FAQ

Martyn’s Law: the questions venues actually ask

Short answers, each grounded in the Act, the statutory guidance or the notification regulations, with links to the full guides where the detail lives.

Last verified against the Act and official guidance on 2 September 2026 · Reviewed fortnightly

When does Martyn’s Law come into force?

No commencement date exists in law yet. The Home Office has confirmed the Act will not come into force before April 2027, and the SIA expects commencement in spring 2027. Existing premises will then generally have three months to notify the SIA. Our live status page tracks exactly what is in force today.

Does it apply to my venue?

Premises qualify when four things are true: a building (or building and other land); wholly or mainly used for a Schedule 1 use; 200 or more people reasonably expected at the same time in connection with a Schedule 1 use, not necessarily the main one; and not excluded under Part 1 of Schedule 2. From 200 to 799 the premises are standard tier, from 800 enhanced. The scope checker applies the test to your answers in about a minute.

Is fire capacity the test?

No. The test is the number it is reasonable to expect at the same time, from time to time: expected actual attendance. A fire-safety occupancy figure is one acceptable assessment method, but evidenced attendance data can justify a lower figure, which is exactly why the calculation and its evidence are worth holding as documents.

Our place of worship expects over 800 people. Are we enhanced tier?

No. Places of worship, childcare, and primary, secondary and further education premises are always standard tier where that is the principal use, whatever their numbers. Higher education premises get no such rule. The tier guide covers these fixed-tier rules in full.

Do staff count towards the numbers?

Yes. The statutory guidance is explicit: staff and others working at the premises are included in the attendance calculation, alongside visitors.

What documents does it require?

There is no single statutory list, and the Act itself requires little paper: nothing to be documented at standard tier, and one compliance document at enhanced. In practice, our checklist identifies around 19 records a standard tier venue would hold as evidence or good practice, and around 24 at enhanced. The complete documents checklist sets out every one, tier by tier, with what the law asks of each.

Do we have to buy training?

No. The Act mandates no course and the guidance says so explicitly; free official resources such as ACT e-learning exist. What matters is that staff genuinely know the procedures, because SIA inspectors can ask them directly. At enhanced tier, a record of training is treated by the guidance as a necessary element of the compliance document.

What actually gets submitted to the SIA?

Two things only: the notification (information entered in the SIA’s form, for every qualifying premises and every qualifying event) and, at enhanced tier and for qualifying events, the compliance document, with revisions within 30 days. Everything else is evidence you hold. Full operational security plans are never routinely submitted to anyone.

Can a consultant or platform notify for us?

Yes. The Notification Requirements Regulations 2026 expressly permit an authorised person to submit on the responsible person’s behalf, with their authority confirmed in the notification. Legal responsibility stays with the responsible person and cannot be delegated.

What happens if we do not comply?

The SIA’s consulted draft approach is supportive and graduated: advice and signposting first, civil compliance, restriction and penalty notices where needed, each with a representations stage and appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. The final version of that regulatory approach is expected in autumn 2026.

Is there an official Martyn’s Law portal?

Yes, and it is the SIA’s: the official notification portal is in build, with volunteer testing from early 2027 and availability expected at commencement. Only the SIA’s system discharges the statutory duty. Commercial products with similar names, ours included, are not the official portal, and any product suggesting otherwise deserves scepticism.

What should venues do now?

Use the preparation time: establish your tier with a defensible attendance assessment, identify the responsible person and everyone with control, assemble the documents, and diarise autumn 2026 for the SIA’s final guidance. The venue guide is the full picture in one read.