Under the Terrorism Protection of Premises Act, better known as Martyn's Law, the Security Industry Authority has been named the regulator. The SIA began preparatory work in April 2025 and expects to complete it in early spring 2027, which is when the law is set to come into force. A notification portal for in-scope premises follows the law's entry into force, with volunteer testing from early 2027.
The mechanics are taking shape now. The SIA's draft Section 12 statutory guidance, which sets out how it will advise, inspect and use enforcement powers, went out for consultation that closed on 12 June 2026; final guidance and a full consultation report are expected in autumn 2026. The regulator has said it is standing up a new internal structure with more than 100 operational posts for the role, and describes its approach as supportive, proportionate and risk-based, with 'reasonably practicable' measures scaled to each premises.
The wider signal is a shift in what the regulator values. The SIA's 2026 review points away from tick-box licensing toward a competency-led regime, with safety-critical skills, counter-terror awareness and stronger trainer standards moving to the centre.
Operator implication: there is no compliance obligation until spring 2027, but the guidance exists today. Firms working venues and events should be reading the draft Section 12 guidance now and building the evidence the new regime will expect, training records, counter-terror awareness, and documented 'reasonably practicable' measures. The clock to spring 2027 is running; getting ahead of it is cheaper than being caught by enforcement.
