SIA Licence Renewal 2026: Step-by-Step Checklist for Door Supervisors and Security Guards

If your SIA licence expires in 2026, leaving the renewal too late could take you off shift. A pending application does not extend an expired badge. Once the printed expiry date passes, you must stop all licensable work until the SIA grants the new licence.

Door Supervisors and Security Guards now need the correct refresher qualification, valid first-aid evidence and current ACT Awareness and ACT Security certificates. This SIA licence renewal checklist explains when to start, which course to book, what evidence to prepare, how the £204 application works and what the latest SIA qualification review may change in 2027.

Use these seven steps. Training and certificate checks come before the online form, so start with your current licence date.

Check your card and SIA online account. The official renewal guidance allows applications up to four months before expiry. Applying early loses no time because the SIA adds the unused period to the new licence. Leave enough time for training, result reporting and checks.

Door Supervisor and Security Guard learners need Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course and training or an accepted equivalent, before refresher training. The certificate must have at least 12 months left at registration. You must also show ACT Awareness and ACT Security certificates completed within the previous year; both courses are free. The SIA refresher guidance lists the accepted evidence. Close Protection learners need Level 3 First Aid at Work or an accepted equivalent.

Door Supervisors and Security Guards need refresher training at each renewal. Indicative in-person time is 1.5-2.5 days for DS and 0.5-1 day for SG. Close Protection refresher training has applied since 1 April 2026 and takes about 2.5-4.5 days. CCTV, key holding and cash-and-valuables-in-transit renewals have no current refresher requirement. Ask when the awarding organisation will report your result.

Renewals receive the same identity and criminal-record checks as new applications. The application guidance requires one Group A document and two different Group B documents; one Group B item must show your current address. Complete the address history requested in the form. Six continuous months or more abroad in the past ten years may require overseas criminal-record evidence. The SIA checks most right-to-work records and asks if it needs more evidence.

Once the refresher award is available for SIA verification, sign in, check your details, complete the address history, submit the renewal and pay £204. With several eligible licences in the same application, the first costs £204 and each additional licence costs £102. Training and first-aid fees are separate.

Read the SIA ‘next steps’ message. You may need to take an original ID to a participating Post Office and have a new photograph taken. Other cases use an employer to check or direct evidence. Follow your own instructions; a Post Office visit is not universal.

Track the application online. The SIA cannot promise an exact decision date. Its 2026-27 Business Plan sets an average target of ten working days once a case reaches ‘checks in progress’; complex cases may take longer. Work only while the old licence remains valid. If it expires before the new grant, stop all licensable work. After the grant, you can work before the card arrives with the grant letter and photo ID, as explained in the successful-application guidance.

Course names sound similar, but the purpose is different. Start with the front-line licence you hold and the security work you want after renewal. Do not book a full qualification just because your badge is near expiry.

Choose the Door Supervisor Refresher course if you already hold a Door Supervisor licence and want to renew it. Current rules require a recognised Level 2 Door Supervisor Refresher qualification at each renewal. The course updates safety-critical knowledge and practical skills. Indicative face-to-face training is about 1.5-2.5 days, based on the permitted self-study and the provider’s delivery plan.

Go for the Security Guard Refresher course if you hold a Security Guard licence and want the same licence again. The recognised route is the Level 2 Security Officer Refresher qualification. Indicative face-to-face time is about half a day to one day. A Door Supervisor can use the permitted route to apply for a Security Guard licence, but that choice narrows the work available. Think about the roles you want before changing to the more limited badge.

Note: If your licence or training history is unclear, ask the provider to check it before you pay. CCTV, key holding and cash-and-valuables-in-transit licences do not have a current refresher requirement, so their renewal route is different.

Door Supervisor and Security Guard learners need Emergency First Aid at Work or an accepted equivalent, before they register for refresher training. At least 12 months must remain on the first-aid certificate at registration. Training 4 Employment, one of the finest training service providers, also offers first aid and refresher training as one package, but first aid remains a separate prerequisite. Check the date before booking, not in the morning until the refresher course starts.

Complete both ACT Awareness and ACT Security within the previous year and keep the certificates ready for your trainer. These counter-terror courses form part of the evidence needed before the refresher route can be completed. The SIA’s licence-linked training guidance explains the current requirements.

Ask which awarding organisation will issue the award, what ID the centre needs and when results are reported. This matters in 2026 because GOV.UK states that BIIAB could not take on new Door Supervisor or Security Guard learners on or after 2 July 2026. The SIA will not accept BIIAB awards dated 10 August 2026 or later. Awards made before the cut-off remain subject to the published arrangements. Check the latest recognised training guidance before committing to a course.

The present 2026 renewal rules still apply. The major SIA review of security licence qualifications is a wider reset of course content, tests and training controls. It covers searches, physical intervention, counter-terror and spiking awareness, English, first aid, new security technology, trainer standards and exam security.

New course and test rules are planned for Spring 2027. That date is a programme target; it does not replace the DS Refresher or SG Refresher rules in force now. Final specifications and transition guidance will decide how learners near the change are treated. The wider SIA Strategic Plan 2026-2029 also points towards more focus on skills, supervision and service quality. A badge matters, but employers still need to give site induction, role training, support and suitable supervision.

Training 4 Employment (T4E) lists the full Door Supervisor, DS Refresher and SG Refresher routes. Check entry evidence, dates, course time, price, awarding organisation and result reporting on the Training 4 Employment website. That short check can prevent the wrong booking and protect your renewal timetable.