Before hiring security staff, UK clients should run each operative through the SIA Register and match the active licence to assigned work. Check contractor approval separately before contract award. The Private Security Industry Act 2001 makes it an offence to supply licensable security services through an unlicensed operative, with statutory defences and section 4 exemptions available in defined cases. Individual licensing and company approval are separate checks: the SIA licenses people, while its voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme assesses companies for specified activities. The public register lists Ashridge’s Security Guarding approval ELSELISC02 to 30 April 2028; the group also holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. Use this record before mobilisation and roster changes.
Who Needs an SIA Licence?
Staff supplied under a contract for services generally need the appropriate SIA licence when they guard premises, property or people, supervise doors, operate public-space CCTV, provide close protection, transport cash or hold keys. Door supervision at licensed premises remains licensable when the worker is employed in-house.
State duties in the assignment instructions. Stewarding, in-house guarding and some other roles have exemptions, so check the SIA’s licensable-activity guidance where the scope is unclear.
How Do You Verify an Individual Licence?
Use the free SIA Register of Licence Holders with the operative’s 16-digit licence number, or surname plus date of birth and security role. Match the result to the person, activity, status and expiry date before the first scheduled site shift.
Record number, activity, status, expiry and check date. A pending application is not active unless an ACS contractor issues a valid Licence Dispensation Notice within SIA rules.
What Should You Check on the Licence Card?
Check all five security features named by the SIA. The front carries an embossed holder name and a tilt-visible hologram. Under UV light, SIA logos should appear in the top-right and bottom-left corners of a genuine card. The back shows postcode E14 1UG and a barcode that returns the licence number printed on the front.
A convincing card does not replace the live register check. Follow the official SIA card-check guidance, stop deployment and escalate mismatches.
Does the Licence Match the Assigned Work?
The licence must cover the duties actually assigned. Security Guarding, Door Supervision, Public Space Surveillance, Close Protection, Cash and Valuables in Transit, and Key Holding have different scopes. Some licences permit more activities; check assignment against SIA guidance because job titles are insufficient.
Recheck roles involving CCTV viewing or alarm call-outs; work at licensed premises also changes the required category. The contract should require immediate replacement when a licence becomes inactive.
How Do You Check the Security Contractor?
Search the official online SIA Register of Approved Contractors separately before accepting a supplier’s accreditation claims. ACS is voluntary and activity-specific. The SIA issues a single pass-or-fail decision; it has no gold, silver or bronze tiers. Ashridge’s approval covers Security Guarding.
ACS contractors must conduct pre-employment screening to BS 7858:2019 (or an SIA-recognised industry-equivalent screening standard). For Ashridge’s SIA-licensed security guarding services and mobile patrols, request the roster, screening confirmation, insurance evidence and escalation route before mobilisation.
Frequently asked questions
No. The SIA licenses people, while the voluntary ACS assesses companies for named activities. Check the operative on the Register of Licence Holders and the supplier on the Register of Approved Contractors.
A pending application alone does not authorise deployment. An ACS Approved contractor may issue a time-limited Licence Dispensation Notice when the application and deployment meet SIA conditions; ask to see the notice and verify its scope.
No. The licence confirms SIA status for the named activity. BS 7858 screening is a separate ACS contractor obligation, so request screening confirmation and read why an SIA licence is only the beginning.
