SIA guidance hub
SIA licence suspension, revocation and appeals: guidance and solicitor matching
Guidance for private-security licence holders facing an SIA suitability review, immediate suspension, proposed revocation or court appeal.
Independent commercial matching service · Not a law firm · General information, not legal advice.
What this guidance covers
A stage-specific map for SIA.
Guidance for private-security licence holders facing an SIA suitability review, immediate suspension, proposed revocation or court appeal.
Use the supporting guides to move from the first notice through evidence, hearings, outcomes and any review. Start with the question raised by the latest letter rather than trying to read the whole process at once.
Common entry points
- SIA licensing review: first steps after a warning letter
- SIA licence suspension: grounds and immediate effect
- Responding to a proposed SIA licence revocation
- SIA criminality criteria and licence decisions
- SIA non-conviction information and the fit-and-proper test
Guides for each stage
8 focused guides in procedural order.
Start with the guide matching the latest letter or decision. From there, you can move to the stages immediately before and after it, or return to this overview.
SIA licensing review: first steps after a warning letter
An SIA letter may concern a proposed revocation, immediate suspension, licence modification or a request for information. The holder should identify the exact decision, effective date and licensing criterion before preparing evidence or continuing licensable work.
Read the guide Guide 02SIA licence suspension: grounds and immediate effect
The SIA may suspend a licence on public-safety or public-interest grounds, including while serious criminal or public-body investigations continue. Suspension is temporary but takes effect immediately and prevents licensable activity even if the holder challenges the decision.
Read the guide Guide 03Responding to a proposed SIA licence revocation
Before many revocation decisions take effect, the SIA gives the licence holder an opportunity to answer factual errors and, where the criteria permit, provide mitigation or suitability evidence. The response must match the specific ground and timetable in the notice.
Read the guide Guide 04SIA criminality criteria and licence decisions
The current Get Licensed criteria assess relevant offences by disposal, timing and offence category, with specific treatment for pending charges and other criminal-history outcomes. A previous grant does not guarantee the same result under later criteria or after new information.
Read the guide Guide 05SIA non-conviction information and the fit-and-proper test
The SIA may consider reliable information beyond convictions when assessing whether someone is fit and proper, including material from police or other bodies. The holder may not receive every underlying detail, so the response should identify inaccuracies and address public risk without speculation.
Read the guide Guide 06SIA identity, right-to-work and qualification problems
A licence may be affected where identity, right-to-work status, training, qualification or other mandatory criteria are no longer satisfied. These issues require authoritative documents and careful dates rather than character references aimed at a different suitability test.
Read the guide Guide 07Appealing an SIA refusal, suspension or revocation
A licensing appeal is made to the court identified by the governing Act and decision notice, not through the SIA complaints process. The route, 21-day period and court procedure require prompt checking, and an appeal does not make a suspended licence usable.
Read the guide Guide 08Work, employers and reapplication after SIA licence loss
Suspension or revocation can immediately affect lawful deployment, employment and the public register. A later application is a separate licensing decision under the criteria then in force; it is not an automatic restoration of the lost licence.
Read the guideHow an introduction works
The law firm remains independent.
A participating firm would assess your information, decide whether it can help and explain its own terms. An introduction alone does not create a retainer or guarantee an outcome.
- 01Choose your regulator and current stage.
- 02Provide only basic contact, stage and deadline information.
- 03Review the named recipient and referral disclosure before sharing.
- 04The independent firm decides whether to offer a consultation or accept the matter.
Primary-source register
Built from current regulator material.
Sources checked 19 September 2026. Check the linked regulator material for later amendments and use the corrections route if a source or summary needs attention.
Independent matching service
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