What is the standard tier under Martyn's Law?

Premises where 200 to 799 people may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time, used for one of the listed purposes (halls, places of worship, shops, food and drink, entertainment, sport, education, healthcare, hotels and others). Places of worship and most schools are standard tier whatever their capacity.

Do we have to buy security equipment?

No. The standard tier duty is about procedures, not equipment: what your people would do, written down and known. There is no requirement for CCTV, bag searches, barriers or security staff. Those belong to the enhanced tier's protective measures, and even there the test is what is reasonably practicable.

Who is the responsible person at standard tier?

The person or organisation in control of the premises for the listed use: the trustees or management committee of a hall, the PCC of a church, the operating company of a pub, the governing body or proprietor of a school. Where the premises are let, it is usually the tenant, not the landlord.

Do we have to send anything to the regulator?

You notify the Security Industry Authority that you are the responsible person for the premises, and tell them if that changes. At standard tier you do not submit your procedures or any assessment; you keep them, and produce them if asked.

How much does it cost?

The government's impact assessment estimated a few hundred pounds a year for a standard tier premises, almost all of it staff time. If you already have a fire evacuation plan, half the work is done.

The Act has an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent in April 2025, so spring 2027 at the earliest. Nothing is enforceable until the commencement date is set. See when does Martyn's Law come into force?

Martyn's Law standard tier: what is required (200 to 799 people)

Most premises that Martyn's Law touches are in the standard tier: a capacity of 200 to 799, and a duty that is deliberately light. No equipment to buy, nothing to submit, no inspection regime. Four written procedures, a named person who notified the regulator, and people who know what to do. This page sets out exactly what that means, in the order you would do it.

Who is in the standard tier

Two tests. First, the premises are used for one of the purposes listed in Schedule 1 of the Act: shops, food and drink, nightclubs and entertainment, sports grounds, recreation and leisure, libraries and museums, halls and community centres, visitor attractions, hotels, places of worship, healthcare, education, childcare, and public transport. Second, it is reasonable to expect 200 or more people to be present at the same time, counting staff, volunteers and contractors as well as visitors, and counting the whole premises including outside space. Under 200 and the Act does not apply; 800 or more and you are in the enhanced tier.

Two groups are placed in the standard tier whatever their numbers: places of worship (unless they charge admission for a non-worship use), and schools, colleges, nurseries and other childcare. A cathedral that could hold 2,000 is standard tier. A primary school with 900 pupils is standard tier.

The capacity guide explains how to count, and the scope check gives you an answer in a minute.

The three duties

Notify the regulator. The responsible person tells the Security Industry Authority that they hold that role for the premises, and tells them of any change. The notification guide covers what they will ask for.
Have public protection procedures in place. Four of them, so far as is reasonably practicable: evacuation (getting people out), invacuation (bringing people in and to a safer part of the building), lockdown (securing the building against someone trying to get in), and communication (how you tell people on the premises what is happening and what to do). They have to be procedures that the people working at the premises would actually follow, which means written down, specific to the building, and known. The four procedures guide works through each.
Keep them current. The procedures are reviewed when something changes: the layout, the use, the people. There is no fixed interval in the Act, but once a year is the practical answer and what the guidance implies.

What the standard tier does not require

No physical security measures: no CCTV, searches, barriers, guards or hostile vehicle mitigation.
No document submitted to the regulator, and no approval sought.
No formal risk assessment of terrorism for the premises (that is enhanced tier).
No accredited training course, though people must know the procedures. See does Martyn's Law require training?
No senior individual designated (enhanced tier).

The guidance uses the phrase "reasonably practicable" throughout. For a village hall run by volunteers it means something a committee can do in an evening with a plan of the building, not something that needs a consultant.

What it looks like, in order

Step	What you produce	Who
Confirm you are in scope	A capacity figure and how you reached it	Responsible person
Name the responsible person and a deputy	Two names on the record	Committee, trustees or board
Write the four procedures	Four short documents specific to the building, with the decisions in them (who decides, where people go, how the doors are secured, how you tell people)	Responsible person, with whoever knows the building
Tell the people who work there	A record of who has read them; a walk-through once a year	Responsible person
Notify the SIA	Confirmation from the portal	Responsible person
Review	A dated review, and a new version when something changes	Responsible person, yearly

The standard tier checklist has the same steps as a tick list, and the free procedure writer drafts the four documents from questions about your building.

If it goes wrong

Standard tier enforcement is civil: a compliance notice first, and a penalty of up to £10,000 for a contravention, with up to £500 a day while it continues. The regulator has said its approach will be to support and advise before it penalises. The penalties guide has the detail.

Common questions

What is the standard tier under Martyn's Law?: Premises where 200 to 799 people may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time, used for one of the listed purposes (halls, places of worship, shops, food and drink, entertainment, sport, education, healthcare, hotels and others). Places of worship and most schools are standard tier whatever their capacity.
Do we have to buy security equipment?: No. The standard tier duty is about procedures, not equipment: what your people would do, written down and known. There is no requirement for CCTV, bag searches, barriers or security staff. Those belong to the enhanced tier's protective measures, and even there the test is what is reasonably practicable.
Who is the responsible person at standard tier?: The person or organisation in control of the premises for the listed use: the trustees or management committee of a hall, the PCC of a church, the operating company of a pub, the governing body or proprietor of a school. Where the premises are let, it is usually the tenant, not the landlord.
Do we have to send anything to the regulator?: You notify the Security Industry Authority that you are the responsible person for the premises, and tell them if that changes. At standard tier you do not submit your procedures or any assessment; you keep them, and produce them if asked.
How much does it cost?: The government's impact assessment estimated a few hundred pounds a year for a standard tier premises, almost all of it staff time. If you already have a fire evacuation plan, half the work is done.
When does it start?: The Act has an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent in April 2025, so spring 2027 at the earliest. Nothing is enforceable until the commencement date is set. See when does Martyn's Law come into force?

Four procedures, written from your answers, confirmed by name.

The Venue Record asks what it needs to know about your building, drafts the four procedures from your answers and nothing else, flags anything it cannot answer as a gap for you to fill, and keeps every version with the name of the person who confirmed it. Your people read them on their phones; you see who has.

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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.