matter.
Who regulates Martyn’s Law?
The Security Industry Authority is the regulator. It already licenses door supervisors, security guards and other front line roles, and the Act gives it a new role in advising, inspecting and enforcing. The SIA has said it will focus on supporting compliance first, with enforcement powers including compliance notices and penalties for serious failures.
The penalty levels and enforcement approach are set out in the Act and in SIA guidance. Check those sources directly rather than relying on summaries, including this one.
When does Martyn’s Law come into force?
The Act included an implementation period of at least 24 months after it became law, to give the SIA time to set up and give venues time to prepare. The exact date duties take effect is set by the government. Check GOV.UK and the SIA website for the current timetable, because dates in secondary sources can go out of date quickly.
Do not wait for the deadline. The procedures the law asks for are good practice anyway, and venues that start early can test them and train staff properly rather than rushing at the end.
Practical steps to prepare now
Whatever tier you fall into, these steps will put you in a good position:
- Work out your realistic maximum capacity, and document how you reached the figure.
- Name a person responsible for your terrorism preparedness and give them time to do it.
- Write simple procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication, built around your actual building.
- Check which doors can be locked quickly and who holds the keys.
- Train staff, including part time and agency staff, using free material such as the ACT courses on ProtectUK.
- Brief your door supervisors and stewards so they know their part in each procedure.
- Run short drills and record what you learned.
- For enhanced tier premises, commission a security risk assessment and start drafting the security plan.
How KBG can help venues and events prepare
Many of the venues and events we support will fall within the law, and the door supervisors and event staff we supply will be part of how those venues meet it. KBG Security Solutions is an SIA Approved Contractor for security guarding and door supervision, based in West Bromwich since 2007, with a 24 hour control room. We can walk your venue, review your procedures against the official guidance, and brief our officers on their role in each one.
Start with a free site survey. Call 0845 388 0348 and we will arrange a visit.
