The first thing Martyn's Law asks of a responsible person is to tell the regulator who they are. It is a notification, not an application: no fee at standard tier, nothing to pass, no inspection triggered. This page sets out who notifies, what you will need to hand, and when, so that the day the portal opens it takes ten minutes.
What notification is
Section 11 of the Act requires the responsible person for qualifying premises to notify the Security Industry Authority that they are the responsible person, and to notify changes. For enhanced tier premises and qualifying events the notification also carries the senior individual and is the route by which the documented assessment reaches the regulator. The SIA keeps a register; the register is how it knows who to write to, and whom to ask when something goes wrong.
Who notifies
The responsible person: whoever has control of the premises in connection with the listed use. For a hall, the management committee or trustees; for a church, the PCC or equivalent; for a pub, the operating company; for a school, the proprietor or governing body; for a council-owned hall run by the council, the council. Where the body is an organisation, one named individual does it on its behalf, and that is the contact the SIA uses. The responsible person guide settles the harder cases: leased premises, shared buildings, hirers.
What to have ready
| Item | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Premises name and address | Your records |
| The Schedule 1 use (hall, place of worship, shop, hotel and so on) | The scope check |
| Tier, and the capacity figure behind it | The capacity guide or calculator; keep how you worked it out |
| Responsible person: name, role, organisation, contact details | Your committee minute or board decision naming them |
| Enhanced tier only: senior individual, and the document with the assessment | Your assessment |
Keep the working behind the capacity figure. The regulator can ask how you reached it, and "the licence says 300" or "the fire risk assessment says 250, plus 20 staff" is an answer; a guess is not.
When
The portal is not open. The SIA has said it will invite volunteers to test it from early 2027, ahead of the commencement date, which gives at least 24 months from Royal Assent in April 2025. Regulations will set the window for notifying once the duty is live. There is nothing to do now except have the details ready and a named person who will do it. We track the date on when does Martyn's Law come into force? and will update this page when the portal opens.
After you notify
Keep the confirmation with the record. Notify changes: a new responsible person, a change of use, a change of tier because the building or its use changed. At standard tier, nothing else goes to the regulator; the procedures stay with you, and you produce them if asked.
Common questions
- Do we have to register our village hall for Martyn's Law?
- Yes, if you are in scope. The responsible person must notify the Security Industry Authority that they are responsible for the premises. It is a notification, not a licence or an approval; there is nothing to pass.
- Is there a fee?
- The Act does not provide for a registration fee at standard tier, and the government has said there will not be one. We will update this page if that changes.
- What will the SIA ask for?
- The details are set by regulations, which are not yet made. Expect: the name and address of the premises, the responsible person's name and contact details, the Schedule 1 use, the tier, and for enhanced tier the senior individual. Changes to any of it have to be notified too.
- When do we have to notify?
- Within a period after the duty starts (or after you become the responsible person) that the regulations will set. Nothing can be notified until the SIA's portal opens; it has said it will invite volunteers to test the portal from early 2027.
- Who notifies for a church?
- The responsible person, which for a Church of England parish is usually the PCC; for other denominations, the trustees or the body that controls the building. One named contact does the notifying on the body's behalf.
- We have several buildings. One notification or several?
- One per premises. A parish council with three halls, or a trust with a church and a hall on separate sites, notifies each. Premises on the same site used together may be one; the capacity guide covers how premises are defined.
Have the details ready the day the portal opens.
The Venue Record holds the responsible person, the capacity figure and how it was worked out, the tier and the four procedures in one place, dated and confirmed. When the SIA opens for notifications, everything it asks for is on one screen.
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A plain-English summary of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 and the Home Office statutory guidance, written for the people who run premises. The Act is not yet in force and regulations may change the detail. It is not legal advice. The Venue Record is independent and is not connected to, endorsed by or approved by the Home Office, the Security Industry Authority or any government body.