Several SIA changes have landed across 2026 that directly affect close-protection operators and the firms that deploy them. Per GOV.UK, fee changes took effect on 1 June 2026: the Approved Contractor Scheme fee per licensable individual deployed rose from £15 to £25, and the 50% discount on additional individual licences now applies only when the second application is made on the same day on the same form, where previously it was available more flexibly.
What else changed in 2026: open-source reporting indicates the individual licence fee is £204 for applications from 1 April 2026, close-protection refresher training is now mandatory for CP licence renewals from that date, and criminality checks were tightened, including a requirement for 10 years of overseas criminal-record history where an applicant has lived outside the UK for six continuous months or more.
Operator implication: renewals are no longer a paperwork formality. CP licence holders must factor in refresher training time and cost, and anyone with significant time overseas should start the extended criminal-record checks early to avoid a lapse. For ACS firms, the per-head fee increase and the narrowed discount raise the cost of large deployments and change the maths on bulk licensing, so review licence-renewal scheduling and budget now rather than at renewal. Confirm dates and figures against the SIA's own published guidance before acting.
