Martyn's Law guidance hub
41 in-depth guides based on the Act, the Home Office statutory guidance and official resources. Written in plain English for the people who actually run venues.
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The law
What is Martyn's Law? A plain English guide
Martyn's Law explained: why it exists, who it applies to, the standard and enhanced tiers, the duties, the SIA's role, penalties and when it should start.
Martyn's Law exemptions and special cases
Which premises and events Martyn's Law excludes, why places of worship, schools and nurseries stay standard tier, and how units in larger sites are treated.
How to calculate your capacity for Martyn's Law
How to work out the number of people reasonably expected at your premises for Martyn's Law: the six official methods, counting staff, and worked examples.
Does Martyn's Law apply in Scotland, Wales and NI?
Martyn's Law applies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. What is the same everywhere, what differs by nation and how licensing changes apply.
Do you need a Martyn's Law risk assessment?
What the Act requires instead of a risk assessment, what a sensible standard or enhanced tier assessment contains, and how to spot misleading providers.
Martyn's Law timeline: key dates and when it starts
Every key Martyn's Law date from the 2017 Manchester Arena attack to Royal Assent, guidance, SIA set-up and expected commencement, plus a month-by-month plan.
How to notify the SIA under Martyn's Law
Who must notify the SIA under Martyn's Law, the deadlines in the 2026 notification regulations, what information you will need and how to keep it up to date.
Martyn's Law penalties and enforcement explained
Martyn's Law enforcement explained: SIA information notices, compliance and restriction notices, fines up to £18m, daily penalties, offences and appeals.
Qualifying events under Martyn's Law explained
When an event qualifies under Martyn's Law: the six tests including 800 people and entry checks, who is responsible, organisers' duties and worked examples.
Qualifying premises under Martyn's Law explained
The four tests that decide if premises qualify under Martyn's Law: building, Schedule 1 use, the 200 person test and exclusions, with worked examples.
Standard vs enhanced tier: what is the difference?
Martyn's Law standard and enhanced tiers compared side by side: thresholds, duties, documents, senior individual, penalties, offences and the special cases.
The SIA as Martyn's Law regulator: powers and approach
What the SIA will do as Martyn's Law regulator: its approach, information and inspection powers, compliance, restriction and penalty notices, and appeals.
Who is the responsible person under Martyn's Law?
How Martyn's Law decides who is responsible: control of premises, owners vs tenants vs operators, multi-use buildings, hirers, events and senior individuals.
Procedures and training
Public protection procedures: how the four fit together
The four Martyn's Law public protection procedures explained: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication, who decides, and how they work together.
Communication procedure: warning everyone fast
How to write a Martyn's Law communication procedure: codewords, PA, radios and group chats, reaching every area, scripted messages and calling 999.
How to write a terrorist attack evacuation procedure
How to write a Martyn's Law evacuation procedure: how it differs from fire evacuation, routes away from the threat, dispersal, staff roles and a template.
Invacuation procedure: bringing people inside safely
How to write a Martyn's Law invacuation procedure: when to bring people inside, choosing safer areas, managing people, ending it safely, plus a template.
Lockdown procedure: how to secure your venue quickly
How to write a Martyn's Law lockdown procedure: dynamic lockdown, securing every entrance fast, staff roles, RUN HIDE TELL and tips for different venues.
Martyn's Law training courses: what staff actually need
Martyn's Law requires no course or certificate. What staff do need, the free official ACT and SCaN options, how to judge paid courses and records to keep.
Martyn's Law records: what to keep and what the SIA may ask
What records to keep for Martyn's Law: good practice at the standard tier, required documents at the enhanced tier, SIA inspections and version control.
Martyn's Law staff training: what is actually required?
What Martyn's Law requires for staff training: information and instruction, who needs it including casual and agency staff, free ACT courses and records.
Testing your procedures: tabletops, walk-throughs and drills
How to test Martyn's Law procedures: tabletop exercises, walk-throughs and live drills, how often to test, a 30-minute tabletop plan and recording results.
Enhanced tier
Enhanced tier duties under Martyn's Law
Every enhanced tier duty for 800+ premises and qualifying events: procedures, protection measures, the compliance document, SIA submission, senior individual.
The designated senior individual under Martyn's Law
Who must appoint a senior individual under Martyn's Law, who can fill the role, what they do, their personal liability and how to choose the right person.
Public protection measures under Martyn's Law
The four types of public protection measure for enhanced tier premises and events, with practical examples and how to judge what is reasonably practicable.
Sectors
Martyn's Law for community and village halls
Does Martyn's Law apply to your village or community hall? Capacity, who is responsible when it is hired out, and low-cost procedures volunteers can run.
Martyn's Law for events and festivals
When an event or festival is a qualifying event under Martyn's Law, who is responsible (organiser or landowner) and what it means for stewards and ticketing.
Martyn's Law for charities, clubs and volunteer-run venues
How Martyn's Law applies to charities, clubs and volunteer-run venues: volunteers in the headcount, who is responsible, hall hire, events and procedures.
Martyn's Law for landlords and property owners
Are landlords responsible under Martyn's Law? How the control test works for owners, tenants and operators, multi-let buildings, s8 duties and lease points.
Martyn's Law for wedding and event venues
How Martyn's Law applies to wedding and event venues: capacity that varies by event, private hire versus public events, hirers, suppliers and marquees.
Martyn's Law in shopping centres and shared buildings
How Martyn's Law applies to shopping centre units and mixed-use or multi-tenant buildings, who is responsible, and the duties to co-ordinate and co-operate.
Martyn's Law for places of worship: what applies
How Martyn's Law treats churches, mosques, synagogues, gurdwaras and temples: the standard tier rule, volunteers, halls, hiring out and festival procedures.
Martyn's Law for schools, colleges and universities
How Martyn's Law applies to nurseries, schools, colleges and universities, why higher education is treated differently, and what it means for events.
Practical guides
Martyn's Law checklist: step-by-step readiness guide
A practical Martyn's Law readiness checklist: confirm your tier, prepare your SIA notification, build the four procedures, brief staff, test and keep records.
How much does Martyn's Law compliance cost?
Realistic Martyn's Law costs for standard and enhanced tier venues, using the government's own impact assessment, plus what is free and where money is wasted.
Do I need a Martyn's Law consultant?
An honest guide to when you can handle Martyn's Law yourself, when a specialist is worth paying for, how to vet a consultant and the red flags to avoid.
Free Martyn's Law training and official resources
Every free official Martyn's Law resource in one place: ACT e-learning, SCaN, Run Hide Tell, ProtectUK and NPSA guidance, and what each one is good for.
Martyn's Law for facilities managers and managing agents
What Martyn's Law means for FM providers and managing agents: who is responsible, co-ordination in shared buildings, contracts and security contractors.
Martyn's Law for multi-site operators and groups
How groups with many venues should approach Martyn's Law: assessing each site, the responsible person, central standards, SIA notification and a rollout plan.
Martyn's Law templates: what to use and what to avoid
Where official Martyn's Law templates stand, why a blank template is not enough, what a good template must contain and how to adapt it to your venue.
Martyn's Law vs fire risk assessment: what is different?
How Martyn's Law differs from fire safety law, where they overlap, why a terror evacuation is not a fire drill, and how to reuse your fire occupancy figures.