Martyn’s Law — formally the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 — received Royal Assent in April 2025 and introduces the first legal duty on UK venues to prepare for terrorist attacks. It is named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, and it will directly affect thousands of pubs, bars, nightclubs, hotels, theatres and event spaces.
If you hold a personal or premises licence, this is the biggest change to venue compliance since the Licensing Act 2003. Here’s what the law says, which tier your premises falls into, and what you need to do about it.
Who does Martyn’s Law apply to?
The Act applies to premises that are publicly accessible and are used for purposes listed in the legislation — including hospitality, entertainment, retail, sport and leisure. The deciding factor is how many people it is reasonable to expect may be present at the same time:
- Standard tier: premises with a capacity of 200 to 799 people.
- Enhanced tier: premises and events with a capacity of 800 or more.
Premises below 200 capacity are outside the Act — though the government encourages smaller venues to adopt the same good practice voluntarily.
Standard tier duties (200–799 capacity)
Standard tier venues must put in place simple, low-cost protective procedures. There is no requirement to buy equipment or hire security staff. You must:
- Notify the regulator (the Security Industry Authority) that you are responsible for qualifying premises.
- Have procedures in place for evacuation, invacuation (moving people to safety inside), lockdown and communication in the event of an attack.
- Make sure staff know those procedures and can carry them out.
Think of it as a fire drill mindset applied to terrorism: your team should know what to do in the first minutes of an incident, because those minutes save lives.
Enhanced tier duties (800+ capacity)
Enhanced tier premises must do everything in the standard tier, plus:
- Document their compliance and provide it to the SIA.
- Take “reasonably practicable” steps to reduce the vulnerability of the premises — for example monitoring, physical safety measures and security planning.
- Designate a senior individual responsible for compliance where the operator is a body corporate.
When does it come into force?
The government set an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent, so enforcement is expected from 2027. That sounds distant, but training a team, writing procedures and testing them takes time — and licensing authorities and insurers are already asking venues what their plans are.
How to get compliant now
The single most effective first step is staff awareness training. Our Martyn’s Law Training (Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025) course is built specifically for licensed premises and covers the tiers, the required procedures, recognising suspicious activity, and how to respond in the first minutes of an incident. It’s fully online, takes a couple of hours, and gives every team member a certificate you can show your licensing authority and insurer.
If you’re new to licensing entirely, pair it with the Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH) — the qualification you need to authorise alcohol sales in England and Wales.
Frequently asked questions
Does Martyn’s Law apply to small pubs?
Only if it is reasonable to expect 200 or more people on site at once. Most small community pubs will fall below the threshold, but if you run events, function rooms or beer gardens that push your realistic capacity over 200, you should assess it properly.
Who enforces Martyn’s Law?
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the regulator. It will have powers to issue compliance notices and financial penalties — up to £18 million or 5% of worldwide revenue for the most serious enhanced-tier breaches.
Is training legally required?
The Act requires that workers are made aware of the procedures and can carry them out. Formal training is the practical way to evidence that — and the way most operators will demonstrate compliance to the SIA.
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