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An overview of the SIA’s regulatory activity.

This report provides insight into our regulatory activity from April 2026 to June 2026. We will update this report every 3 months.

Some of our regulatory action is subject to confidential or legal process and will not be included.

Find details of our active criminal prosecution cases.

How we regulate the private security industry

The standards we set protect the public by making sure that only security operatives who are fit and proper can work in private security roles. We do this when someone applies for a licence and while they work in the private security industry.

We use a wide range of regulatory tools to secure compliance and carry out enforcement including:

• licensing decisions
• inspections
• warnings
• improvement notices
• criminal investigation and prosecution

We choose the regulatory action that is most appropriate to:

• address any immediate risks and harms
• secure future compliance
• protect the public

In some circumstances, acting quickly to suspend or revoke a licence may address an immediate risk more directly than pursuing criminal proceedings.

Licensing decisions

As of September 2026, there are more than 447,500 licence holders in the UK. Before we grant a licence, we must check the applicant’s identity and suitability to work in the private security industry. We do this by confirming their:

• identity
• age
• qualifications
• criminal record
• right to work in the UK

We will also ask applicants if they have been detained or subject to any other compulsory measure under the Mental Health Act 1983 in the last 5 years.

Licences refused

We refuse a licence when we are not satisfied that the applicant meets our licensing criteria. For example, they might fail our right to work checks or have serious criminal offences on their record.

Licences suspended

A licence suspension is not a punishment. It is a temporary measure that gives us time while we investigate our concerns or await the outcome of investigations by the police or another public body.

We can suspend a licence for one or both of the following reasons:

• we believe that the licence holder may be a threat to public safety
• we believe that it is in the public interest to do so

A suspension takes immediate effect. The licence holder cannot legally work in any licensable sector while their licence is suspended.

Our reasons for suspending a licence may include:

• we receive new information about alleged offending
• there are concerns about the validity or legitimacy of qualifications obtained by the licence holder
• someone raises a concern about the licence holder’s behaviour

Licences revoked

Licence holders occupy positions of trust and responsibility, whether their role involves protecting people, property or premises.

We can revoke a licence for several reasons. These include, but are not limited to, when the licence holder:

• no longer has the right to work in the UK
• commits a serious criminal offence
• breaches our licence criteria (as set out in Get Licensed)
• breaks any of the licence conditions – this includes any additional conditions we have placed on their licence

We will consider the most appropriate regulatory or enforcement response. We may also impose additional conditions on an individual licence where appropriate.

Licence holders must comply with all conditions attached to their licence. Failure to comply with a licence condition is a criminal offence under section 9 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. We may prosecute a licence holder for breaching the licence conditions. The maximum penalty on conviction is 6 months’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Number of licences refused, suspended or revoked

Concerns and whistleblowing reports

We are an intelligence-led regulator. This means we prioritise our work based on the level of threat, risk, and harm, using information from our own work, the public, the police, and other partner agencies.

Intelligence received

Members of the public, other agencies, and organisations can report concerns about security staff or businesses directly to us. We also generate intelligence from our compliance and enforcement work.

From 1 April to 30 June 2026, we received 2,578 intelligence reports. Around 60% of these reports were of direct relevance to the SIA and contained enough detail for us to take appropriate regulatory action. Of these intelligence reports received, 997 reports were substantiated and subject to further regulatory action.

Whistleblowing

Since 2 June 2026, we have been a prescribed body for whistleblowing. This means under certain circumstances, a worker who reports suspected wrongdoing to us is legally protected. To count as whistleblowing, a report must be both of the following:

• in the public interest (meaning the wrongdoing affects other people)
• made in good faith (meaning it is made honestly)

Number of intelligence reports and whistleblowing reports

Casework

Through our casework we intervene to protect the public and property, when the threat we have identified warrants it. If we have a concern about a licence holder of business, we may open an intervention case.

Our cases can cover a range of issues, including:

• non-compliance with the Private Security Industry Act 2001
• concerns about the conduct of licence holders
• enquiries relating to eligibility for our Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS)
• other risks we identify requiring regulatory action

Any action we take will depend on the circumstances of the case. This can include:

• intelligence-led inspections of security at particular premises or locations
• inspections of private security businesses
• enquiries about individuals or organisations
• joint activity with enforcement partners (such as the police, Home Office Immigration or HMRC) where our responsibilities or objectives overlap

We will open an intervention case to address the identified risk, secure or improve compliance where necessary, protect the integrity of our regulatory regime, and protect the public. An intervention case may lead to us carrying out a criminal investigation.

Number of intervention cases opened

Inspections

Inspections are an important regulatory tool to ensure our regulatory regime is protecting the public effectively.

Licence inspections

We may carry out inspections of individual licence holders if:

• we have received specific information that we believe indicates potential regulatory non-compliance
• we have concerns about the risk to the public of non-compliance

Training centre inspections

A person applying for a front line licence must obtain a licence-linked qualification before they can apply. This is so we can be sure they have the skills and knowledge needed to hold a licence and do their job safely. We set the required standards and content for licence-linked qualifications.

Our training is delivered by independent training centres, each approved by an awarding organisation. Operation RESOLUTE is our response to the risk of serious malpractice and qualification fraud in licence-linked qualifications.

Unannounced visits at training centres

Our investigators visit training centres across the UK without warning, to provide assurance that training centres are meeting our standards for licence-linked training. This work is undertaken in collaboration with Ofqual and the UK’s other qualification regulatory authorities. Often, these inspections are carried out based on intelligence we have received about suspected non-compliance or wider concerns.

Improvement requirements identified

Where our inspections at training centres identify a problem, we notify the awarding organisation the training centre is affiliated with to address our findings. This sets clear expectations and helps prevent small issues becoming more serious.

Restrictions on learner registrations

We work with the awarding organisations to stop a training centre registering, or certifying new learners, while they investigate serious concerns. This protects future learners and our licensing regime, without needing to wait for the results of the awarding organisation’s investigation.

Number of unannounced visits, improvement requirements, and registration restrictions

Approved Contractor Scheme

Private security businesses can apply to join our voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS). We only approve businesses if they meet all our criteria. This is independently verified by an ACS assessing body.

Approval withdrawn

We withdraw ACS approval if businesses:

• fail to meet the conditions of ACS approval – that includes our standard ACS conditions and any specific conditions we have added
• no longer meet the ACS standard

Find out which businesses have had their approval withdrawn.

Number of withdrawn ACS approvals

Criminal enforcement

We may also undertake criminal investigations where conduct seriously undermines the integrity of our licensing regime.

Prosecution is the most serious enforcement tool we have. Before we bring a prosecution, there must be sufficient evidence to have a realistic chance of conviction, and the prosecution must be in the public interest.

We consider:

• the seriousness of the case
• the level of harm
• if witnesses are willing and able to give evidence
• if other action has failed or would not be appropriate

Some investigations are complex and may take considerable time to conclude, particularly where they involve lengthy supply chains, organised fraud, multiple suspects, or significant numbers of witnesses. Not every criminal investigation will result in a criminal justice outcome: an investigation may identify that the harm can be addressed more effectively through an alternative regulatory, disruptive or enforcement response, either by the SIA or another agency.

Successful prosecutions

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sia-compliance-and-enforcement-quarterly-report