Martyn’s Law Is Six Months Away: Is Your Venue Ready?

Martyn's Law is expected to come into force in spring 2027. That is about six months away. If your venue or event can hold 200 or more people at once, it is very likely to apply to you, and now is the time to get ready.

What is Martyn's Law?

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as Martyn's Law, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. It is named after Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. His mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for years for the law to be passed.

Its purpose is simple: make sure public venues and events have thought about what they would do in a terrorist attack, and that their staff know how to respond.

The government set a 24-month implementation period, so the duties are expected to apply from spring 2027. The Home Office began publishing statutory guidance in April 2026. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will regulate the law.

Does it apply to you?

The test is the number of people who may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time, including staff. It is based on peak use, not average footfall.

Standard tier: 200 to 799 people

You will need to notify the SIA and have suitable procedures in place for:

• Evacuation: getting people out safely
• Invacuation: bringing people inside to safety
• Lockdown: securing the building to stop an attacker getting in
• Communication: warning staff and the public quickly

Staff must know what to do. This tier covers many pubs, restaurants, shops, churches, community halls, gyms and schools.

Enhanced tier: 800 or more people

On top of the standard duties, larger venues and qualifying events must:

• put in place reasonably practicable public protection measures, covering monitoring, movement, physical security and information security
• prepare a written assessment and give it to the SIA
• name a senior individual responsible for compliance

A venue that normally holds fewer people but sometimes hosts 800 or more may still fall into the enhanced tier.

What happens if you don't comply?

The SIA can issue compliance notices, restriction notices and financial penalties. For the standard tier, fines can reach up to £10,000. For the enhanced tier, they can reach up to £18 million or 5% of worldwide revenue, whichever is greater. Daily penalties can apply for ongoing failures.

The bigger risk, though, is being unprepared on the day something happens.

Six steps to take before spring 2027

1. Work out your tier. Count your realistic peak capacity, including staff, for every site and any large events.
2. Name a responsible person for each venue, and a senior individual if you are in the enhanced tier.
3. Write your four procedures: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. Keep them short and practical.
4. Train your staff. Everyone on shift should know their role. Keep a record of who has been trained and when.
5. Practise. Run a short drill or walk-through and note what needs to change.
6. Keep your records in one place. When the SIA asks, you should be able to show what you have done.

Do you need to buy anything?

No. The government has been clear that you do not have to hire a consultant or buy a product to comply. The statutory guidance is designed so you can do it yourself.

What a tool can do is save you time. Paper folders and spreadsheets get out of date quickly, especially across several sites or with high staff turnover.

How ProtectThread helps

ProtectThread is DMG's Martyn's Law software. It helps you comply by keeping everything in one place:

• Tier checker to work out which duties apply to each site
• Guided procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication
• Staff training records so you can show who knows what
• Enhanced measures register and assessment support for larger venues
• Staff alerts to warn your team quickly
• Audit-ready evidence for when the SIA asks

Plans start at £39 a month, with a 14-day free trial.

Start your free trial of ProtectThread or read our Martyn's Law software guide.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Always check the official SIA and Home Office guidance for your premises.