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Front line licence Reviewed 13 August 2026

Door Supervisor Licence Check

On the Register of Licence Holders this licence appears under the sector “Door Supervision”, with the Role shown as “Front Line”. The search is free, takes the 16-digit licence number or a surname, and happens on the SIA's own site — not this one.

Search the official SIA register How the register works

Opens rolh.services.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk — the Security Industry Authority (SIA)'s own service. DoorSupervisorTests is independent and is not the SIA.

Door Supervisor Licence: The Facts on the Record

Register sector
Door Supervision
Role on the register
Front Line
Licence fee
£204, with a 50% discount on each additional licence applied for as part of the same application.
How long it lasts
3 years
Minimum age
18
Licence-linked qualification
Required before you can apply
How it is issued
A licence card. Front line licence holders must wear it where it can be seen while working, apart from the SIA’s covert-activity exception.

Every figure here is published by the SIA on GOV.UK and was read on 13 August 2026 — see the sources at the foot of this page. Anything the SIA does not publish is left out rather than estimated.

DoorSupervisorTests is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) or any awarding body.

Who Needs a Door Supervisor Licence?

Anyone who guards licensed premises against damage, theft, unauthorised access or disorderly behaviour. 'Licensed premises' means a venue licensed to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises or to provide regulated entertainment. This is one of only two activities that need a licence even when the worker is employed in-house rather than under a contract for services.

The licence also covers using closed circuit video surveillance to guard premises against unauthorised access or to guard property against damage or theft, and it allows the holder to do the licensable work of a security guard. It is issued as a licence card that must be worn where it can be seen while working.

Which licence someone needs depends on the work they actually do, not their job title. The sector on their register record is what an employer has to match against that work.

How to Check a Door Supervisor Licence

Four steps, all of them on the SIA's own register. It is free, needs no account, and returns the licence status straight away.

1

Open the SIA register

The Register of Licence Holders at rolh.services.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk is the SIA's own free search of the licences it has issued. There is no account, login or fee. This site does not host or mirror it — the link goes straight to the SIA's service.

Open the official SIA register
2

Search by the 16-digit licence number

The number on the front of the card is the most efficient search, and the register's own hint says to enter all 16 digits with no spaces. Read it off the card rather than from a rota or a WhatsApp message, and check it against the bar code on the back, which should return the same number.

3

Narrow a name search by sector and role

Searching by name? Surname is the only field the register insists on, and a surname alone often returns too many matches to display. Add the first name and date of birth, or set the sector filter to “Door Supervision” and the role to “Front Line”. A wrong guess on either filter hides the right record, so leave them blank if you are unsure.

4

Read the status, the sector and the expiry date

A result is only useful if it matches the job in front of you. Confirm the status reads Active, that the expiry date has not passed, and that the licence sector reads “Door Supervision” for this work. Expired, Suspended and Revoked records stay on the register, so those are answers rather than failed searches.

If nothing comes back: an empty result is usually a search problem rather than a missing licence — a mistyped number, a replacement card carrying a new number, or a name recorded differently. The main licence-check guide works through every reason, including the cases where no licence is the correct answer.

How to Apply for a Door Supervisor Licence

This is a licence-linked qualification sector, so the training comes first: the SIA will not accept the application until the awarding organisation has told it you hold the qualification.

  1. 1 Get the right licence-linked qualification first, if your licence needs one. The awarding organisation notifies the SIA, and the SIA must have that notification before you can submit a front line application at all.
  2. 2 Create an SIA online account (or link your account to your employer's, if they are applying or paying for you).
  3. 3 Complete and submit the application form through your online account. There are 9 sections; section 1 is your consent to the identity and criminal record checks, and section 9 is the declaration.
  4. 4 Follow the 'next steps' message the SIA sends you, which gives your application reference number and tells you what to do — usually attending a Post Office that handles SIA applications.
  5. 5 Prove your identity: show your documents and have your photo taken, at the Post Office or by your employer, or upload them where the SIA directs.
  6. 6 Pay the £204 fee if you are paying it yourself — usually at the Post Office at the same time as the identity check, or online by card if you live outside the UK.
  7. 7 Wait while the SIA runs its checks, then read its decision letter, which arrives by post and in your online account.

Qualification

You must hold the right licence-linked qualification before applying for a security guarding, door supervision, close protection, public space surveillance (CCTV), cash and valuables in transit or vehicle immobiliser licence. You do not need one for a non-front line licence or a key holding licence. For a first application the qualification must have been obtained within the last 3 years. If you have held the licence before, you need a new qualification if more than 3 years have passed since your old licence was active.

Right to work

In most cases you must have the right to work in the UK to get a front line or non-front line licence. All UK citizens have it. For non-UK citizens the SIA checks Home Office records itself — applicants are told not to contact the Home Office, and not to send a share code or biometric residence permit unless asked. If the check shows the right to work has run out or is still pending, the SIA asks for evidence and will cancel the application if it does not arrive within 21 days. A director of a UK-registered company (or of one of its parent companies) may be allowed a non-front line licence without the right to work.

Proving your identity

You must show one document from group A and two from group B, with at least one group B document showing your current address. Group A includes a signed, current, valid passport; a current valid DVLA photocard driving licence; a DVA (Northern Ireland) photocard and paper counterpart; a UK birth certificate issued within 12 months of birth; a UK adoption certificate; certain UK biometric residence permit cards; and an HM Armed Forces Veteran Card. Group B covers recent bank, credit card, utility, council tax, mortgage, pension or benefits documents, P45s and P60s. Photocopies, internet printouts, digital downloads and in-branch printed bank statements are not accepted. Documents not in English need an approved translation, arranged and paid for by the applicant. A passport-style photo is also needed — usually taken at the Post Office or by the employer.

