XGuard

Security licensing requirements in England

Requirements for England are being verified. Details below may be incomplete. Tell us what you need.

In England, security licensing is handled by the Security Industry Authority. XGuard lists no required guard documents for England at the moment. Independent professionals and agencies both list on XGuard; local rules decide who must hold which licence.

How licensing works in England

Who licenses

The Security Industry Authority (SIA), an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Home Office.

Who needs a licence

Anyone doing licensable front line security work for hire, including security guarding and door supervision, needs an SIA licence before starting. Security guarding and door supervision are separate licences, and you can apply for both in one application. A self-employed person needs their own licence when the work is done under a contract for services and involves a licensable activity; staff employed directly by the business that uses their services (in-house) usually do not, except for door supervision at licensed premises.

Steps

  1. Be 18 or over.
  2. Meet the first aid requirement (Emergency First Aid at Work or equivalent), then complete the licence-linked qualification: Security Guarding is 30 hours over 4 days with self-study or 38 hours over 5 days without; Door Supervision is 44 hours over 6 days or 52 hours over 7 days.
  3. Show right to work and pass criminal record checks; overseas checks are needed if you lived abroad for 6 months or more in the last 10 years.
  4. Prove identity with one Group A document and two Group B documents.
  5. Apply online and pay GBP 204 for one licence (fee in force from 1 April 2026; each extra licence in the same application is GBP 102). The fee is non-refundable.
  6. The licence lasts 3 years.

Also worth knowing

  • Scotland and Northern Ireland: the SIA guidance describes one UK system, with the vehicle immobilising licence in Northern Ireland only and a certified sports ground exemption in England and Wales; other differences: varies — check the SIA (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/security-industry-authority).

Typical timeline

The SIA gives no fixed time; it points applicants to its decision timescale indicator, and criminal records or right-to-work checks can add delay.

Verification

No public register is confirmed on the SIA pages; check the SIA home page (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/security-industry-authority).

XGuard verifies licences by document review and, where the regulator publishes a lookup, against that lookup.

Frequently asked

Who issues security licences in England?

Security licences in England are issued by the Security Industry Authority.

Next steps

Sources

Last verified: July 2, 2026

XGuard is a marketplace. It does not employ security professionals or issue licences, and it does not promise work. Requirements change, so confirm with the regulator before you apply.