Frequently asked questions

An SIA licence is issued by the Security Industry Authority. You must hold one to work legally in most front-line private security roles in the UK, such as door supervision, security guarding and public space CCTV. Working in a licensable role without one is a criminal offence, so employers will ask to see your licence.

Door Supervisor, Security Guard and CCTV Operator (Public Space Surveillance) licence courses, the Door Supervisor and Security Guard Top Up / Refresher courses for renewals, and Close Protection. We also run Emergency First Aid at Work, First Aid at Work, Paediatric First Aid and the Personal Licence Holder (APLH) course. See all courses.

You must be 18 or over, meet the SIA's English language requirement and bring valid ID that meets SIA and awarding body rules – we send you the list before your course. For the Door Supervisor and Security Guard courses you also need a current first aid qualification. When you apply for your licence, the SIA carries out its own identity and criminal record checks.

For the Door Supervisor and Security Guard courses, yes. Our one-day Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course meets the requirement. Add it when you book for £75 (or £50 with a top up / refresher course) instead of £100.

Yes. No experience is needed. Many of our learners start as complete beginners.

Yes. A Door Supervisor licence also covers security guarding. A Security Guard licence does not cover door supervision, which is why many learners choose the Door Supervisor course.

The Door Supervisor course runs over 6 days in total (including Emergency First Aid at Work if you add it – no extra day), CCTV over 3 days, the Security Guard course over 4 days, the Door Supervisor Top Up / Refresher over 2 days, First Aid at Work over 2 days in the classroom (plus online learning beforehand), and the Security Guard Top Up / Refresher and EFAW in 1 day. Each course page shows its duration and dates.

If you do not pass an exam, your first resit is free and each resit after that costs £25. To book a resit, contact us by email or phone and we will book you on the earliest available date. You must bring photo ID to your resit. Course fees are not refunded if you do not pass.

Once you pass, you apply to the SIA online through GOV.UK. We help you set up your SIA account and complete the application. Our SIA licence guide has a 6-minute video and a written guide that explain every step.

Yes. Our free SIA licence video guide walks you through the 7 steps: training and first aid, your SIA online account, the application, the £204 fee, ID documents, the Post Office visit and tracking your application. It has captions and a full transcript. It is narrated with an AI voice, and ESO is an independent training provider, not part of the SIA.

The SIA licence fee is paid by you directly to the SIA, separately from your course fee. GOV.UK listed it as £204 for one licence from 1 April 2026 – always check the current fee on GOV.UK before you apply.

Front-line SIA licences last three years. Renewal is not automatic: you can apply up to 4 months before your licence expires, and any time left is added to your new licence. You need the refresher training for your licence (Door Supervisor or Security Guard) and first aid valid for at least 12 more months. We run both – the Door Supervisor and Security Guard Top Up / Refresher courses. Watch our 1-minute renewal video.

Yes. It is the course people know as the top up – now officially called the refresher. GOV.UK says you need refresher training to renew a Door Supervisor or Security Guard licence, and old top-up qualifications have not been accepted for licence applications since 1 April 2026. Our Door Supervisor Top Up / Refresher (£150, 2 days) and Security Guard Top Up / Refresher (£100, 1 day) are the current refresher courses.

One document from Group A (such as a signed, valid passport or UK photocard driving licence) and two from Group B (such as a bank statement or utility bill from the last 3 months), with at least one showing your current address. The SIA does not accept photocopies, statements printed off online or in a branch, or mobile phone bills. Our 1-minute ID video explains it (checked on GOV.UK, October 2026).

Watch our 2-minute first-day video. In short: we are at St Mary's Complex, Waverley Street, Bootle L20 4AP, with free parking. Complete your online learning before the course (we send you a login). Bring a passport-sized photo and the original ID documents listed in your joining instructions, plus your first aid certificate if you already have one.

ESO is not VAT registered, so no VAT is charged. The price you see is the price you pay.

Online by card through Square's secure checkout. You can pay in full, or pay in instalments with Clearpay (subject to Clearpay's approval).

Yes. If you booked online or by phone, you can cancel within 14 days of booking for a full refund (less a proportionate amount if you asked us to start your course in that time). After that, contact us and we will refund or reschedule where we can. Read our refunds, cancellations and rescheduling policy.

Yes. We make reasonable adjustments such as extra time, a reader or scribe, coloured overlays or large-print materials. Assessment adjustments must be approved by Laser Trident before your course, so please tell us as early as possible.

At our training centre: St Mary's Complex, Waverley Street, Bootle L20 4AP. See map and travel information.

Courses run from 9am to 6pm. The one exception is day one of the Door Supervisor course, when the Door Supervisor session runs from 2pm to 6pm (if you add Emergency First Aid at Work, it runs that morning from 9am to 2pm). Days two to six are 9am to 6pm as normal. Each course page shows its times.

Some courses, such as First Aid at Work, include online learning you complete before the course. We send you a login when you book.

Our centre is at St Mary's Complex, Waverley Street, Bootle L20 4AP. By train: Bootle New Strand station (Merseyrail Northern Line) is about an 8-minute walk; Bootle Oriel Road is about 12 minutes. By bus: Bootle Bus Station, next to the New Strand Shopping Centre, is about an 8-minute walk. By car: parking at the centre is free. Asda Bootle is about a 5-minute walk if you need lunch or supplies. Map and directions.

Yes – parking at our Bootle centre is free. Liverpool city centre car parks typically charge £6 to £26 for a full day.