Why your first aid certificate could soon be a condition of your SIA licence

Published 29 October 2026

For most door supervisors, first aid is something you do once, before your licence course, and then forget about until renewal. That could be about to change. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has proposed making an in-date first aid certificate a condition of your licence.

Here’s what’s been proposed, why, and what you can do now.

First: this is a proposal, not a rule (yet)

The proposal was part of a public consultation on licence-linked qualifications, which the SIA launched on 28 August 2026. The consultation closed on 23 October 2026. The SIA is now considering the responses, and no final decision has been published.

So nothing has changed today. But it’s worth understanding, because if it goes ahead it would affect a lot of licence holders.

What exactly has been proposed?

The SIA has proposed that holding an in-date first aid qualification becomes a licence condition for:

• door supervisors
• security guards
• close protection operatives

In its own words, this would mean “the SIA may take action against operatives who let their first aid certificate lapse”.

Alongside this, the SIA proposed changes to how learners show they’re competent in first aid, including a new security-specific first aid qualification that’s more closely aligned with the types of incidents security staff deal with at work. It also asked whether the first aid training requirements for close protection operatives should change.

How is that different from now?

Under the current rules, door supervisors and security guards need an Emergency First Aid at Work (or equivalent) qualification before they take their licence-linked training. You also need one before the refresher course you do when renewing your licence.

What’s proposed is different. Your first aid wouldn’t just need to be valid when you train. It would need to stay valid for as long as you hold your licence. A first aid certificate normally lasts three years, while an SIA front-line licence lasts three years for door supervisors and security guards, so the two may not line up neatly. In practice, you may need to refresh your first aid during the life of your licence.

Why is the SIA proposing this?

The SIA based the proposal on its own research. It reports that:

• 91% of licence holders surveyed said first aid skills are important to their role
• over half had used their first aid training on the job

That matches what door staff tell us. When someone collapses, is injured in a fight or has been spiked, the door supervisor is often the first trained person on the scene. Out-of-date skills can make a real difference to what happens next.

What would “action” mean?

The SIA hasn’t set out the detail of how this condition would be enforced in the consultation summary. Generally, the SIA can take action against a licence holder who doesn’t meet the conditions of their licence. You can read how it approaches enforcement in its guidance SIA enforcement: what to expect. We’ll update this post once the SIA confirms how the new condition would work, if it goes ahead.

What should you do now?

1. Check the date on your first aid certificate. If you can’t find it, contact the provider who trained you.
2. Note when it expires and when your SIA licence is due for renewal. If your first aid will run out before your licence, plan to refresh it.
3. Keep a copy of your certificate somewhere safe, like a photo on your phone.
4. Watch for the SIA’s final decision. Final specifications are expected around the end of 2026, with new qualifications planned for 2027.

Keeping your first aid in date is good practice whatever the SIA decides. It’s also something employers and venues value.

First aid and door supervisor 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 (from Liverpool Central, or change at Sandhills) to Bootle New Strand, about an 8-minute walk from us, or Bootle Oriel Road, about a 12-minute walk. Only Southport trains stop at Bootle, so check the destination board. Bootle Bus Station by the New Strand is about an 8-minute walk away, and there’s free on-site parking if you drive. We run Emergency First Aid at Work, the full Door Supervisor course and the Door Supervisor refresher, so you can sort your first aid and your licence training together.

Sources

• GOV.UK: SIA consults on changes to security licence qualifications (28 August 2026)
• GOV.UK: Proposed changes to SIA licence-linked qualifications (consultation)
• GOV.UK: SIA enforcement: what to expect (20 October 2026)

This post describes proposals from a consultation that closed on 23 October 2026. Final decisions are pending, and we’ll update this post when they’re announced.