Martyn's Law Readiness Checker

Who this is for

Anyone running or managing a public-facing premises in the UK — pubs, restaurants, shops, gyms, theatres, visitor attractions, hotels, places of worship, schools and more — who wants a plain-English steer on whether Martyn's Law is likely to apply to them, and what to start preparing now, well ahead of the rules taking effect.

What is Martyn's Law?

Martyn's Law is the popular name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, named after Martyn Hett, who was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. The Act passed and received royal assent on 3 April 2025. It requires certain public-facing venues to put in place procedures — and, for larger venues, additional measures — to help keep people safer from terrorism.

When does it come into force?

Not yet. The Act has royal assent, and GOV.UK's own guidance (as at July 2026) expects it to come into force in spring 2027 — though an exact commencement date hasn't been confirmed yet. Detailed regulations and statutory guidance are still being finalised: the SIA's section 27 statutory guidance was published in April 2026 and a further consultation on enforcement guidance closed in June 2026, so the picture is firming up. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will be the regulator once the duties are live. It's sensible to start preparing early and cheaply now — but there's no need to panic about a deadline that hasn't landed yet.

Does my small café / shop under 200 people need to comply?

No — premises where it's reasonable to expect fewer than 200 people at your busiest normal time are expected to fall outside the scope of Martyn's Law. Sensible evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication procedures are still good practice for any business, whatever your size. Note that qualifying events of 800 or more people held at an otherwise-unqualifying premises can bring their own separate rules — that's a different scenario to your everyday trading capacity.

Will I need to hire security or buy equipment?

At standard tier (200–799 people), no — the expected duties are about having appropriate, reasonably practicable procedures (evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communication) and making sure staff know them, not about buying kit or hiring security. At enhanced tier (800+), the expected duties go further — documenting your procedures and measures, taking reasonably practicable public protection measures such as monitoring or security measures, and naming a designated senior individual responsible for it.