SIA licence/SIA register
SIA register: licence holders and approved contractors
The SIA publishes two registers. The register of licence holders lists every individual with a current SIA licence. The register of approved contractors lists security companies in the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme. Employers search the first before deploying an officer; clients search the second before appointing a security supplier. Both are free to use.
Public SIA registers
2
One lists individuals, the other lists companies. Both are free to use.
- Licence holders
- Every individual with a current SIA licence
- Approved contractors
- Companies in the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme
- ACS annual fee
- £25 per licensable individual since 1 June 2026
The register of licence holders
The register of licence holders is public and can be searched with a 16-digit licence number, or with a surname plus personal details such as date of birth and security role. It covers every licensable sector: security guarding, door supervision, close protection, public space surveillance (CCTV), cash and valuables in transit, key holding and, in Northern Ireland, vehicle immobilisation.
Two things the register does not do are worth knowing before you rely on it. It shows current licences only: the SIA has said in a freedom of information response that a name and date of birth search with no result is a clear indication that the person holds no current licence. And it holds no employment history. In a second response, the SIA confirmed it does not hold information about where licensed operatives have worked, so references and screening still come from you.
The step-by-step check, what each mismatch means and how to record it are on our SIA licence check page. For ongoing monitoring, the SIA's free Licence Status Checker builds watchlists from the same public data.
The register of approved contractors
The SIA licenses individuals, not companies. A company shows that it meets the regulator's standard by joining the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS), which is voluntary. The SIA's page on choosing an SIA approved contractor links to the register of approved contractors and explains how buyers should read it.
Approved contractors are assessed against 78 achievement indicators, covering topics such as staff training, financial management and health and safety policies. Most score themselves every year, and independent assessors verify the scores; companies approved through an accredited passport scheme do not submit scores. Each indicator's pass mark is the required level, so a positive score means a company does more than it must. The maximum overall score is 145. The SIA publishes median scores by company size:
Licensable staff Up to 10
41
Median initial annual assessment score
Licensable staff 11 to 25
62
Median initial annual assessment score
Licensable staff 26 to 250
82
Median initial annual assessment score
Licensable staff Over 250
125
Median initial annual assessment score
Period 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, as published by the SIA in October 2026.
The SIA itself warns that the score does not tell the whole story: a company can score low overall and still be strong in the area a buyer cares about. It recommends reading the contractor's assessment report, which the SIA releases with the contractor's permission.
What ACS approval costs and how a company stays on the register
Approval is not permanent. An approved contractor must be assessed every year by an SIA-approved assessing body, re-register every year and renew every three years, as set out in the SIA's guidance on how to keep your ACS approval. The SIA's fees are separate from what the assessing body charges.
Application fee, up to 10 licensable staff
£400
Application fee, 11 to 25 licensable staff
£800
Application fee, 26 to 250 licensable staff
£1,600
Application fee, over 250 licensable staff
£2,400
Annual registration fee, per licensable individual deployed
£25
The annual fee rose from £15 to £25 per licensable individual on 1 June 2026, the first rise in the annual fee since the scheme began. For a company deploying 50 licensable officers, that takes the annual registration fee from £750 to £1,250. Both fees are non-refundable.
Approval changes what a company may do. Approved contractors may only subcontract to other approved contractors unless the SIA gives explicit permission, and only approved contractors can use the Licence Assist and Licence Management services or, with SIA permission, issue licence dispensation notices. The application routes and assessment are covered in our guide to the SIA Approved Contractor Scheme.
Using both registers in a tender
A buyer checking a guarding supplier gets the most from the registers by using them together. The ACS register confirms the company's approval. The register of licence holders confirms that the named officers on the contract hold licences for the sectors the work needs. And the subcontracting rule means that, if the approved supplier brings in another firm, that firm should appear on the ACS register too, unless the SIA has given permission otherwise.
For the supplier, the same logic runs in reverse. A tender response that names officers, gives their licence sectors and states how licences are re-checked during the contract answers the buyer's register check before it is made.
Evidence that holds up at assessment
An ACS assessment covers 78 areas of a business, from staff training to health and safety policies. COREDINATE, a guard tour and patrol system, keeps two kinds of records that can support an assessment or a client audit: each officer's qualifications with validity dates and evidence, and a daily occurrence book that logs checkpoint scans, incidents and shift start and end automatically. Neither replaces the SIA's own registers, which remain the reference for licence status and approval.
Frequently asked questions
Is the SIA register free to search?
Yes. Both the register of licence holders and the register of approved contractors are public and free. The Licence Status Checker, which turns register data into watchlists, is also free but needs an SIA business account.
Why is someone with an SIA badge not on the register?
The register shows current licences only. If a search by name and date of birth finds nothing, the SIA treats that as a clear indication that the person holds no current licence. Search again by number to rule out a typing error, and note that a replacement card has a new number.
Does the SIA license security companies?
No. The SIA licenses individuals. Companies can join the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme, which is the only SIA approval at company level.
How much is the ACS annual fee?
£25 per licensable individual deployed, since 1 June 2026. Before that it was £15. The application fee is a separate one-off payment of £400 to £2,400 depending on company size.
How do I check if a security company is SIA approved?
Search the register of approved contractors, linked from the SIA's guidance on choosing an approved contractor. The SIA also suggests asking for the contractor's assessment report, which it can share with the contractor's permission.
Keep licence records and patrol evidence in one system.
Test COREDINATE's guard tour and patrol system free for 14 days.