7Sep 2026

£204 from April 2026: Apply for a UK security guard licence fast

UK security applicant checking licence application

You apply for a Security Industry Authority (SIA) security guard licence through a personal SIA online account once you hold an accepted licence-linked qualification. From there you complete the online form, upload identity, address and right-to-work evidence, and pay the statutory fee. Get the paperwork right first time and most applications clear within a few weeks.

TL;DR:

  • Applying for multiple licenses simultaneously on the same day can reduce processing time by allowing the SIA to combine background checks and save weeks.
  • The application fee increases to £204 in April 2026, with no rebates or discounts, and remains non-refundable regardless of application outcome.
  • The required qualification must be obtained within three years before applying, and refresher training is mandatory for renewals starting April 2025.
  • Name mismatches between ID documents and the SIA account are the most common cause of verification delays, so accuracy is critical.
  • Processing time depends heavily on waiting for qualification results from the awarding organisation and providing complete, clear evidence to avoid avoidable delays.
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Once your SIA licence is issued, Securityjobsboard connects UK security jobseekers with relevant vacancies and faster applications.

Table of Contents

What you must have ready before you apply

Security guarding, key holding, and manned guarding all fall under licensable activities that require an SIA licence, because they involve protecting premises or property from theft, damage, or unauthorised access. CCTV work aimed at protecting the public in a public space sits under a separate public space surveillance licence, not the security guarding one, so check which category actually fits your job before you train for it.

Once you know which licence you need, gather the following before you open an application:

  • Identity documents. A passport or full UK driving licence, matching the name you plan to use on your SIA account.
  • Address history. Usually the last five years, with supporting documents such as utility bills or bank statements.
  • Right-to-work evidence. A passport, visa, or Home Office share code confirming your eligibility to work in the UK.
  • Criminal record disclosure. The SIA runs its own checks, but you must answer disclosure questions honestly. Failing to declare a relevant conviction is a far bigger problem than the conviction itself.
  • Licence-linked qualification evidence. Proof of a qualification completed within the last three years from an endorsed awarding organisation.

On the name issue: enter your details on your SIA account exactly as they appear on your identity documents, middle names included. A dropped middle name or a nickname instead of a legal first name is one of the most common, and most avoidable, causes of verification hold-ups. If you want a broader rundown of entry requirements before you start, the checklist for getting an a security guard licence covers the groundwork in more detail.

Licence-linked training: qualifications and timing rules

Your qualification is the gateway that unlocks the rest of the application. It has to come from an endorsed awarding organisation, and it has to have been achieved within three years of the date you apply. A qualification from four years ago, no matter how good the course was, will not satisfy the SIA.

Two other rules matter here, and both have shifted recently:

  • Refresher training. Introduced on 1 October 2024, refresher qualifications became mandatory for renewal applications from 1 April 2025. If you are renewing rather than applying fresh, check whether you need the full qualification again or just the refresher.
  • First aid. Most Security Guarding licences require a valid first aid award, typically Emergency First Aid at Work or an accepted equivalent. Some sectors call for a higher-level award, so confirm the exact requirement against your specific licence type rather than assuming a standard course covers it.

The Get Licensed guidance sets out the current accepted qualifications and awarding bodies in full, and it is worth reading before you book a course, since not every training provider’s certificate carries SIA recognition.

Pro Tip: Do not submit your SIA application the moment you finish your course. Wait until your awarding organisation has actually reported your result to the SIA, which can take a week or two. Applying before that data lands is one of the most common reasons applications stall or get kicked back.

Step-by-step: register, complete the form, upload evidence and pay

The process runs through one route, whether you are applying for the first time or renewing.

  1. Register a personal SIA account. This is free and separate from any employer’s own systems. Enter your name and details exactly as they appear on your passport or driving licence.
  2. Start the online application. You will be asked to select the licence type (security guarding, key holding, and so on) and confirm your personal details, address history and right-to-work status.
  3. Upload your qualification and first aid evidence. The system checks these against records from your awarding organisation, which is why timing matters so much here.
  4. Provide identity and address documents. Scans need to be clear and legible. A blurry photo of a passport page is a needless way to add weeks to your wait.
  5. Follow the “next steps” instructions and pay the fee. The SIA online account generates a quote at this stage, and that figure is the one that governs your payment, not any estimate you have seen elsewhere.
  6. Submit and wait for confirmation. You will get updates through your account rather than by post.

A quick note on employer-assisted applications: even if your employer is organising your training or covering costs, you still need your own personal SIA account. The licence belongs to you as an individual, not to the company you work for, and it stays with you if you change jobs.

What the SIA checks and how long it takes

Every application goes through several checks in parallel rather than one after another. The SIA runs a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, verifies your identity against the documents you submitted, confirms your address history, checks your right to work, and cross-references intelligence databases where relevant to the licence type.

Processing time varies, and the biggest single cause of delay is entirely avoidable: applying before your awarding organisation has reported your qualification result. Missing or mismatched documents run a close second.

