A step-by-step guide to renewing your SIA licence

Ready to renew your SIA licence? Like many licence renewal processes, there are several factors to consider before applying. This includes when you should apply for the renewal, how long your new licence will last and whether you can work while you’re waiting for your SIA licence to arrive.

In addition to answering these crucial questions, we also explore the two different ways that you can renew your SIA licence – either doing it yourself or going through your employer – in more detail. Regardless of whether you’re renewing your SIA licence yourself or seeking support from your employer, we find out what’s required and when to make your next SIA licence renewal smooth and stress-free!

How long does an SIA licence last?

If you’re currently trying to renew your SIA licence, then you may already be aware that it doesn’t renew automatically. Instead, a SIA licence lasts just three years and needs to be manually renewed! Unlike a photocard driving licence that only needs to be renewed every ten years, a SIA licence is valid for just three years which can catch some private security workers off guard.

Staying on top of your SIA licence’s expiry date is therefore vital! Even before this three-year period has elapsed, you’ll need to think about renewing your licence to ensure you can continue to legally work in your chosen sector of the private UK security industry.

Some private security staff may even own several different licences for the various areas of the industry in which case keeping all these licences up to date can be even more difficult. In this case, we suggest making a note of the licence expiry dates and ensuring you put aside plenty of time to both complete the application process and receive your new licence before your current SIA licence expires.

Please bear in mind that you can only renew licences that you have already held. By way of illustrating, you may have been successful in attaining a SIA Door Supervision licence, but if you want to move sectors away from door supervision and into guarding property against theft and damage during transporting, then you’ll require a SIA Cash and Valuables in Transit licence instead.

If you haven’t held a SIA Cash and Valuable in Transit licence sector before, then renewing your door supervision licence won’t help. Instead, you will need to apply from scratch for a SIA Cash and Valuable in Transit licence. When applying from scratch, it can take anywhere between 25 working days to six weeks to receive your SIA licence.

Can I still renew my SIA licence after it expires?

While you can renew your SIA licence after it expires, this approach can be (at best) inconvenient if you’re about to start a new SIA position. At worst, it can prevent you from continuing to work in the private security industry or even cost you your current SIA security job.

Luckily, you can renew your SIA licence four months before your current licence expires, giving you plenty of time to secure your new licence. We would therefore always recommend renewing your SIA licence as soon as possible alongside ensuring you have all the relevant documents on hand before you begin the renewal process.

How much does it cost to renew a SIA licence?

The application fee for a SIA licence is £190 and the renewal fee is the same. However, you can receive a 50% discount on your renewal if you already hold another licence for another licensable activity (that was paid for in full and not discounted) and if the licence has more than four months left before it expires. Both of these statements must be true in order for the significant discount to be applied to the renewal fee.

How long does it take to renew an SIA licence?

Once you have completed the renewal application process, it should only take 14 days for your application to be processed and for your new SIA licence to be sent to your address. If you’re contacted to provide any additional information to support your SIA licence application, it’s a good idea to send this information as soon as possible in order to prevent holding up your renewal.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that you may not qualify for a SIA licence even though you’ve held one before. For example, since receiving your current SIA licence, you may have been convicted of a relevant offence or the licensing criteria may have been altered. There are many reasons why your renewal might be rejected, but you will be given a rejection reason and a chance to respond/appeal your application.

What documents do I need to renew my SIA licence?

Just like the application process where you are required to prove your identity, the renewal process involves the same criminal record checks. To conform with these checks, you will therefore need to confirm your identity by providing original copies of specified documents. There are two document categories – Group A and Group B.

In Group A, for example, you may be asked to provide an original copy of a current and valid UK passport, a UK birth certificate or a driving licence photocard issued by the DVLA in Great Britain. Group B, on the other hand, requests documents such as bank statements issued within the last three months, utility bills issued within the last three months and council tax statements issued within the last 12 months.

Both groups list additional documents that you can submit to verify your identity, so you are by no means limited and can prove your identity using many different documents. To ensure a smooth renewal process, we recommend having as many of the relevant documents to hand as possible.

