What this means
Start with the exact decision in front of you.
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.
Immediate priorities
Organise the position before responding.
Check identity, conviction, sentence and licence data for errors
Provide dated evidence relevant to the stated criterion
Submit through the required channel and keep proof of receipt
Detailed guidance
The procedure, evidence and possible route from here.
01
Read the proposal before answering it
A proposed revocation notice should identify why the SIA considers that the licence holder no longer meets its criteria and explain the opportunity to respond. Mark whether the ground is criminality, identity, right to work, qualification, breach of a licence condition or wider suitability. The response route and period in the notice control. Do not wait for an employer investigation to finish if the licensing deadline comes first.
Check the SIA's factual data against authoritative documents. Common issues can include a record belonging to another person, the wrong offence or disposal, an incorrect sentence-end date, outdated immigration information or a training-record mismatch. Provide the source needed to correct the exact error. An unsupported assertion that a database is wrong is weaker than a court memorandum, Home Office evidence or confirmation from the awarding body.
- Identify the exact revocation ground
- Calendar the response and effective dates
- Verify every data point against an authoritative source
02
Use mitigation only where the criteria allow it
The current Get Licensed criteria distinguish outcomes where refusal or revocation follows automatically from those where additional factors can be considered. Read the applicable category before commissioning character evidence. If mitigation is permitted, connect it to the issue: rehabilitation, time elapsed, circumstances, conduct since the event, public-risk controls and a reliable work record may each matter depending on the criterion.
A useful reference identifies the writer, relationship, period of knowledge and awareness of the relevant conduct. It should give observed examples rather than state that the holder is generally good. Where the concern arose at work, include incident findings, retraining and supervision if they are accurate and can be shared. Do not conceal continuing police, court or employer steps; explain their status and avoid presenting an unresolved allegation as either proved or exonerated.
- Check whether discretion exists
- Tie mitigation to the published criterion
- Use informed and specific supporting evidence
03
Prepare for the final decision
Submit a short decision summary followed by indexed evidence and keep portal or delivery confirmation. State the outcome requested and why the current criteria support it. If the SIA cannot disclose important adverse material, record the limitation and explain the minimum clarification needed for a fair answer. Avoid turning the response into a complaint about tone or delay unless that issue affects the decision itself.
If revocation is confirmed, identify when it takes effect and stop affected activity. The SIA guidance describes a court appeal period linked to the effective revocation; verify the exact date and forum from the final letter. There is no further internal SIA licensing appeal after a confirmed revocation in the ordinary process described by Get Licensed, so preserve the evidence record for the court and do not route the challenge through general complaints.
- Submit indexed evidence with proof of receipt
- Read the final effective date precisely
- Move promptly to the specified court route
Key questions
Keep the analysis tied to this stage.
Whether the underlying information is accurate
Whether the holder still meets the current licensing criteria
Whether revocation should be confirmed, modified or withdrawn
Advice is provided only by the regulated firm that accepts a matter.
Common questions
Clarifying the route without assuming the outcome.
Can I send character references against every proposed revocation?
References help only where the applicable criteria allow a discretionary assessment and the writers address the relevant issue. They cannot replace a mandatory document.
Does ignoring the proposal delay revocation?
No. The SIA may make the decision on the available information after the response period. Use the notice deadline and keep proof of any submission.
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.