SIA License Types Explained | London Security Guide
SIA Licence Types Explained: What to Ask Your Security Company
SIA licensing is the legal starting point for many private security roles, but the badge alone does not tell a buyer whether the officer holds the right licence for the duties being performed. This guide explains the main licence categories, how they overlap, how to verify an officer and what London businesses should ask before appointing a security company in London.
The correct SIA licence depends on the work, not the job title. A security guarding licence covers many standard guarding duties. A door supervisor licence is required for door supervision at licensed premises and also covers security guarding. Public space surveillance, close protection, cash and valuables in transit, and key holding have separate licence categories. Before deployment, verify every officer on the official SIA register and confirm that the licence activity matches the post orders.
Compliance note: This guide explains current public SIA guidance for buyers of private security services. It is not legal advice. Licensing depends on the activity, contractual arrangement and operating environment. Confirm unusual or borderline roles directly with the Security Industry Authority before deployment.
- The SIA licenses individual people. It does not issue a general operating licence to every security company.
- A job title such as security officer, concierge or event steward does not determine the licence. The actual duties do.
- A door supervisor licence also covers security guarding. A security guarding licence does not cover door supervision at licensed premises.
- Public space surveillance duties can require a separate CCTV licence when the operative identifies people or monitors their activities for regulated security purposes.
- ACS approval is a voluntary quality assurance scheme for companies and is separate from individual officer licensing.
- Every buyer should verify licence activity, status and expiry on the official register before an officer starts.
- Licence compliance is only the first layer. Screening, site induction, post orders, supervision and reporting determine whether the service works.
Why SIA Licence Type Matters
The Security Industry Authority regulates parts of the UK private security industry. For many contracted security roles, an individual needs the correct front line licence before carrying out a licensable activity. The question is not simply, “Does this person have an SIA badge?” The more useful question is, “Does this person hold the licence activity required for the work described in our post orders?”
That distinction matters because London sites often combine several functions. An officer might control access, patrol a building, support a licensed hospitality area, review CCTV, hold keys and respond to an alarm. Some of those activities sit within one licence category, while others may require another. A procurement team that writes a broad job description without mapping duties to licence activities can approve the wrong officer profile.
The safest approach is to define the tasks first, identify which are licensable, confirm the correct licence category and then appoint a provider that can supply suitable officers. Our London buyer’s guide to manned guarding explains how duties, post orders and reporting should be designed around the site risk.
Front Line and Non-Front Line SIA Licences
Front line licence
A front line licence is required when a person personally performs a regulated front line security activity as part of the job. Most front line licences are issued as a photocard. The category shown on the card should match the duties the officer performs.
Non-front line licence
A front line or non-front line licence may be needed for directors, managers, supervisors or employers involved in supplying people who perform licensable security activities. A non-front line licence is issued as a letter rather than a photocard.
Important: SIA guidance says in-house security staff do not usually need a licence, but exceptions apply. Door supervision at licensed premises is one important exception. Contracted security supplied by an external provider is more commonly within the licensing framework.
Main SIA Licence Types at a Glance
The table below is a procurement summary. It should be read alongside the current official SIA guidance because the detailed legal position depends on the activity being performed.
| Licence activity | Typical use | Buyer question |
|---|---|---|
| Security Guarding | Guarding premises or property against theft, damage, unauthorised access or disorderly behaviour | Are the duties standard guarding duties, or do they include licensed-premises door supervision or regulated CCTV monitoring? |
| Door Supervision | Guarding licensed premises, including access control and disorder-related duties | Does the post involve a venue licensed to sell alcohol for consumption on-site or provide regulated entertainment? |
| Public Space Surveillance (CCTV) | Using CCTV to identify people or monitor their activities for regulated protective purposes | Will the operative actively monitor or review footage for disorder, damage, assault or injury? |
| Close Protection | Protecting people against physical assault or injury | Is the assignment person-focused, risk-led and supported by appropriate close protection planning? |
| Cash and Valuables in Transit | Guarding cash or valuables while transporting them in a secure vehicle | Does the work involve secure transportation, rather than ordinary on-site guarding? |
| Key Holding | Keeping or controlling access to a key or device used to operate a lock | Will the responder carry out additional guarding activity during a call-out that requires another front line licence? |
What Each SIA Licence Allows
Security Guarding Licence
A security guarding licence is the usual category for many static guarding assignments. It covers guarding premises or property against damage, theft, unauthorised access or disorderly behaviour. Typical duties can include gatehouse control, reception access checks, patrols, protection of equipment, lock-and-unlock routines and incident reporting.
