Martyn's Law Deadline and Timeline: Key Dates for Venues

When Is the Martyn's Law Deadline?

There is no confirmed Martyn's Law deadline yet. Duties under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 are expected to become enforceable from Spring 2027, with April 2027 the earliest possible date: 24 months on from Royal Assent. Once the start date is confirmed, venues must comply from day one.

How long do venues have to comply? Until commencement, and no longer. The Act has no built-in grace period: the 24-month implementation period running now is the preparation time, not a window that opens after the start date. As of September 2026, that leaves about seven months if enforcement begins on the earliest date.

The one thing that could move is the date itself. The government said ‘at least’ 24 months, so the deadline can slip later, but it can't come sooner. We cover how that might happen further down this page.

Where Are We Now?

We are in the implementation period. The Act is law, but none of the duties on venues are enforceable yet. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is building its new regulatory function, recruiting staff, and finalising its own guidance. The Home Office has already published its statutory guidance for venues (15 April 2026). The SIA's document may add inspection detail, but the four procedures and the notification duty are set by the Act itself, so you can prepare against the published version now.

The first provisions of the Act came into force on 15 June 2026, but don't let that alarm you: they place duties on the SIA itself, not on venues. Your duties are still switched off until commencement.

This is your window to get ready. Once enforcement begins, you will need public protection procedures in place and your staff and volunteers trained on them. Right now, you have time to do that without pressure.

The Full Timeline at a Glance

Last updated: September 2026. Dates marked ‘earliest’ or ‘expected’ are based on the latest SIA updates and Home Office factsheets. We will update this table when dates are confirmed.

What Happened at Royal Assent?

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, nearly eight years after the Manchester Arena attack that killed 22 people. The Act is named after Martyn Hett, one of the victims. His mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for over six years to make it happen.

Most of the Act did not take effect on that date. One provision did: amendments to the Licensing Act 2003 now require two versions of premises plans. A detailed version goes to the licensing authority (confidential), and a redacted version goes on the public register. This stops anyone obtaining detailed floor plans and security layouts through a public register request.

Everything else (notification, public protection procedures, inspections, penalties) comes later.

The 24-Month Implementation Period

The government committed to giving venues at least 24 months from Royal Assent before enforcement begins. That puts the earliest possible enforcement date at April 2027.

During this period, three things happen:

1. The Home Office writes and publishes the statutory guidance that explains exactly what venues need to do (done, as of 15 April 2026)
2. The SIA builds its new regulatory function from scratch, including hiring 100+ staff, setting up a new Manchester hub, and finalising its own guidance
3. Venues are expected to start understanding their obligations and preparing (that is you)

The ‘at least’ wording matters. It is a floor, not a ceiling. If guidance or SIA preparations take longer than expected, enforcement could start later than Spring 2027.

The Statutory Guidance Is Now Published

On 15 April 2026 the Home Office published its final Section 27 statutory guidance. This is the official document that explains how venues should meet their duties under the Act. It comes as a main guidance document plus three shorter supplementary documents: one on working out how many people you expect, one with worked scope examples, and one pointing to further resources.

The good news for standard tier venues: it held no real surprises. Most of it was already clear from the Act, the Home Office factsheets, and the 2024 consultation. You don't need to read all of it to get started. Cover evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, and communication, tailor them to your building, and brief your staff and volunteers.

One part of it was wrong, though, and worth knowing about if you run a leased pub. The guidance came with a worked example of a brewery-owned pub let to a tenant, and it named the brewery as the responsible person because the brewery held the licence. On 6 August 2026 the Home Office issued a correction slip reversing it. The tenant is in control of the premises, so the tenant is responsible. If you read the guidance between April and August and came away thinking the duty was your pub company's problem, it isn't. Holding the licence has never been the test. Control is.

SIA Operational Guidance and Consultation

On the same day the statutory guidance landed, the SIA opened a public consultation on its Section 12 guidance. This is the regulator's side of things: how the SIA plans to approach inspections, compliance assessments, and enforcement in practice. The consultation closed on 12 June 2026 with around 200 written responses. On 16 June the SIA said it plans to publish the final guidance, along with a report on the consultation, in autumn 2026. When it lands, we'll read it and email subscribers a plain-English analysis the same week (there's a signup at the bottom of this page).

The SIA is also building the online notification system you will use to register your venue. Volunteer organisations are giving feedback on early versions now, and the SIA says the structured testing starts in early 2027. Its 8 July 2026 update also has its pilot inspections underway. It wants more organisations to take part, especially places of worship, volunteer-run community venues, and festivals. You cannot notify yet: the system opens nearer to commencement.

Its 5 August 2026 update added no new duties. It set out the notification windows in plain terms and confirmed the portal still isn't open. On the question of who the responsible person is, the SIA held the line it has held all along: possession of the premises plus the say over how it runs.

The SIA's guidance and the notification system both need to be finished before enforcement can start. That is why the exact enforcement date still depends on how quickly the remaining work is completed.

What Happens When Enforcement Starts?

When the duties switch on (expected Spring 2027), three things happen:

1. Notification becomes mandatory. The responsible person for every qualifying premises must notify the SIA (free of charge, via an online system)
2. Public protection procedures must be in place covering evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, and communication
3. The SIA can inspect your venue with 72 hours' notice. Based on the SIA's stated approach and its draft Section 12 guidance, expect inspectors to check that procedures exist, make sense for your building, and that staff and volunteers know them

The SIA has said it will take a ‘support first’ approach: advising and guiding before reaching for formal enforcement. But ‘support first’ is not ‘enforcement never’. Standard tier venues that persistently fail to comply face fines of up to £10,000 and daily penalties of up to £500.

Could Enforcement Be Delayed?

It is possible. The statutory guidance is out, which removes one of the big unknowns. But if the consultation responses force substantial changes to the SIA's guidance (final version due in autumn 2026), or the notification system takes longer to build than planned, enforcement could push into late 2027 or beyond.

But we wouldn't count on it. The Act has strong political backing, cross-party support, and a high-profile campaign behind it. And the SIA is actively recruiting and building infrastructure. The machinery is moving.

Our advice: prepare as if enforcement starts Spring 2027. If it slips by a few months, you will just be ahead of the game. If it doesn't slip, you will be glad you started early.

What Should You Do Now?

You don't need to wait for the SIA's guidance to start. The statutory guidance is published, and it is clear on what standard tier requires:

1. Check if you are in scope. Use our capacity calculator to work out your numbers. 200+ capacity and a Schedule 1 use means you qualify.
2. Write your procedures. Cover evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, and communication. Tailor them to your specific building.
3. Brief your staff and volunteers. Everyone who works or volunteers at the venue should know the basics. Shift managers need deeper awareness.
4. Keep records. Note who has been trained and when. An SIA inspector will expect to see evidence.

The whole process takes about 10 minutes with Standard Tier. Answer the questions, get your PPP, set up staff training, and you are sorted well before enforcement begins.

Get Ahead of the Deadline

Nothing about the timeline stops you starting today. Every venue manager we speak to says the same thing: they know they need to do this, they just have not got round to it yet. The implementation period is there for a reason. Use it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official Sources

• Full text of the Act
• Home Office overarching factsheet
• The SIA's new regulatory role
• SIA implementation update (Michelle Russell)
• SIA update on pilot inspections and portal testing (8 July 2026)
• SIA update on notification deadlines and the responsible person (5 August 2026)
• ProtectUK Martyn's Law hub

Related Guides

• Read the complete guide to Martyn's Law compliance
• See what happens if you don't comply: penalties and enforcement
• Use our Martyn's Law compliance checklist to track your progress