Martyn’s Law, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, puts a duty on those responsible for qualifying premises and events to have public protection procedures in place and, for larger premises, to take further measures. Venues will ask their security contractor to show that the officers on site were trained and licensed, that the procedures were practised, and that incidents and evacuations were recorded. BOOK ON does not make a venue compliant, but it produces that evidence from records the company already keeps: the roster and book-on record, officer licences and training, typed events for incidents and evacuations, and the reports that bring them together.
What the Act requires, in brief
Standard tier
Premises where 200 or more (and fewer than 800) people may be present. The responsible person must notify the regulator and have public protection procedures: how staff would evacuate, move people to safety inside, lock down and communicate in an attack.
Enhanced tier
Premises and events where 800 or more people may be present. In addition to procedures and notification, public protection measures to reduce vulnerability and a document setting out the procedures and measures, provided to the regulator.
Regulator and timing
The Security Industry Authority is the regulator. The Act received Royal Assent in April 2025 with an implementation period of at least 24 months, so the duties are expected to commence no earlier than 2027. Check GOV.UK and ProtectUK for the commencement date.
This page describes the Act in general terms for security contractors and is not legal advice. The responsible person for a premises should take their own advice on which tier applies.
What a security contractor will be asked to evidence
The duty sits with the responsible person for the premises, but the evidence sits with the contractor. The questions a venue, its insurer or the regulator will ask are practical: who was on site, were they licensed and trained, did they know the procedures, were the procedures practised, and what happened when something occurred.
- Officers on site at any time: book-on and book-off records and roster reports by site and date
- Licensed and trained: SIA licences with expiry, additional certifications and the Training Matrix report
- Procedures known: assignment instructions and site risk assessment in the client file; questionnaires and forms signed by officers
- Procedures practised: evacuation drills recorded as fire alarm and evacuation events
- Incidents handled: typed events for suspicious activity, incidents and safeguarding, with the manager’s review
- Reviewed: complaints, service reviews and CAPA in the registers; Service Review Meeting report
A readiness check for contractors
- List which client premises fall in the standard or enhanced tier and which events qualify, and record it on the site in BOOK ON.
- Make sure every officer on those sites has a current licence and the venue’s procedures in their assignment instructions.
- Record each drill as a fire alarm and evacuation event with the time and the officers involved.
- Agree with the client how suspicious activity is reported: as a typed event, reviewed on the manager dashboard, sent as PDF.
- Put Martyn’s Law on the agenda of the Service Review Meeting report each month.
- Keep the Compliance and ACS Evidence reports and the Training Matrix report ready for the regulator’s questions.
Evidence map
| Question | BOOK ON record | Report |
|---|---|---|
| Who was on site? | Book on and book off per shift | Site Roster, Shift Status, Site Report with Total Staff Hours |
| Were they licensed? | SIA licence on the officer record, SIA check | SIA Licence Expiry tables, Compliance and ACS Evidence reports |
| Were they trained? | Additional certifications, training provider bookings | Training Matrix report |
| Did they know the procedures? | Assignment instructions, questionnaires and forms | Client file reports, Disclaimer report |
| Were drills done? | Fire alarm and evacuation events | Events report |
| What happened on the night? | Typed incident and safeguarding events, daily occurrence entries | Events report, Shift Logs, event PDFs |
| Was it reviewed? | Complaints, service reviews, CAPA | Service Review Meeting, CAPA report |
Martyn’s Law questions
Who is the responsible person?
The person or organisation in control of the premises or event, usually the venue operator or the event organiser rather than the security contractor. The contractor supports them with trained officers and records.
Does a security company have its own duty under the Act?
In general the duties fall on the responsible person for the premises; a contractor’s obligations normally come through the contract, and the records above are what the client will need from them. Take your own advice on your position.
When does the Act come into force?
The Act received Royal Assent in April 2025 with an implementation period of at least 24 months, so commencement is expected no earlier than 2027. Check GOV.UK and ProtectUK for the confirmed date.
Is specific training required?
The Act requires procedures and, for enhanced premises, measures; the government and ProtectUK provide guidance and training materials. BOOK ON records which officers have completed which training.
Does BOOK ON make a venue compliant?
No. Compliance is the responsible person’s duty. BOOK ON produces the evidence of licensed officers, procedures, drills and incidents that the responsible person and the regulator will ask a contractor for.
How does this relate to ACS?
The same records serve an Approved Contractor Scheme assessment: screening, licensing, incident management and customer focus. See ACS compliance reporting.
Related pages
Build the evidence pack on the demo
Name a venue and we will show the roster, licence, drill and incident records a responsible person would ask for.