Martyn's Law: What Every UK Venue Needs to Know
A practical guide to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 for nightlife venues, bars, and event spaces. What it requires, who it affects, and how to prepare before it comes into force.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 - better known as Martyn's Law - received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. It is not in force yet. The government has confirmed at least 24 months of grace, so the earliest duties kick in is April 2027. The work you do in the meantime is what separates "ready" from "scrambling".
If your venue can hold 200 or more people, this guide is for you.
Who the law is named after
Martyn Hett was one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. His mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for nearly a decade to make venues legally responsible for basic terrorism protection. Martyn's Law is the result.
The two tiers
The Act splits qualifying premises into two tiers based on how many people can be there at the same time.
Standard tier: 200 to 799 people
If your venue falls in this band, you must:
- Notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA) that your premises qualify
- Have public protection procedures in place covering four scenarios: evacuation, invacuation (moving people to safety inside), lockdown, and communication
That is the legal floor. It is deliberately practical. The government's view is that standard tier duties should not require significant cost, just thought and documentation.
Enhanced tier: 800 or more people
Larger venues and qualifying events carry heavier duties. On top of everything in the standard tier, you must:
- Put public protection measures in place (physical and procedural) to reduce how vulnerable the venue is and how much harm an attack could cause
- Document those procedures and measures in a written record
- Designate a senior individual accountable for compliance (for organisations rather than individuals)
Who the regulator is
The SIA - the same body that licenses door supervisors - takes on a new regulatory function under the Act. They can issue compliance notices, monetary penalties, and restriction notices.
When it actually comes into force
Royal Assent was 3 April 2025. The Act itself says the duties will not take effect until at least 24 months after that - so the earliest is April 2027. That is a floor, not a promise. The SIA needs to stand up the regulatory function, publish guidance, and give operators time to adapt.
Use the runway. Venues that wait until the commencement date will be doing their first risk assessment under pressure.
What nightlife operators should do now
1. Know your number
If your lawful capacity is under 200, you are out of scope. If it is 200 to 799, you are standard tier. If 800 or more, enhanced tier.
"Capacity" for Martyn's Law is the number of individuals reasonably expected to be present, including staff - not the fire occupancy number, not the licensing capacity. Get clarity before anything else.
2. Write your four procedures
Standard tier needs documented procedures for:
- Evacuation - getting people out safely
- Invacuation - moving people to safer parts of the building when outside is the threat
- Lockdown - securing the premises against an active threat
- Communication - how staff and public are told what is happening
One sheet per procedure. A diagram of the building. Who does what, in what order. That is enough to start.
3. Train the people actually on shift
Door teams, bar staff, duty managers. Not a manual in a drawer. Short drills, tabletop exercises, clear roles. The SIA will expect evidence that training happened and who attended it.
4. Keep a record
Incident logs, staff training dates, risk reviews, building changes. If it is not written down, it did not happen - and that is the first thing an inspector will ask about.
Penalties
The Act includes fines up to £10,000 for standard tier breaches and £18 million (or 5% of worldwide revenue, whichever is higher) for enhanced tier. The regulator can also issue restriction notices that effectively stop you trading until duties are met.
Getting help
Your local Counter-Terrorism Security Advisor (CTSA) offers free guidance. Contact your local police force to arrange a consultation. The ProtectUK platform (protectuk.police.uk) has free e-learning built specifically for venue staff.
Holocron tracks Martyn's Law readiness alongside your other UK licensing obligations. Incident logs, staff training records, and the four public protection procedures live in one operational record, exportable as a single PDF the day the SIA asks.