UK SIA Licence Refusal / Revocation Appeal

The situation

Damian, 34, has worked as a licensed door supervisor in Manchester for 8 years. In November 2025 he applied for his licence renewal and received an SIA "intention to refuse" letter, the SIA flagged a 2019 caution for common assault that Damian believed was spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

He has 21 days to appeal to the SIA. If SIA upholds the refusal, he has 21 more days to go to magistrates' court.

What Damian doesn't know: (a) A 2019 simple caution for common assault becomes spent after 2 years (ROA 1974 as amended by LASPO 2012), it was spent in 2021. If the SIA's intention to refuse relies on treating this caution as current/unspent, that is a factual error. (b) Even if the caution is considered, the December 2025 "intention to refuse" category allows Damian to make a broader argument: he has 8 years of clean employment, no further incidents, character references from his employer and community, and the caution arose from a personal dispute unrelated to his security work. (c) The 21-day internal appeal window is the critical one, if he misses it, the refusal becomes final. The solicitor he called quoted £3,500. He earns £14/hour.

Who receives this

UK security industry workers (door supervisors, CCTV operators, security guards, close protection) who receive SIA licence refusal or revocation notices. Primary: workers with historical convictions/cautions where the SIA's factual assessment may contain errors. Secondary: workers facing "intention to refuse" on fitness/propriety grounds who need to build a structured character/rehabilitation argument.

Why the agency will not advise you

SIA cannot advise appellants on how to challenge its own refusal decisions. GOV.UK explains the appeal process but provides no drafting guidance. The December 2025 criteria reform introduced new complexity (absolute vs. intention to refuse) that security workers cannot navigate without guidance. Licensing solicitors (£1,500–£5,000) are disproportionate to the security worker's income (typically £12–16/hour), creating a real affordability gap for the most common audience.

Key facts, with sources

• The SIA licenses approximately 350,000 security industry workers in the UK across licence categories including door supervisor, security guard, CCTV operator (public space surveillance), close protection, cash and valuables in transit, key holding, and vehicle immobiliser. An SIA licence is a legal prerequisite for working in these roles, working without a licence is a criminal offence. From 1 December 2025, the SIA introduced two new refusal categories: 'absolute refusal' (when criminal record offences are recent and/or serious enough to show the applicant is a definite risk to the public, appeal grounds limited to factual mistakes) and 'intention to refuse' (for other fitness and propriety concerns, appeal grounds include factual mistakes OR evidence of fitness and proper character). Source: If we refuse your application for an SIA licence — GOV.UK · The SIA is updating its licensing criteria — GOV.UK · New Year, New Rules: The 2026 Update to SIA Criminality Criteria — Zems Academy
• The SIA licence appeal process has two stages: (1) Internal SIA appeal, within 21 days of the refusal notice, the applicant submits a written appeal to SIA. SIA reviews the submission and decides whether to stand by its decision. If SIA stands by the refusal, the decision comes into legal effect immediately. (2) Court appeal, the applicant has 21 days from SIA's final decision to appeal to the magistrates' court (England/Wales) or sheriff court (Scotland) under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 s.10. The tribunal process is used only for subsequent Upper Tribunal appeals on points of law. The magistrates' court is the primary court-level appeal forum for SIA licence decisions. Source: If we refuse your application for an SIA licence — GOV.UK · Appeal to the General Regulatory Chamber: Form GRC1 — GOV.UK · SIA Licensing Appeals — Reeds Solicitors

When to bring in a professional

Self-serve responses fit routine cases: clear facts, amounts a business can absorb, and a deadline still ahead of you. Bring in a licensed professional when the amount at stake is large relative to their fee, the facts are genuinely disputed, criminal exposure is possible, or the deadline has already passed. A short paid consultation to sanity-check your plan is often worth it even when you handle the filing yourself.

All sources for this guide

1. If we refuse your application for an SIA licence — GOV.UK
2. The SIA is updating its licensing criteria — GOV.UK
3. New Year, New Rules: The 2026 Update to SIA Criminality Criteria — Zems Academy
4. Appeal to the General Regulatory Chamber: Form GRC1 — GOV.UK
5. SIA Licensing Appeals — Reeds Solicitors