Current SIA guidance also explains that limited CCTV use can fall within security guarding when it is used to protect premises against unauthorised access or property against damage or theft. However, the licence does not cover all public space surveillance activity. When CCTV is used to identify people or monitor activity to guard against disorder, damage, assault or injury, a public space surveillance licence may be required.
- Office buildings
- Construction sites
- Residential developments
- Warehouses and vacant premises
- Corporate receptions with guarding duties
- Whether the premises are licensed
- Whether the role includes regulated CCTV activity
- Whether keyholding and alarm response duties extend into guarding
- Whether post orders match the licence activity
Door Supervisor Licence
A door supervisor licence is required when an operative guards licensed premises against damage, theft, unauthorised access or disorderly behaviour. Licensed premises can include venues permitted to sell alcohol for consumption on-site or provide regulated entertainment.
The important procurement point is that a door supervisor licence also allows the holder to perform the licensable activity of a security guard. This makes it a flexible licence for roles that may move between standard guarding and licensed-premises responsibilities. The reverse is not true: a security guarding licence does not authorise door supervision at licensed premises.
- Bars and nightclubs
- Hotels with licensed areas
- Music and entertainment venues
- Licensed corporate events
- Hospitality and late-night premises
- Which parts of the site are licensed?
- Will the officer control admission or remove people?
- Is physical intervention training relevant?
- Are event and venue duties clearly separated?
Public Space Surveillance (CCTV) Licence
A public space surveillance licence is relevant when an operative uses CCTV to identify people or monitor their activities for regulated protective purposes. This can include preventing or investigating disorder, damage, assault or injury, including reviewing recorded footage where the activity falls within the regulated definition.
Owning a CCTV system does not automatically mean every person near the screens needs this licence. The activity matters. A receptionist who occasionally sees a camera image is not necessarily performing public space surveillance. A control-room operative actively monitoring people and incidents may be.
- Security control rooms
- Shopping centres
- Large office campuses
- Transport-adjacent property
- Public-facing estates
- Whether footage is live or recorded
- Whether the operator identifies people
- The purpose of monitoring
- Escalation and evidence-handling procedures
Close Protection Licence
A close protection licence is required when the operative’s role is to guard a person against physical assault or injury. This is different from guarding a building in which an executive happens to work. Close protection assignments are person-focused and should be supported by journey planning, threat assessment, advance work, communication procedures and a suitable operational team.
Current SIA guidance states that a close protection licence also permits the holder to perform door supervision and security guarding activities. That wider permission does not remove the need to match the operative’s competence and experience to the actual assignment.
For London executive, VIP or sensitive travel requirements, use a provider with a dedicated VIP and executive protection service, rather than assuming any licensed guard can perform close protection work.
Key Holding Licence
A key holding licence applies to security work involving the keeping of, or control over access to, a key or other device used to operate a lock. The important practical issue is what happens during an alarm response or site visit. If the responder goes beyond key control and performs licensable guarding, the appropriate front line licence may also be required.
Buyers should specify who holds keys, where they are stored, how access is recorded, what authority the responder has, whether police or emergency services may be contacted, and what report is issued after each call-out.
Cash and Valuables in Transit Licence
This specialist licence applies where an operative guards cash or valuables against damage or theft while transporting them in a vehicle designed for secure transportation. It is not the same as an ordinary retail guard escorting staff to a till or monitoring stock inside a shop.
Where cash handling or secure movement is central to the requirement, the buyer should confirm whether the service is genuinely cash and valuables in transit work and whether the provider has the appropriate specialist arrangements.
Which Licence Might Your London Site Need?
These examples are practical starting points, not substitutes for checking the exact role against official guidance.
| Site or requirement | Likely licence consideration | Operational note |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate office reception | Security guarding, depending on duties and contractual arrangement | Define whether the role is primarily reception, access control, patrols or regulated guarding. |
| Construction site gatehouse | Security guarding | Post orders should cover deliveries, contractor checks, patrols, keys and incident reporting. |
| Licensed hotel bar or late-night venue | Door supervision for regulated door-supervision duties | Map exactly where licensed-premises duties begin and end. |
| Office CCTV control room | Public space surveillance where the operator actively identifies or monitors people for regulated purposes | Separate passive display viewing from active security surveillance. |
| Executive movement and personal protection | Close protection | Use a risk-led close protection plan, not a standard guarding specification. |
| Alarm response with keys | Key holding plus any additional licence needed for guarding activity during response | Define the response scope, escalation authority and report requirements. |
| Event stewarding only | May not require a licence if limited to non-security stewarding duties | If staff refuse entry, remove people or perform licensable guarding, licensing may apply. |
A provider of event security services should separate ordinary stewarding duties from licensable security activities in the staffing plan. The title printed on a rota does not override what the person actually does.
