In preparations for Martyn’s Law, the SIA (Security Industry Authority) has recently shared updates on its progress and new guidance on the notification requirement.
Martyn’s Law, also known as The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act was given Royal Assent on 3rd April 2025. The act will enhance the protection of the UK’s public premises and events from terrorist attacks and help to ensure that premises and events are adequately prepared to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks.
With the help of volunteers, the SIA has developed a notification portal and regulatory guidance ahead of the new law coming into force. Over the coming months, early versions of the notification portal will get tested by volunteers, who will be able to provide feedback.
The SIA has made it clear Martyn’s Law is about making events safer and not about stopping events. Martyn’s Law will be coming into effect from next year and premises and event organisers can visit government’s webpage on updates on Martyn’s Law to find out what they would need to do to comply.
The Home Office has released new guidance to help organisations understand the notification requirement and what it means in practice, which can be viewed here. Once the law comes into force, those responsible for qualifying premises and events will need to formally notify the authorities that they are in scope. To do this, a secure notification portal is currently being developed, with further detail to be released closer to launch.
Depending on whether you are notifying the SIA about an event or premise, the timelines for notifying will differ. Qualifying premises will have a 3-month window from commencement of the relevant section in the Act to submit a notification. For qualifying events, the SIA will need to be notified within 14 day of the event date being made public, by the responsible person.
The responsible person for premises or an event can authorise someone else to submit the notification, however legal responsibility always remains with them. For qualifying premises, this is the individual, organisation or company that controls the premises. For qualifying events, it’s the individual, organisation or company with control of the premises where the event takes place.
The Home Office guidance explains, you have “control of the premises” if you typically have both possession of the site at the time and the authority to make decisions about its management and use.
To help premises and events work out what this means for them, a flowchart is available on ProtectUK, alongside answers to many other frequently asked questions.
If there is anything else you might find helpful in preparation of Martyn’s Law, you can contact the SIA by emailing MLR@sia.gov.uk.
Posted on 18 August 2026
