Door Supervisor vs Security Guard licence in 2026: which should you get?

Published 5 November 2026

Thinking about a career in security? The two most common SIA front-line licences are Door Supervisor and Security Guard. Here’s how they compare in 2026.

What each licence lets you do

• Security Guard: guarding premises, people or property, for example offices, building sites, shops, warehouses and gatehouses.
• Door Supervisor: working at licensed premises such as pubs, clubs and events. A Door Supervisor licence also covers security guarding work. It doesn’t work the other way round.

That’s why many people choose Door Supervisor first. It gives you access to both kinds of work.

Training compared

	Door Supervisor	Security Guard
Qualification length (SIA)	44 hours over 6 days (with self-study)	30 hours over 4 days (with self-study)
First aid before training	EFAW or equivalent	EFAW or equivalent
Refresher to renew	1.5 to 2.5 days	0.5 to 1 day
Licence fee	£204	£204
Licence length	3 years	3 years

Without self-study, the SIA says it’s 52 hours over 7 days for door supervision and 38 hours over 5 days for security guarding.

Renewing

Both need a refresher qualification to renew, plus first aid valid for at least another 12 months and ACT Awareness and ACT Security certificates from the last year. See our renewal checklist.

Switching later

If you hold a Door Supervisor licence, you can take the Security Guard refresher and switch to a Security Guard licence at renewal. Going from Security Guard to Door Supervisor means doing the Door Supervisor qualification.

What’s coming

The SIA consulted in 2026 on changes to licence-linked qualifications, with new qualifications planned for 2027. These are proposals, not rules yet. Read our post on SIA training changes for 2027.

Training in Bootle, north Liverpool

Our training centre is at St Mary’s Complex, Waverley Street, Bootle L20 4AP, in north Liverpool. By train, take a Merseyrail Northern Line train towards Southport to Bootle New Strand, about an 8-minute walk from us, or Bootle Oriel Road, about a 12-minute walk. There’s free on-site parking if you drive. We run the Door Supervisor course, the Security Guard course, both refreshers and Emergency First Aid at Work.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Changes to SIA licence-linked training: your questions answered
• GOV.UK: Changes to the training you need for an SIA licence
• GOV.UK: Renew your SIA licence