How to Check an SIA Licence and Why a Licence Check Alone Isn’t Enough

Start with the official register

Use the SIA register through GOV.UK. You can search using the 16-digit licence number, or the person’s surname and the other details requested. Confirm the licence type and current status against the role you are appointing. GOV.UK says the correct licence must be checked before hiring someone for private security work.

Make the check traceable

Our suggested check record has four parts: the identity of the person checked; the assignment and role; the source and time of the check; and the result with any action taken. Match the record to the individual rather than accepting a list of numbers detached from names.

For example, a relief operative may have a valid licence but arrive without evidence of the site briefing. Record those as two separate issues. The licensing result should not make the missing briefing disappear.

Ask what the assignment actually requires

The register answers a licensing question. Your deployment decision also needs to address the work, setting and client requirements. Agree these before requesting evidence, so the same standard applies to permanent staff, replacements and subcontractors.

• Relevant qualifications and the source used to check them.
• Experience in comparable assignments, with identifiable supporting evidence.
• Site induction, instructions, supervision and emergency responsibilities.
• Any missing or expired evidence, the person resolving it and the decision before deployment.

Plan for changes after the first check

An onboarding check records what was known at that point. Decide who will monitor later changes, review replacements and act on alerts. A useful procedure describes what happens when a problem is found, including who can stop an assignment or approve a replacement.

Keep the licensing result separate from the wider readiness decision. A person might pass one requirement and still be unsuitable for a particular task. Avoid treating an overall green status as permission to ignore the underlying evidence.

Where Licence Ready fits

Licence Ready connects Operative Passports, company evidence and the requirements of a deployment. It helps bring licence monitoring and supporting records into the same decision, with gaps visible before assignment. The employer or buyer still needs to set appropriate requirements and make a reasoned decision.