Step-by-step SIA licence renewal process

Once you’ve found all the relevant documentation and have four months left until your current SIA licence expires, you can begin the online renewal process. Below, we detail each step of the process to make your SIA licence renewal is as quick, easy and fuss-free as possible.

Contact your employer

Before beginning your renewal application, it’s a good idea to discuss your intentions to renew your SIA licence with your employer. In some cases, employers will submit your renewal application on your behalf and even pay the renewal fee for you. Confirming this before you begin the process is essential if you want to avoid paying the renewal fee.

Log into your SIA account

Next, you’ll need to head online to either register or login to your SIA account. This is where you’ll create your renewal application. If your employer is submitting and paying for your renewal, then you will need to link your SIA account with theirs first. In order to allow them to submit and/or pay for your application, you will need to accept their email request to link accounts.

Enter personal information

In order to confirm your identity, you’ll be asked to provide personal information that will need to match the existing information from your previous SIA licence application. This is why ensuring you have access to the correct and most recent personal documents is essential to confirming your identity.

The renewal

From here, you can begin to fil out the renewal application. Simply navigate to the renewal section by selecting ‘Licence’ and then ‘Actions’ and finally ‘Renew’. You will then be given instructions to follow on the SIA renewal application screen. Once complete, you will be able to review the application to ensure all entered information is accurate and correct prior to submitting it.

Payment

Once you or your employer has submitted the renewal application, you’ll be sent an email requesting payment of the £190 SIA licence fee. Paying this fee in a timely manner will help to get your application processed faster, so we recommend ensuring you or your employer have the funds readily available before submitting your application.

Checks

The SIA will then be able to use the information provided in your application to check your criminal record. According to current SIA rules, you may still be able to get a SIA licence even if you have a criminal record – what matters most is the date and type of offences on your record. If an offence was committed more recently, this can count against your application.

Any offences that suggest you could pose a danger to the public or indicate that you possess traits that are conflicting with the private security sector (dishonesty, for example) could lead to the rejection of your renewal. If you’d like to check whether your criminal record could affect your SIA licence application, you can use the Government’s criminal record indicator.

Decision

Finally, you will be sent the decision as to whether your renewal application has been successful or not. If your application has been successful, then SIA will begin to process your renewal in order to create your new SIA licence.

If, however, your application for renewal was rejected, you will receive a letter from the SIA explaining the reasoning behind the rejection. From the date of this letter, you will be given 21 days to provide a response. This appeal will then be set before a Magistrates Court in order to come to a final decision.

Can I work while waiting for my SIA licence renewal?

If your current SIA licence has not yet expired, you will still be able to work while waiting for your new licence to arrive. If, however, your current SIA licence has already expired and you want to work in a security position, this may not be an option. While some employers will accept an SIA acknowledgement letter that your licence is being processed, many companies will require a valid SIA licence.

Do I need to do SIA course again?

While you will not be required to retake training that you have already experienced, additional training may be necessary if important new topics have been added to the training criteria. There may also be relevant ‘top-up courses’ that must be taken or new qualifications that are required to attain the renewal. To find out more about the recent changes to the training needed to obtain a SIA licence, we suggest referring to the latest Government guidance.

SIA licence-linked courses at Dynamis Education

If it’s time to renew your SIA licence and you’re in need of a refresher course, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our helpful advisors today. No matter which area of the private security industry you specialise in, we offer an assortment of SIA licence-linked training courses to help boost your career prospects.

From offering essential first aid courses to our popular four-day SIA Security Officer (Guarding) course, our security training programmes are the first step to securing your SIA licence and achieving a private security position. If you’d like to find out more about renewing your SIA licence as well as the most recent industry guidance, then we recommend exploring advice from the Government’s official website.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Or maybe you need support picking the best course to meet your qualification requirements. Luckily, our team of friendly, experienced and knowledgeable advisors are just a phone call away. Simply give us a call on 0800 024 2443 to discuss your training needs today! Alternatively, you can also get in touch by emailing your enquiry to info@dyamiseducation.co.uk or visiting our online contact page – we hope to hear from you soon!