The Security Industry Authority keeps a rolling public record of everyone it prosecutes, and the current list is worth five minutes of anyone’s time, whether you’re on the door, running a guarding firm, or managing a SIA licence application. It shows exactly what the SIA is pursuing right now, and what it actually costs when it catches up with you.
Here’s what the data says, and what it means if you work in security.
Key Takeaways
- The SIA’s public prosecutions list currently shows 16 cases from the last 12 months, most recently updated 10 July 2026.
- The offences fall into four groups: working unlicensed, supplying an unlicensed operative, making false statements to the SIA, and fraud or forgery.
- Fines in these cases range from £50 to £2,000, on top of court costs and a victim surcharge — and a criminal record that follows every future licence application.
- Company directors can be prosecuted personally for supplying unlicensed staff, not just the company.
- The heaviest outcome on the current list is a 4-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for making false statements to the SIA.
What The SIA Is Actually Prosecuting
Strip the current cases down, and they fall into four real categories.
Working Without a Valid Licence
The most common offence under section 3 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA 2001) — operating as a door supervisor, security guard, or similar without holding, or without complying with, an SIA licence.
Supplying an Unlicensed Operative
A separate offence under section 5, usually brought against a security company or the individual running it. This is where a firm places someone on a job who isn’t properly licensed.
Where a company is prosecuted, section 23 of the same Act lets the SIA also prosecute a director or manager personally if they consented to, or turned a blind eye to, the offence. That’s why some individuals on the list are prosecuted alongside their company.
False Statements or Withheld Information
Offences under sections 19 and 22, giving the SIA false information on an application, or failing to provide information it’s asked for.
Fraud and Forgery
A smaller number of cases involve the Fraud Act 2006 or the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, generally where a false document or false statement was used to get or keep a licence.
None of the cases currently on the list involve a pub, club, or event named as the prosecuted party. The offences target the individual working or the business supplying them, not the venue.
What It Actually Costs
The outcomes on the current list are consistently unglamorous but real:
- Fines ranging from £50 to £2,000, depending on the offence and number of counts.
- Court costs, typically £141 to £800, and a victim surcharge on top.
- Community orders — one case carried 80 hours of unpaid work plus rehabilitation activity.
- Discharges (absolute or conditional) in the least serious cases.
- One case — repeated false statements to the SIA — resulted in a 4-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Every one of these is also a criminal conviction under the PSIA 2001, which has to be declared on every future SIA application and can affect a licence for years.
Why “I Didn’t Check” Doesn’t Help
Section 23 exists specifically so that a director or manager can’t put distance between themselves and their company’s actions. If you run a security business and consent to, or knowingly overlook, unlicensed deployment, you can be prosecuted as an individual — separately from any fine your company pays.
That’s the real message in this data: the SIA isn’t only interested in the person on the door. It’s building cases against the person who put them there.
How To Stay Off The List
None of this takes much effort to avoid.
- Check your own licence status regularly. You can renew your SIA licence up to four months before it expires. Don’t wait for the reminder, and don’t work a shift once it’s lapsed.
- Keep refresher training current. Mandatory refresher training has been in place since April 2025, and it’s now a hard requirement at renewal.
- If you run a team, check licences before every shift, not just at onboarding. The SIA’s public register is free to use.
- Never work while unlicensed “just for one shift.” Based on the current cases, that’s the single most common route to prosecution.
- If you’re applying for a licence, declare everything asked for. False statements and withheld information are their own offence, separate from anything else you might be prosecuted for.
If you’re starting out and want to avoid ever being on this list, getting your SIA licence properly from day one, through a recognised course, is the straightforward fix. Browse our security courses today to find training near you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most cases are brought under the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Some also involve the Fraud Act 2006 or the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 where false documents or statements were used.
Yes. Under section 23 of the PSIA 2001, a director or manager can be prosecuted personally if they consented to, or connived in, an offence like supplying an unlicensed operative.
Based on the SIA’s current published cases, fines range from around £50 to £2,000, plus court costs and a victim surcharge, depending on the offence and how many counts are involved.
Yes. It’s a criminal conviction that must be declared on future applications and can affect whether a licence is granted or renewed.
The SIA publishes an updated list on gov.uk, refreshed roughly monthly.
