{"id":46558,"date":"2026-10-30T11:38:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T11:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.get-licensed.co.uk\/get-daily\/?p=46558"},"modified":"2026-10-30T11:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T11:38:16","slug":"close-protection-licence-applications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.get-licensed.co.uk\/get-daily\/close-protection-licence-applications\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Close Protection Licence Applications Fell 13% & What The 3-Year Cycle Shows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Close protection licence<\/a> applications fell 13.4% in the twelve months to September 2026, and 26.8% in the last six months, according to the SIA’s licence applications report. On its own, that sounds like falling interest. The SIA’s own figures on licences granted point to a more specific explanation: a licence only lasts three years, so today’s renewal calendar is shaped by how many licences were issued three years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What The Numbers Show<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The SIA updated its licence applications report<\/a> on 22 October 2026. For close protection:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Period<\/th>Applications<\/th>Change<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
October 2024 to September 2025<\/td>4,607<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>
October 2025 to September 2026<\/td>3,990<\/td>\u221213.4%<\/td><\/tr>
April to September 2025<\/td>2,223<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>
April to September 2026<\/td>1,627<\/td>\u221226.8%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That’s 617 fewer applications over the year. The six-month figure compares April to September 2026 with the same months of 2025. It doesn’t mean applications fell 27% during 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Close protection<\/a> isn’t the only sector that moved. Over the same twelve months, door supervision applications fell 11.6%, security guarding rose 9.3%, and all sectors combined fell 7.8%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why The Three-Year Cycle Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

SIA licences last three years, so many applications in any given year are renewals of licences granted three years earlier. Renewals can be submitted in the four months before expiry, so applications run slightly ahead of expiry dates. The SIA has published how many close protection licences it granted in each recent year, in a Freedom of Information response<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Year<\/th>Close protection licences granted<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
2019<\/td>5,258<\/td><\/tr>
2020<\/td>5,691<\/td><\/tr>
2021<\/td>6,152<\/td><\/tr>
2022<\/td>4,746<\/td><\/tr>
2023 (January to August)<\/td>2,222<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Grants fell from 6,152 in 2021 to 4,746 in 2022, and ran at about 278 a month in early 2023, against about 395 a month in 2022. That period coincides with the new close protection qualification the SIA introduced on 1 April 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Licences granted in 2023 reach their three-year expiry in 2026. Set side by side, the monthly figures line up closely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Months<\/th>Licences granted per month, three years earlier<\/th>Applications per month<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
April to September 2025<\/td>about 395 (2022)<\/td>about 370<\/td><\/tr>
April to September 2026<\/td>about 278 (early 2023)<\/td>about 271<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The smaller group of licences coming up for renewal fell by about 30% from the 2022 monthly rate, and applications fell by 26.8%. This is a rough match, not proof. It assumes grants were spread evenly across each year, the 2023 figure only covers eight months, and applications include first-time applicants as well as renewals. But it suggests the six-month dip may largely reflect a smaller renewal cohort, not a sudden drop in the number of people choosing close protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What The Data Doesn’t Measure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Licence applications show how many people applied to the SIA. They don’t show vacancies, client demand, or how many licensed operators are in work. The report counts applications, not people, and doesn’t say why numbers move. Treat the figures as a picture of licensing activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended Reading: State Protection Versus Commercial Close Protection<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What’s Changed For Renewals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Renewing close protection holders now have an extra step. The SIA’s licensing criteria<\/a> set out the current rules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n