  • Incomplete address history is a frequent snag, especially for applicants who have moved house recently.
  • Name mismatches between your SIA account and your ID documents routinely trigger manual review.
  • If the SIA needs more information, it will contact you through your online account. Respond quickly. A slow reply simply adds your delay onto the queue time everyone else is also waiting in.

Applying for more than one licence type at once, on the same form and the same day, lets the SIA combine your background checks rather than running them twice. That is worth knowing before you decide whether to apply for door supervision and security guarding separately.

Costs, discounts and the April 2026 fee change

From 1 April 2026, the statutory fee for an SIA licence application is £204, whether you are applying for the first time or renewing. The temporary £20 rebate that had reduced the cost previously has now ended, so budget for the full amount.

A few practical points worth knowing before you pay:

  • The fee is non-refundable, even if your application is unsuccessful. Get your paperwork right before you submit, not after.
  • Always rely on the fee quoted in your account’s “next steps” section rather than a figure you have seen quoted elsewhere, since fee policy can change between when an article is written and when you apply.
  • Applying for multiple licences on the same form, on the same day, is the only way to obtain a discount on additional licences, because it allows the SIA to combine checks.
  • Training costs are entirely separate from this fee. The SIA does not run courses or take a share of what you pay a training provider, so shop around for your qualification independently of the licence fee itself.

Renewal, refresher training and licence switching

Renewing is not simply a case of paying again. Since 1 April 2025, refresher training has been mandatory for renewal applications, following its introduction the previous October. Whether you need the full qualification again or just the shorter refresher depends on how long ago your original training was completed and which licence you hold.

A few scenarios worth flagging:

  • If your original qualification still falls inside the three-year window, a refresher course is usually enough.
  • If it has lapsed beyond that window, you are back to the full qualification, not the refresher.
  • Switching licence types, door supervision to security guarding, for example, generally means meeting that licence’s own training and first aid requirements rather than carrying over your old ones wholesale.

More detail on planning renewal timing sits in the licence renewal guide, which is worth a read a few months before your current licence expires rather than after it lapses.

Common problems that delay or reject applications

Most rejections trace back to a handful of avoidable mistakes rather than anything complicated.

  1. Name mismatches. Your SIA account name has to match your ID exactly, middle names included. This single issue accounts for a disproportionate share of verification delays.
  2. Applying too early. Submitting before your awarding organisation reports your result to the SIA is asking for a rejection you could have avoided by waiting a fortnight.
  3. Splitting licences unnecessarily. If you need two licence types, apply for both on the same form and day to combine checks and unlock the discount.
  4. Expired first aid certificates. Check the validity date against your application date, not against when you started the process.
  5. Slow responses to SIA requests. If they ask for more evidence, send it back the same day if you can. Every day you sit on it is a day added to your wait.

Pro Tip: Screenshot your awarding organisation’s confirmation that your result has been reported to the SIA. If your application does stall, having that proof to hand speeds up any query enormously.

Publisher perspective: supporting newly licenced operatives

Getting the licence is the milestone everyone focuses on, but it is really just the entry ticket. Applicants who treat licensing as step one of a job search, not the finish line, tend to find work faster. Once your licence lands, build a profile, upload your CV, and set alerts so relevant vacancies come to you rather than the other way round. Finish the paperwork properly, then put the licence to work.

— Rob

Ready to work? Find security roles once your licence is issued

There are specialized platforms that allow you to get in front of security employers without spending your first paid week trawling generic job sites that bury security roles under warehouse and retail listings. Many of these offer profile creation, CV upload, job alerts, and quick apply features for free.

Securityjobsboard

If you are heading into work in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland security jobs listings are a good place to start, since local vacancies get lost fast on general boards. Employers reading this while sorting out staff licensing requirements can find out about posting and CV access through the employer pages. Building your profile takes a few minutes: upload your CV, confirm your licence details, and set an alert for the roles and locations you actually want. Head to Securityjobsboard and get your profile live before your licence card even arrives in the post.

Sources

Rules and fees do shift, so it is worth checking the primary sources directly rather than relying on secondhand summaries. Start with apply for an SIA licence for the application process itself, check what training you need for qualification rules, and find out if you need an SIA licence to confirm your activity is licensable. The fee change announcement confirms the current £204 cost.

FAQ

How much is a security guard licence?

From 1 April 2026, the SIA licence fee is £204 for both first-time applications and renewals, following the end of a temporary £20 rebate.

How do I get a security guard licence in the UK?

You register a free personal SIA online account, complete a licence-linked qualification from an endorsed awarding organisation within three years of applying, then submit your application with identity, address, and right-to-work evidence before paying the fee.

How much does an SIA licence cost overall?

The statutory licence fee itself is £204, but you also pay separately for training, since the SIA does not run courses or take a cut of training fees.

Can you get an SIA licence for free?

No. The £204 statutory fee applies to every applicant and is non-refundable even if the application is unsuccessful, and training costs come on top of that.

How long does an SIA licence application take to process?

Processing times vary, but applying before your awarding organisation has reported your qualification result, or submitting incomplete address or identity evidence, are the most common causes of delay.