Martyn’s Law is the public name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, new UK legislation that will require venues and events with a capacity of more than 200 people to plan and prepare for the possibility of a terrorist attack through procedures, staff training, and proportionate security measures. It’s named after Martyn Hett, who was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, and campaigned for by his mother, Figen Murray.
If you run a venue, organise events, or are responsible for premises such as shops, places of worship, or visitor attractions, this guide explains who the Act applies to, how the tiered duties change by capacity, what the responsible person is expected to do, what enforcement is likely to look like, and what practical steps to take now. That matters well before the law becomes enforceable, because these requirements will need to fit into your existing safety practices and non-compliance could lead to financial penalties as well as weaker protection for the public.
What the Act actually is
At its core, Martyn’s Law requires the people responsible for qualifying premises and events to think about reducing the risk from potential terrorist attacks in the same structured way they already think about fire safety. It isn’t about turning every venue into an airport-style checkpoint. For most premises, it means procedures, training and awareness that improve organisational preparedness. For larger, higher-capacity premises, it means a documented security plan and stronger protective security measures on top of that.
Where things stand as of August 2026
The Act, a piece of UK legislation, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. Statutory guidance was published in April 2026, giving venues and event organisers the detail they need to start preparing, but the requirements in the Act are not yet enforceable. The Government has said implementation will take at least 24 months from Royal Assent, meaning full enforcement is expected from spring 2027.
That gap between guidance and enforcement is exactly the time to prepare properly rather than scrambling once a firm deadline is confirmed. Venues that treat this as a genuine planning window, rather than a distant compliance date, will find the transition far less disruptive. Understanding Martyn’s Law starts with following the published statutory guidance and later updates for further information.
Who does it apply to?
Martyn’s Law applies to certain premises and qualifying events based on capacity, not what type of business it is. If your premises or event can hold 200 people or more at any one time, you’re likely to be in scope.
Education settings can also fall in scope when they meet the Act’s thresholds.
Capacity is calculated across the whole premises, including staff areas and back-of-house zones if they’re accessible while the venue is operating. This catches more of a building than most owners initially expect. A shop floor might hold 180 customers, but once staff areas, stockrooms and a café counted together push the total past 200, the premises falls into scope.
The two tiers
Standard Tier: 200 to 799 people
Standard Tier premises need to put in place low-cost public protection procedures. This is about preparedness, not major building work.
• Staff training on recognising and responding to a security incident, with basic counter terrorism awareness for frontline staff.
• A documented plan for how staff should respond, including evacuation, invacuation (moving people to a safer part of the building), lockdown and other emergency plans.
• First aid training is also recommended as part of preparedness.
• Simple physical security measures already within reach, such as being able to lock doors quickly or direct people away from danger, to protect people in public spaces within the venue.
Enhanced Tier: 800 people or more
Enhanced Tier premises and qualifying events that meet the 800-person threshold face the same requirements as Enhanced Tier premises, including everything in the Standard Tier, plus more.
• A written security plan, approved by a designated senior individual within the organisation.
• A public protection procedure as part of wider public protection measures, setting out how the premises would respond to an attack.
• Stronger physical and technical measures where reasonably practicable, such as CCTV coverage, access control, and search or screening arrangements at higher-risk entry points, aimed at reducing the impact of terrorist attacks at larger premises.
How capacity is worked out in practice
Consider a mid-sized live music venue with a seated and standing capacity of 650, plus around 90 staff, security and production crew working across the building during a show. Combined, that’s over 700 people on the premises at peak times, comfortably inside the Standard Tier. If the same venue expanded to host outdoor events on adjoining land, those public events can become qualifying events in their own right, and with a combined capacity above 800, it would move into the Enhanced Tier for those events, even if its normal indoor capacity stayed the same. This is why capacity assessments for public venues need to look at every operating configuration a premises might operate under, not just its everyday use.
Who is the ‘responsible person’?
The Act places responsibility on the ‘responsible person’ responsible for premises or the event, generally whoever is in control of the building or gathering, such as venue operators, an employer or event organiser. That person is responsible for ensuring compliance, including carrying out a capacity assessment, deciding which tier applies, and putting the relevant procedures in place. For multi-use venues or shared buildings, working out exactly who holds this responsibility is one of the first practical questions to resolve, ideally before enforcement begins rather than after. These duty holders can make their own assessments of the legislative requirements to enable duty holders to judge what a premises or event needs, and seek further support only if necessary.
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the regulator the Act establishes to oversee compliance with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as Martyn’s Law, and the security industry authority sia oversees compliance with Martyn’s Law requirements. This does not mean duty holders must spend money on third party providers or third party products, because neither the Home Office nor the regulator endorses private sector suppliers. That matters for organisations thinking about both physical safety and legal compliance.
Preparing now: a practical checklist
- Work out your premises’ capacity under every configuration you actually use, including staff-only areas that count towards the total.
- Decide which tier you’re likely to fall into, and revisit this if your capacity or use changes.
- Appoint or confirm your ‘responsible person’ and make sure they understand the role and the legislative requirements that apply to that premises or event.
- Review your existing evacuation, lockdown and invacuation procedures against what Standard or Enhanced Tier will require.
- Train staff now on recognising and responding to a security incident, rather than waiting for enforcement to force the issue.
- If you’re Enhanced Tier, start scoping your written security plan, protective security planning and any physical measures you may need, since these take longer to put in place than procedural training.
- Keep a written record of what you’ve done. Even before enforcement, evidence of preparation matters for insurance, licensing and duty of care.
- If you’re one of the venue operators affected, build Martyn’s Law readiness into any event planning or Safety Advisory Group process you already run, rather than treating it as a separate exercise.
How this connects to what you already do
For most venues, Martyn’s Law readiness isn’t a new discipline so much as an extension of security planning that already happens for licensing and safety purposes. Our Training Academy delivers exactly the kind of staff training Standard Tier requires, and our event security and crowd management teams already work with venues on the planning Enhanced Tier will formalise. If you’re not sure where to start, a security risk assessment is a practical first step that maps directly onto the capacity assessment the Act will require.
What happens at enforcement
Enforcement details will sit with the Security Industry Authority. As with other licensing regimes it regulates, non-compliance is expected to carry financial penalties, so it’s worth treating the current lead-in period as a genuine opportunity rather than something to leave until the deadline is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
Is Martyn’s Law in force yet?
Not yet. Statutory guidance was published in April 2026, but the duties in the Act are not currently enforceable. Full commencement is expected from spring 2027, roughly 24 months after Royal Assent.
Does Martyn’s Law apply to my type of business?
It applies based on capacity, not business type. Shops, venues, places of worship, visitor attractions and event sites, including public events, can all be in scope if they can hold 200 people or more.
What’s the difference between Standard and Enhanced Tier in practice?
Standard Tier is largely procedural: training, planning and simple physical measures. Enhanced Tier adds a formal written security plan, a named senior individual responsible for it, specific public protection measures, and stronger physical and technical measures where practical.
Do staff areas count towards my capacity figure?
Yes, if they’re accessible while the premises is operating. This is one of the most commonly missed parts of a capacity assessment.
What happens if I don’t comply once it’s in force?
Enforcement is expected to sit with the Security Industry Authority and carry financial penalties for non-compliance, in line with its other licensing regimes.
Where can I read the official guidance?
The full statutory guidance is published on GOV.UK: Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 statutory guidance. It is intended to enable duty holders to make their own assessments before deciding whether they need further support.
Want help preparing?
Anubis Group can help with a Martyn’s Law readiness review, staff training through our Training Academy, or event-specific crowd management planning. Contact us or call 0800 121 6576 to get started.