The regulatory detail of Martyn's Law is being locked down. The Security Industry Authority consulted on its draft section 12 statutory guidance between 15 April and 12 June, and will publish the final guidance and a consultation report in autumn 2026, per gov.uk. The Act itself, the Terrorism Protection of Premises Act 2025, is expected to come into force in spring 2027, after an implementation period of at least 24 months, according to Norton Rose Fulbright.
The thresholds are set. Standard duty premises are those where 200 to 799 people may be present at once. Enhanced duty premises and qualifying events start at 800. Standard-tier sites must put in place proportionate public protection procedures. Enhanced-tier sites must additionally document security measures and submit them to the SIA.
The SIA is the regulator. It will assess compliance through desk-based reviews and on-site inspections, typically on 72 hours' notice, and bring premises into line on a risk-based footing. A notification duty under section 9 will require responsible persons to register with the SIA once the law takes effect, through a portal being tested from early 2027.
For close-protection operators working venues, events and enhanced-duty sites, the practical step is now, not in 2027. Map each client site to its tier, understand what a proportionate procedure looks like at that tier, and be ready to speak to it. The standard is forming this autumn. The operators who read it early will be the ones venues call.
