SIA confirms spring 2027 and sets out how inspections will work
· Written up 8 September 2026
The regulator published its clearest account yet of what it will actually do: a risk-based mix of desk-based checks and site visits, with 72 hours' notice as the norm.
What happened
On 17 July 2026 the SIA published guidance explaining Martyn's Law and its own role as regulator. It is short, plain and aimed at duty holders rather than lawyers.
Three things in it are worth knowing. Commencement is expected in spring 2027, with the exact date to be confirmed beforehand. Regulation will be risk-based, mixing desk-based assessments with on-site inspections rather than visiting everyone. And where the SIA does come to your premises, 72 hours' notice is the normal expectation, though it can seek a warrant where notice would defeat the purpose.
The same guidance says structured volunteer testing of the notification portal starts in early 2027.
What it means for your venue
A risk-based regulator is not going to inspect every venue holding 200 to 799 people. There are far more of those than anyone could visit, and the SIA has said its approach is to support first, advising and guiding before it reaches for enforcement.
The 72 hours matters more than it sounds. It means an inspection is not a raid, and it isn't a document-production exercise you can cram for either. What an inspector can do in three days' notice is turn up and ask your staff and volunteers what they'd do. That's the thing worth preparing, and it's free to prepare.
For standard tier, an inspector is looking at whether you've notified, whether procedures exist for all four areas, whether they make sense for your building, and whether your people know them. Physical security measures and formal written risk assessments are not on that list.
None of this is live yet. It's a description of intent from the regulator, not a legal sequence you can hold it to, and the duties still haven't commenced.
Sources
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Standard Tier (2026). SIA confirms spring 2027 and sets out how inspections will work. Available at: https://www.standardtier.co.uk/updates/sia-sets-out-inspection-approach
Last reviewed: 8 September 2026.
This update is general information about the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, not legal advice. Duties under the Act rest on the responsible person for each venue and cannot be transferred. If you're unsure how a specific requirement applies to your premises, take advice from a solicitor or qualified security adviser before acting on anything you read here.
Standard Tier is an independent platform and is not affiliated with the UK Home Office, the SIA, or any government body.