The Security Industry Authority is cutting the cost of an SIA licence to individuals from 6 April to £184 – said to be its lowest ever fee. This is the third time since September 2019 that the Security Industry Authority (SIA), the regulator for the UK’s private security industry, has reduced its individual licence fees. Individual licences for all sectors will now cost £184, down £6 from £190.
The reduction to the SIA licence fee applies to both new applicants and anyone renewing existing licences. Licence holders applying for an additional licence after the 6 April will pay 50% of the new reduced fee.
According to the SIA, this is the lowest ever free since licensing was introduced in the UK in 2004. The reduction has been made possible due to ‘various efficiency and cost savings’, enabling the SIA to increase resourcing for inspection and enforcement work, while also bolstering its footprint and visibility across the UK. It says it has doubled the number of staff working in intelligence, inspections and criminal investigations.
Commenting on the reduction, SIA Chief Executive, Michelle Russell, said “The licence payers and public rightly expect us to be as efficient and as economic as possible, providing value for money for those we regulate, while delivering on key public safety agendas. We recognise that £6 may feel like a small amount to many, but in the context of the cost-of-living challenges, for some, every pound counts.
“This latest reduction brings the licence fee down to less than it was 19 years ago when licensing was first introduced. We remain committed to regulating the private security industry effectively and efficiently keeping the cost to licence holders as low as possible.”
Working in a licensable role without a valid licence is a criminal offence.
The Security Industry Authority is the principal organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK. It oversees compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities as well as managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.
