The Martyn's Law Enhanced Tier Compliance Document

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as Martyn's Law, places extra obligations on the largest premises and events in scope. These are the enhanced duty premises and qualifying events, where 800 or more individuals may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time.

Enhanced duty is not a separate scheme. It builds on the standard duty procedures and adds public protection measures, a designated senior individual and a written compliance document that goes to the regulator.

The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. There is an implementation period of at least 24 months, so the duties are expected to come into force in Spring 2027. There is no legal duty to comply until commencement.

The regulator is the Security Industry Authority (SIA). The headline figure for enhanced duty is significant: the maximum monetary penalty is £18 million or 5% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.

The position is set out in the section 27 statutory guidance, which was published on 15 April 2026.

Who falls into the enhanced tier

The two tiers under Martyn's Law are measured by the number of individuals, including staff, who may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time. Standard duty premises cover 200 to 799 individuals. Enhanced duty premises and qualifying events cover 800 or more.

Capacity counts everyone, including staff, and should be assessed against peak use. Occasional higher-attendance events can bring premises into scope, so a venue that is usually quiet may still be caught on its busiest days.

Education settings remain in the standard tier regardless of capacity, where they are above the 200 threshold. A large school does not become an enhanced duty premises on numbers alone.

Section 6: the four measure categories

Standard duty under section 5 requires public protection procedures across four areas: evacuation, invacuation (moving people to safety inside the premises), lockdown and communication. Enhanced duty premises must do all of this and then add public protection measures under section 6.

Section 6 sets out four categories of measure. The aim is to reduce both the vulnerability of the premises or event to an act of terrorism and the risk of physical harm if an attack happens.

1. Monitoring the premises

Measures that help those responsible keep watch over the premises or event and the area around it. This covers how suspicious behaviour or activity is observed and acted on.

2. Movement of individuals

Measures relating to how people move into, out of and around the premises or event. This includes managing entry, exit and the flow of crowds.

3. Physical safety and security

Measures that strengthen the physical protection of the premises or event and the people in it. This covers the physical arrangements that reduce vulnerability and limit harm.

4. Security of information

Measures that protect information which, if disclosed, could assist someone planning or carrying out an attack. This includes how sensitive details about layouts, systems and security arrangements are held and shared.

Designating a senior individual

Enhanced duty premises must designate a senior individual who is responsible for compliance. This is a named accountability point, not a paper exercise.

The senior individual should be someone with the authority to make sure the procedures and measures are put in place and kept under review. Naming the right person early avoids gaps later.

The compliance document

Enhanced duty brings a specific documentation requirement that standard duty does not. The responsible person must prepare a compliance document and provide it to the SIA.

The compliance document must record the public protection procedures and the public protection measures in place at the premises or event. It must also contain an assessment of how those procedures and measures reduce the vulnerability of the premises or event and the risk of physical harm.

In other words, the document does two jobs. It states what you are doing, and it explains why what you are doing reduces vulnerability and the risk of harm.

Standard duty and enhanced duty compared

Feature	Standard duty (200 to 799)	Enhanced duty (800 or more)
Core obligation	Public protection procedures (section 5)	Procedures plus public protection measures (section 6)
Four areas or categories	Evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communication	Monitoring, movement of individuals, physical safety and security, security of information
Senior individual	Not required	Must designate a senior individual responsible for compliance
Compliance document to the SIA	Not required	Required, recording procedures and measures plus an assessment of how they reduce vulnerability and risk of harm
Maximum monetary penalty	£10,000 (daily penalty up to £500)	£18 million or 5% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater (daily penalty up to £50,000)

What enhanced duty premises must do

1. Confirm your capacity against peak use, counting everyone including staff, to be sure you are in the enhanced tier.
2. Put in place the standard duty procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication.
3. Add appropriate public protection measures across the four section 6 categories.
4. Designate a senior individual responsible for compliance and give them the authority to act.
5. Prepare a compliance document recording the procedures and measures and assessing how they reduce vulnerability and the risk of harm.
6. Provide the compliance document to the SIA and keep it current as your premises or events change.

Common errors to avoid

• Assuming enhanced duty replaces standard duty. The section 6 measures are in addition to the section 5 procedures, not instead of them.
• Treating the compliance document as a list of measures only, when it must also assess how those measures reduce vulnerability and the risk of harm.
• Forgetting to designate a named senior individual responsible for compliance.
• Counting only the public when assessing capacity. The 800 threshold includes staff and should be measured against peak use.
• Overlooking occasional high-attendance events that bring an otherwise standard premises into the enhanced tier.
• Assuming the duties already apply. There is no legal duty to comply until commencement, expected in Spring 2027.

Penalties and enforcement

The penalties for enhanced duty premises and qualifying events are far higher than for standard duty. The maximum monetary penalty is £18 million or 5% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater, with a daily penalty of up to £50,000. By comparison, standard duty carries a maximum of £10,000.

The SIA can use compliance notices, restriction notices and monetary penalties. Its draft section 12 enforcement guidance is out for consultation, closing at 11:59pm on Friday 12 June 2026.

How Policy Pros Can Help

We help enhanced duty premises and event organisers translate the section 6 measures into clear, defensible documentation. Our Martyn's Law compliance documentation service covers the procedures, the measures and the compliance document the SIA expects to see.

For the wider picture, start with our Martyn's Law 2027 compliance guide. If you are unsure which tier applies, read our capacity assessment guide, and if you sit below 800, our standard tier procedures guide explains the section 5 duties.