Everyone wants to talk about the badge.
Fewer people talk about what to sort before you hand over any money.
So if you are aiming to get licensed for the UK CP market, run these five checks before you book a course or pay a fee. Quietly, on your own, no pressure.
1. Check you can actually be licensed
The basics first. You must be 18 or over, and you need the right to work in the UK. The SIA runs criminal record checks on every applicant. If you have lived outside the UK for six months or more in the last ten years, they will want overseas checks too.
None of this is a reason to stop. It is a reason to know where you stand before you spend, not after.
2. Get your first aid ticket first, and the right one
This one catches people out twice.
First, timing. You must already hold a first aid qualification before you start the Close Protection training. Not after. Before. Some CP courses include the First Aid Certificate, but make sure you double check before paying the fee.
Second, level. For Close Protection the SIA wants a qualification at Level 3 or above, and that means a full ticket such as First Aid at Work or FREC. The one day Emergency First Aid at Work course is enough for door supervisors and security officers. It is not enough for Close Protection. Book that one by mistake and you have paid for a day that does not count.
Sort the right ticket early and the rest of the route stays open.
3. Pick an approved provider, not just any course
Your Close Protection qualification only counts if it comes from an SIA approved training provider working with a recognised awarding organisation. For the current licence, that means the Level 3 Certificate for Close Protection Operatives, awarded by the likes of Highfield, NOCN, Pearson, QNUK or SFJ Awards.
A cheap course that does not lead to a recognised qualification is not a saving. It is money gone.
4. Budget for the whole thing, not just the course
Plan for the full picture. Your training, your first aid ticket, your kit, and the licence fee itself.
The SIA licence fee is £204 as of April 2026. It lasts three years, and it is not refundable. If your application fails, that money stays gone. Which is exactly why steps one to three come first.
5. Get your paperwork in order early
The dull bit that delays everyone.
The SIA works on a simple system. One document from their first list, usually a passport or a current photocard driving licence. Then two from a second list, such as a bank statement, a utility bill, or a council tax statement.
You will also give a full address history and sit the criminal record checks. Dig all of this out now, while you have time, rather than scrambling on application day.
Do the recce properly and the route is straightforward. Rush it, and you pay twice.
The five, at a glance
Check you can be licensed. 18 or over, right to work in the UK, and you pass the criminal record checks.
Get the right first aid ticket first. Full FAW or FREC, not the one day Emergency First Aid at Work.
Pick an SIA approved provider tied to a recognised awarding organisation.
Budget for the lot. Training, first aid, kit, and the £204 licence fee that does not come back.
Get your ID and address history ready before application day.
Need a steer?
Not sure where you stand, or which step to take first? Get in touch and square yourself away before you commit, not after.
Sources
Security Industry Authority, Apply for an SIA licence (GOV.UK): eligibility, licence fee, validity and identity documents.
Security Industry Authority, Check what training you need to get an SIA licence (GOV.UK): Close Protection Level 3 qualification and first aid prerequisite.
Security Industry Authority, Changes to the training you need for an SIA licence (GOV.UK): first aid level required for Close Protection.
Checked against current GOV.UK and SIA guidance, June 2026.