How to Check an SIA Licence Before Deployment
Licence verification should be a documented mobilisation step, not an informal glance at a badge on the first shift.
- Ask the provider for the officer’s full name and licence number before deployment.
- Search the official SIA Register of Licence Holders.
- Confirm the individual’s identity matches the register result and physical card.
- Check the licence activity, not only whether a licence exists.
- Check that the status is current and note the expiry date.
- Confirm the category matches the duties in the post orders.
- Record the verification date within the mobilisation file.
- Set a process for monitoring expiry and renewal during the contract.
- Check replacement and relief officers before they attend the site.
- Escalate any mismatch, expired status or unclear result before the shift begins.
Physical card checks
Official SIA guidance identifies visible card security features, including an embossed name, hologram, UV logos, the SIA postcode on the reverse and a barcode that should return the same licence number shown on the front. A convincing-looking card is not enough. The public register remains the key status check.
SIA Licence vs ACS Approval: What Is the Difference?
Individual SIA licence
The SIA licenses people to perform specific regulated activities. A person may hold one or more licence activities. Buyers verify individuals through the Register of Licence Holders.
Approved Contractor Scheme
ACS is a voluntary quality assurance scheme for private security companies. Approval is granted for specific activities, not automatically for every service the company offers.
A company can employ licensed officers without being ACS approved. Equally, where a company is approved, buyers should check the activity for which approval was granted. The official Register of Approved Contractors is the correct place to verify a claim.
Do not accept wording such as “SIA approved staff” as proof that the company itself is ACS approved. The accurate distinction is that individuals are licensed and companies may separately hold ACS approval for specified activities.
Why a Valid Licence Is Necessary but Not Sufficient
An SIA licence establishes a regulatory starting point. It does not prove that an officer knows your building, writes useful reports, communicates professionally or can manage the particular risks on your site. Buyers should therefore assess the complete operating system around the officer.
Confirm identity, employment history and any screening standard specified for the contract, including BS 7858 where applicable.
Match communication skills, presentation, experience and temperament to the environment.
Train officers on access points, hazards, emergency routes, tenant expectations and escalation contacts.
Translate the service specification into clear, site-specific instructions that align with the officer’s licence.
Use scheduled site visits, report review and attendance checks to maintain standards.
Ensure replacements are licensed, screened, briefed and verified before attending.
For offices and public-facing buildings, a professional reception security service also needs customer service, visitor management and communication skills. The licence category should support the duties, but it does not replace role-specific selection and training.
Questions to Ask Your Security Company
Use these questions during tendering, mobilisation and contract review.
- Which activities in our specification are licensable?
- Which SIA licence category is required for each post?
- Will any role involve licensed-premises door supervision?
- Will any officer actively identify or monitor people through CCTV?
- How do you verify licence status before deployment?
- How do you monitor licence expiry and renewal?
- Will we receive confirmation for relief and replacement officers?
- What screening is completed in addition to SIA licensing?
- How are officers matched to our sector and site?
- Can we review the post orders before mobilisation?
- How are patrols, incidents and access events documented?
- How frequently will a supervisor visit the site?
- Is the company ACS approved for the activity being supplied?
- Can we verify that approval on the official register?
SIA Licensing Red Flags for Buyers
“Any SIA badge will do”
The licence activity must match the work. A valid card in the wrong category is not a sound compliance answer.
No pre-deployment verification
The provider should verify status before the officer arrives and repeat the process for relief staff.
Vague ACS claims
Ask for the approved activity and verify the company on the official contractor register.
Generic post orders
Instructions should identify the actual duties, site boundaries, licensed areas and CCTV responsibilities.
Unclear in-house assumptions
Do not assume an in-house arrangement is automatically exempt. Check the role and any licensed-premises duties.
Licence used as a substitute for competence
Experience, communication, induction, supervision and reporting still need independent assessment.
SIA Licence Types: FAQs
Sources Used for This Guide
This guide was checked against current official SIA and GOV.UK information available in June 2026:
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