The SIA uses its licensing criteria when it makes decisions on who is fit and proper to hold an SIA licence. An SIA licence allows people to lawfully perform specific activities in the private security industry. The SIA publishes the criteria in a document called Get Licensed.
The changes proposed by the SIA represent a further toughening up of the criteria on criminality. They will also provide greater transparency on the wider ‘fit and proper’ test that all applicants and licence holders must meet.
The SIA is asking for views on these proposed changes.
The main changes proposed are:
- Adding new offences to the list of offences that the SIA considers relevant for licencing decisions including modern slavery, people trafficking and upskirting offences.
- Tightening up the rules around refusing a licence where an applicant has any criminal record that includes a sexual, child abuse or neglect offence, or a prison sentence of 48 months or more – the SIA already looks closely at the risks of applications involving these offences, and is proposing to refuse all such applications in future unless the applicant can convince the SIA that they are not a public protection risk.
- Requiring applicants who have lived overseas in the last ten years to provide an overseas criminal record check when they apply for an SIA licence. At present this requirement only covers the last five years. The change brings the SIA’s rules more in line with the criminality checks required for UK visas where someone will be working in education, health or social care.
- Making clearer the broad range of other information that the SIA may take into account when deciding whether someone is ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence – for example for domestic violence orders or being subject to misconduct or other disciplinary proceedings.
The changes are intended to enhance public protection. The SIA expects these proposals to affect only a very small number of current licence holders, but the impact will be significant for those who are no longer able to hold a licence as a result.
Commenting on the consultation, Tim Archer, the SIA’s Director of Licensing and Standards said today:
There are currently around 440,000 individuals holding an SIA licence playing a vital role in keeping the public safe. As the Private Security Industry is increasingly asked to take on a wider role in protecting the public, public trust and confidence in private security is more important than ever.
As the regulator, a key priority of the SIA is to ensure those who should not have a licence to work in private security are not permitted to. Although the current criteria have not been substantially changed for some years, the SIA has taken a more robust approach to considering individual sexual and child abuse and neglect offences since 2021. We have also considered the Angiolini Inquiry findings from 2024 which proposed a much more risk-averse approach to police vetting in relation to sexual offences.
He added:
Our proposals will strengthen our already robust processes and support the drive to improve standards in the private security industry.
They will also provide greater transparency to the licensing decision process and help anyone applying for a licence to be clear before they apply about what we mean by ‘Fit and Proper’ in terms of the standards and characteristics we require.
The consultation will run for 10 weeks and will close at 11.59pm on 20 May 2025.
The SIA will review responses to this consultation carefully. Final proposals will be submitted to Home Office Ministers for approval and publication. The SIA will issue guidance and information to licence holders and applicants in good time before the changes come into effect. Visit our consultation page to learn more.
Notes for editors
The SIA uses rules called “criteria” to decide whether to grant a licence. Criteria are also used when the SIA applies its powers under the Act to revoke, suspend or modify a licence. Section 7 of the Private Security Act 2001 requires the SIA to publish a document setting out these criteria. Get Licensed is that document. Section 7 of the Act also requires the SIA to get these criteria and (any changes to them) approved by the Secretary of State for the Home Office.
What the SIA considers when assessing criminality
The SIA will always obtain a criminal record check for anyone who applies for a licence.
Having a criminal record does not necessarily mean that an applicant will not get a licence. However, any convictions, warnings, cautions, community resolutions, absolute or conditional discharges, admonishments or charges awaiting trial for offences will be taken into consideration. Get Licensed includes a list of relevant offences that the SIA will take into consideration in licensing decisions. The criteria say that if an applicant’s record includes a relevant offence, the licensing decision depends on:
- the actual sentence or disposal imposed by the court, and
- when sentencing restrictions ended.
The grid below gives an overview of how having a criminal record affects a decision on a licence application. It shows how a single offence that is relevant to licensing is assessed by the SIA. However, since 2021 the SIA has reviewed every application involving a sexual, child abuse or child neglect offence on a case-by-case basis, looking at all the circumstances including any aggravating or mitigating factors. The consultation proposals will further tighten the rules on such applications.
SIA assessment grid
| Time since sentence restrictions ended | Caution/warning, community resolution, absolute/conditional discharge, admonishment | Fine, Community disposal | Suspended sentence | Prison |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to ≤12mths | CAF | Refuse | Refuse | Refuse |
| >12mths to ≤2yr | Grant (see note 4) | CAF | Refuse | Refuse |
| >2yrs to ≤4yrs | Grant (see note 4) | Grant (see note 4) | CAF | Refuse |
| >4yrs to ≤7yrs | Grant (see note 4) | Grant (see note 4) | CAF | CAF |
| >7yrs | Grant (see note 4) | Grant (see note 4) | Grant (see note 4) | Grant (see note 4) |
In this table:
- ‘CAF’ = Consider Additional Factors
- ‘≤’ = Less than or Equal to
- ’>’ = Greater than
- If an applicant or licence holder has ever received a conviction resulting in imprisonment of longer than 48 months, or life imprisonment, they will either be an automatic refusal or fall into the CAF category, depending on how long it has been since sentence restrictions passed.
The SIA only considers certain offences relevant to its licensing decisions. This is because the SIA must ensure its decisions are targeted to the threat to public it seeks to address. As a proportionate regulator it also allows for rehabilitation.
The offences that the SIA considers are the ones that relate to threats to public safety, dishonesty, and other behaviour that suggests someone is not fit and proper to work in the regulated private security industry.
The SIA may consider any criminal offence relevant if it believes that an applicant or licence holder’s conviction for that offence is pertinent to whether they are fit and proper to hold a licence.
The fact that an offence has not been in the list previously has not stopped the SIA from considering it relevant in appropriate circumstances. This approach follows the licensing criteria approved by ministers under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001.
Further information
The SIA is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).
For further information about the SIA or to sign up for email updates visit www.gov.uk/sia. We also post articles and updates on WordPress. The SIA is on LinkedIn, Facebook (Security Industry Authority) and X (@SIAuk).
For media enquiries only, please contact media.enquiries@sia.gov.uk.
