The Security Industry Authority licenses people who carry out regulated security work in the UK. There are separate front line licences for door supervision, security guarding, CCTV, close protection, cash and valuables in transit and key holding, plus a non front line licence for managers and directors. Anyone can check a licence on the SIA public register on GOV.UK.
What is the SIA?
The Security Industry Authority is the body responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK, under the Private Security Industry Act 2001. It licenses individuals, runs the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme for companies, and enforces the law against unlicensed work. It is also the regulator for Martyn’s Law.
For buyers, the SIA matters because using unlicensed security staff for licensable work is a criminal offence, and because the licence is your basic assurance that the person is trained and has passed checks.
Front line SIA licence types
A front line licence is needed by people who carry out licensable activity themselves. The main types are:
- Door supervision: security at licensed premises while open, plus guarding and key holding work.
- Security guarding: guarding property and people against theft, damage and unauthorised access.
- Public space surveillance (CCTV): monitoring CCTV under contract to watch the public or identify individuals.
- Close protection: protecting a person or people against assault or injury.
- Cash and valuables in transit: moving cash or valuables in specially adapted vehicles.
- Key holding: holding keys and responding to alarms or calls to a site.
Which licences cover other activities?
Some licences allow the holder to do the work of other licence types. The best known example is that a door supervision licence also covers security guarding and key holding. A security guarding licence also covers key holding. The SIA publishes the current rules on which licences cover which activities, and they have changed over time, so check the SIA website before relying on a combination.
Non front line licences and in house staff
Managers, supervisors, directors and partners of security companies who do not carry out front line work, but who manage or supervise those who do, need a non front line licence. A front line licence also covers non front line activity. This means the people running a security company are vetted too, not only the officers on site.
Not all security staff need a licence. In general, people employed directly by a business to guard its own premises, known as in house staff, are outside SIA licensing for security guarding. The big exception is door supervision at licensed premises, which needs a licence whether staff are in house or contracted. Some in house roles may also be affected by other rules or by your own client contracts, so take advice before relying on the exemption.
If you employ your own security team, check the SIA guidance for your situation. Many in house employers ask staff to hold a licence anyway, because the training and checks are a useful baseline.
What checks and training are behind an SIA licence?
To get a front line licence, applicants must generally:
- Complete an SIA approved qualification for the licence type.
- Hold a first aid qualification for door supervision, security guarding and close protection.
- Prove their identity and right to work in the UK.
- Pass a criminality check covering the UK and, in some cases, time spent abroad.
- Meet any other requirements the SIA sets, such as English language standards.
How long does an SIA licence last?
Most front line licences last three years, and the holder must apply to renew before the expiry date. The SIA can suspend or revoke a licence if the holder is convicted of a relevant offence or no longer meets the criteria. That is why a licence checked once at the start of a contract should be checked again over time.
Licence holders must normally wear their licence where it can be seen while working, with limited exceptions. If an officer on your site is not displaying a licence, ask why.
How to check the SIA public register
The SIA register of licence holders is free and available on GOV.UK. You can search by licence number. The result shows:
- Whether the licence is active, expired, suspended or revoked.
- The licence sector, such as door supervision or security guarding.
- The expiry date.
Common licence problems buyers should watch for
From the buyer’s side, these are the issues worth checking:
- A licence that has expired since the officer started on your site.
- An officer working under someone else’s licence. The photo will not match.
- A licence type that does not cover the work, such as guarding at a busy club door.
- Managers or directors of a small contractor without a non front line licence.
- A contractor who cannot quickly provide licence numbers for the officers on your site.
SIA licences and the Approved Contractor Scheme
The SIA also runs the Approved Contractor Scheme, which assesses companies rather than individuals. An approved contractor is independently assessed against a standard covering leadership, vetting, training, operations and customer care. It is voluntary, but it is the clearest outside signal of a well run company.
KBG Security Solutions is an SIA Approved Contractor for security guarding and door supervision, reference KBGSECSC01. Every officer is SIA licensed and vetted to BS 7858, and we check licences before deployment. Our head office and 24 hour control room are in West Bromwich. For a free site survey, call 0845 388 0348.
