If you hire security for a pub, a building site, an office or an event, one question comes before any other: is the person on duty properly licensed? GOV.UK says you must check that someone holds the correct security licence before hiring them for private security work, and that you could be fined or sent to prison if you pay someone to work in security without the right SIA licence. This guide shows you how to check, in a few minutes and at no cost.
What the SIA licence is
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) regulates the private security industry in the UK. Many security roles can only be carried out with an SIA licence for that role. The GOV.UK register lets you check licences for security guards, door supervisors and close protection operatives, and the SIA licenses other roles too, such as CCTV operators and cash-in-transit staff.
How to check a licence, step by step
- Get the details. Ask your supplier, or the officer, for the 16-digit licence number. Each SIA licence has one.
- Open the official register. Start from the GOV.UK page Check security staff have a licence to work, which leads to the SIA register of licence holders.
- Search. Enter the licence number. If you do not have it, you can search using the person’s surname and other details, such as their date of birth and security role.
- Read the result. The register shows the holder’s name, the licence sector (the role it covers), its status and its expiry date.
- Match it to the person. Check that the name on the register matches the photo ID of the officer in front of you, and that the sector matches the work they will do.
Do not rely on the card alone
A licence card can be altered or out of date. The SIA has described its public register, rather than the licence card itself, as the definitive check of whether someone is licensed. Treat the card as a prompt and the register as the proof.
Check the right licence for the job
A licence is issued for a specific role. Check that the sector shown on the register matches the work the person will do: for example door supervision at a pub or club, security guarding at a site, or close protection. Our guide to hiring door supervisors covers licences, checks and what to ask a supplier.
Check before each job, not just once
A licence can expire or be taken away, so a check made months ago is not enough. Check close to the date of the shift or event, and keep a note of the date and the result. If you book through a supplier, ask them to send licence details for the officers allocated to your booking before the shift.
What to ask your security supplier
- The name and licence number of each officer who will work your shift or event.
- Which role each licence covers.
- The company’s registered details and proof of its insurance. Our guide to choosing a security company in London lists what else to check.
- What happens if an officer cannot attend, and how a replacement’s licence is confirmed before they start.
If the register does not show a licence
If a search by the person’s name and date of birth returns no result, the SIA has said this is a clear indication that the individual does not hold a current licence. First check the spelling and the number with the supplier. If the person still cannot be found, do not let them work your door or site until the supplier proves otherwise in writing.
Expect inspections
The SIA also carries out inspections, in which investigators approach operatives and check their licences. Officers on your site should expect to be asked to show their licence and be ready to do so.
How GM Secure handles licence checks
Every GM Secure officer is SIA-licensed for the role they work and DBS checked. Licence numbers can be provided for the officers allocated to your booking, so you can confirm each one on the SIA register yourself. See our door supervisor, event security and manned guarding services, or ask for a quote.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Source: GOV.UK, Check security staff have a licence to work.