What should small venues do about Martyn's Law?

Updated 2026-10-04 · UK law and HSE guidance

Short answer

A venue where fewer than 200 people can reasonably be expected at the same time is normally outside Martyn's Law's premises duties. A venue expecting 200 to 799 people may be standard tier if it meets the other scope tests. Standard tier venues must notify the SIA after commencement and put proportionate procedures in place for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. They do not have to buy a prescribed training course, complete a Standard Terrorism Evaluation form or submit procedure documents to the SIA.

Key facts
Below 200	Normally outside the premises duties
200 to 799	Potentially standard tier
People counted	Everyone reasonably expected at once, including staff
Core action	Prepare four proportionate response procedures
Start date	Expected spring 2027; exact date not yet confirmed

First check whether the venue is in scope

Do not decide scope from the venue's label or advertised customer capacity alone. Check whether the site contains a building, is wholly or mainly used for a Schedule 1 activity, can reasonably expect at least 200 people at the same time from time to time, and is not excluded. Count staff, volunteers and contractors as well as visitors.

Use the greatest number reasonably expected rather than an exceptional theoretical maximum. Evidence may include occupancy limits, staffing levels, bookings, ticketing and previous attendance. Keep a short record of the evidence and revisit it if the business changes.

Under 200: generally no premises duty and no SIA notification
200 to 799: assess the standard tier duties
800 or more: assess the enhanced tier unless a special rule applies
A ticketed or otherwise entry-controlled public event with 800 or more people may qualify separately

Identify the responsible person

The responsible person is the individual or organisation in control of the premises for its relevant use. For a leased pub, shop or entertainment venue, that may be the operator rather than the owner. For a qualifying event, it is the person controlling the premises for the purposes of the event.

Write down who has control and why. Check leases, licences and hire agreements, but remember that a contract cannot transfer the statutory responsibility away from the person identified by the Act. Where several parties control connected areas, agree how they will co-ordinate.

Name the legal person or organisation responsible
List the people authorised to make urgent decisions
Record landlord, tenant and event-organiser interfaces
Assign tasks without pretending to transfer legal accountability

Prepare standard tier procedures

If the venue is standard tier, plan what workers can reasonably do when they suspect an attack at the venue or nearby. The plan must cover evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication where each is appropriate and reasonably practicable. Terrorism evacuation may differ from fire evacuation, because a familiar outdoor assembly point could be close to danger.

Walk through realistic decisions for the actual layout and operation. Decide who can lock doors, how staff will alert people, where safer internal areas are, how people needing assistance will be supported and when people should move away rather than gather. No action should require workers to compromise their own safety.

Evacuation routes that take people away from the suspected danger
Safer internal locations for invacuation
Practical lockdown controls and authority to use them
Clear warnings and instructions for workers and visitors
Arrangements for disabled people and others who may need assistance

Brief people without buying unnecessary services

The final Act does not require a prescribed course or qualification. It does require procedures to work in practice, so people working at the venue must be made aware of them. A short briefing, walk-through or exercise may be proportionate, depending on the venue and staff turnover.

Standard tier venues do not have a legal duty to submit a procedures document to the SIA. Home Office guidance recommends making one because it supports communication and can help demonstrate compliance. Free official learning and preparedness material is available through ProtectUK.

Use plain instructions suited to each role
Include temporary, agency and volunteer workers where relevant
Record briefings and exercises if that helps manage the arrangements
Review procedures after material changes or lessons from a practice exercise

If the venue is below 200

A venue below the 200-person threshold is normally outside the premises duties and does not need to notify the SIA. That does not prevent voluntary preparation, and other fire, health and safety, licensing and safeguarding duties still apply. Martyn's Law does not replace those regimes.

A proportionate voluntary plan can use the same four headings without presenting the venue as legally in scope. ProtectUK offers free guidance and learning. Check the position again before a large event, after expansion or when attendance patterns change.

Do not claim that an out-of-scope venue is legally required to register
Check separately whether a large event meets the qualifying-event tests
Keep emergency contacts and staff instructions current
Avoid paying for a product advertised as official approval: the SIA and Home Office do not endorse compliance providers

Use the implementation period

As at 4 October 2026, the substantive requirements are not in force. The SIA expects commencement in spring 2027 but says the exact date will be confirmed later. The notification portal is not yet open and will be available by commencement.

Small venues can prepare now by checking scope, deciding responsibility, drafting procedures and following SIA updates. A SitePaper risk assessment template may help organise broader workplace risks, but it does not determine Martyn's Law scope or make a venue compliant.

Do not notify before the SIA portal opens
Use the current Home Office statutory guidance
Check official updates for the commencement date
Review any draft against the real venue and the responsible person's judgement

Sources

This guide summarises UK law and HSE guidance for small businesses. It is not legal advice; check the sources and your own circumstances.