What this means
Start with the exact decision in front of you.
Following review, the Commission may issue a warning, change conditions, suspend or revoke a licence and, where legally available, impose a financial penalty. Each outcome has different work and publication consequences.
Immediate priorities
Organise the position before responding.
Check the decision against the statutory power used
Assess the scope and practicality of proposed conditions
Prepare evidence on seriousness, cooperation and current controls
Detailed guidance
The procedure, evidence and possible route from here.
01
Match the outcome to the statutory power
After a section 116 review, the Commission can take no further action, give advice or a warning, amend licence conditions, suspend or revoke, and impose a financial penalty where the Act permits. More than one power may be used. Read the decision for the specific breaches and statutory basis. Do not assume every personal suitability concern permits the same financial or licensing consequence.
A warning records regulatory concern without ending the licence. Conditions can restrict or require particular conduct. Suspension stops licensed functions for its duration, while revocation ends the PML and can remove the ability to hold roles requiring it. Model those effects accurately for employment and governance. A severe practical impact is relevant to proportionality but does not itself answer whether the licensing objectives require protective action.
- Identify the power supporting each sanction
- Distinguish warning, condition, suspension and revocation
- Map practical consequences for licensed work
02
Present proportionality evidence
Relevant features may include seriousness, duration, consumer harm, impact on licensing objectives, cooperation, history, financial benefit and remediation. For an individual, personal knowledge and responsibility remain central. Avoid relying on the operator's turnover or systems as a substitute for evidence about the PML holder. Where a financial penalty is proposed, check the Commission's current penalty principles and the basis attributed to the holder.
Conditions should be tailored to the identified risk and capable of compliance. Set out who monitors them, what records prove compliance and how they may be reviewed. If revocation is proposed, explain whether a narrower restriction could protect the public and why. Remediation must be supported by actual practice, training, governance or supervision rather than a plan created only for the hearing.
- Link mitigation to the established breach
- Provide objective evidence of remediation
- Draft workable, reviewable alternative conditions
03
Implement and review the decision
Obtain the final written reasons and compare the public-register entry with the operative outcome. Comply with every condition and restriction while deciding whether to appeal. If the PML is suspended or revoked, confirm which duties must stop and ensure the operator appoints appropriately licensed coverage. Do not continue a specified management function based on an informal understanding that an appeal is likely.
A final decision involving warning, conditions, penalty, suspension or revocation may be appealable to the First-tier Tribunal within the statutory period. The current Commission guidance uses 28 days. Check service and jurisdiction immediately. The appeal will not be improved by breaching the decision meanwhile, so document continued compliance fully and pursue any interim issue through the correct tribunal procedure promptly.
- Verify licence and register status
- Stop functions no longer authorised
- Calendar the 28-day appeal period
Key questions
Keep the analysis tied to this stage.
Seriousness and impact on the licensing objectives
Whether the holder remains suitable
Which sanction is necessary and proportionate
Advice is provided only by the regulated firm that accepts a matter.
Common questions
Clarifying the route without assuming the outcome.
Can the Commission combine PML sanctions?
Yes. Its published principles state that regulatory powers can be combined where the statutory requirements are met.
Does a warning end a Personal Management Licence?
No. A warning is different from suspension or revocation, though it can be public and relevant to future regulation.
Connected guidance
Continue through the topic map.
Use the hub for the full sequence or choose the connected route that matches the notice.
Official sources
Check the material for this question.
Sources checked 19 September 2026. Rules change, so compare the current notice and linked official material and tell the operator if a citation or summary needs correction.