Criminal record checks

Every applicant must pass the SIA's criminal record checks; the SIA needs to confirm your identity in order to run them. You must also give your address history for the last few years, which the checks are based on. If you live outside the UK, or have spent 6 continuous months or more outside the UK in the last 10 years, you must provide evidence of overseas criminal record checks — the SIA changed this from 5 years to 10 years on 1 December 2025. The SIA also considers other information it holds, including information from the police, HMRC, other regulators, local authorities and private security companies, previous warnings, county court judgements, fixed penalty notices, CCTV footage, social media, news reports and public reports.

Other checks

You must be 18 or over. The SIA also asks whether you have been compulsorily detained or made subject to compulsory measures under the Mental Health Act in the last 5 years; if so it asks for the contact details of a treating psychiatrist, psychologist or GP and requests a medical report before deciding.

How long it takes

The SIA does not publish a processing time, so neither do we. The SIA does not publish a processing time. Its guidance says it cannot tell you exactly how long an application will take, and points applicants to its decision timescale indicator for a non-binding estimate. It names the factors that affect speed: how complete and correct your form is, whether you follow the next steps and further information requests, your address history, your criminal record, any charges awaiting trial, whether a right to work check is needed, the SIA's current application volumes, response times from the organisations that run the criminal record checks, and how quickly an employer pays a fee on your behalf. Application status in the online account moves through 'next steps', 'checks in progress' and 'decision made'.

When the licence reaches the register

You get a 'licence granted' letter by post and in your online account. For a front line licence other than key holding, a licence card follows within 14 days — but you can start work in that sector immediately, carrying the letter and photo ID until the card arrives. For a non-front line or key holding licence, the letter itself is the proof. The SIA then adds your name and licence details to the public Register of Licence Holders.

Renewing a Door Supervisor Licence

You can apply to renew from 4 months (120 days) before your current licence expires. You lose nothing by renewing early: any time left on the current licence is added to the new one, and the new licence runs from the day the SIA grants it.

A licence never renews automatically. Check you still meet the current licensing criteria, published in the May 2026 edition of the SIA's Get Licensed booklet. Check with your employer first, as they may pay the fee or submit the renewal for you — which needs your SIA online account linked to theirs. Complete any refresher qualification your sector requires. Then apply through your SIA online account. The SIA runs the same checks as for a new application, so you must prove your identity again even though you already hold a licence, and you may be asked to attend a Post Office.

Refresher qualification for this sector

Before renewing you must complete the Level 2 Award for Door Supervisors in the Private Security Industry (Refresher), held in addition to your existing full licence-linked qualification.

First aid first: An Emergency First Aid at Work qualification or equivalent, valid for at least another 12 months, which you must show your training provider when you register for the refresher course.

Switching sector at renewal

At renewal a door supervisor can either take the door supervisor refresher and renew as a door supervisor, or take the security guard refresher and switch to a security guard licence. A close protection operative can either take the close protection refresher and renew, or take the door supervisor refresher and switch to a door supervisor licence. Either way, the relevant first aid qualification must be in place before the refresher training.

Do not let it expire

You cannot renew a licence unless you currently hold one in that sector. If your licence has already expired, renewal is closed to you and you must apply for a brand-new licence instead. Holding a licence before does not guarantee getting one again: your circumstances may have changed, or the SIA's licensing criteria may have changed since it granted your current licence.

Renewal timescales

As with new applications, the SIA does not publish a renewal processing time and directs applicants to its decision timescale indicator. This is why its guidance repeatedly says to apply as early in the 4-month window as you can.

Door Supervisor Licence FAQs

How do I check a door supervisor licence?

Search the SIA's Register of Licence Holders at rolh.services.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk. It is free and needs no account. The quickest search is the 16-digit licence number, entered with no spaces; otherwise search by surname and narrow it with the first name, date of birth, the sector “Door Supervision” and the role “Front Line”. The result shows the holder's name, licence number, status, role, sector, expiry date and any additional conditions.

Who needs a door supervisor licence?

Anyone who guards licensed premises against damage, theft, unauthorised access or disorderly behaviour. 'Licensed premises' means a venue licensed to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises or to provide regulated entertainment. This is one of only two activities that need a licence even when the worker is employed in-house rather than under a contract for services.

How much does a door supervisor licence cost and how long does it last?

£204, for a first application or a renewal, and it lasts 3 years. If you apply for more than one licence as part of the same application, the additional licences are discounted by 50%. The fee is not refundable in any situation, and the SIA must receive it in full before it processes the application.

Do you need a qualification before applying for a door supervisor licence?

Yes. This is a licence-linked qualification sector: you must already hold the qualification, and the awarding organisation must have notified the SIA of it, before you can submit the application at all. For a first application the qualification must have been obtained within the last 3 years. You must also be 18 or over.

What do you need to renew a door supervisor licence?

You can apply from 4 months before the expiry date, and nothing is lost by going early — any time left on the current licence is added to the new one. Before renewing you must complete the Level 2 Award for Door Supervisors in the Private Security Industry (Refresher), held in addition to your existing full licence-linked qualification, and have the required first aid qualification in place first. If the licence has already expired you cannot renew it at all; you have to apply for a completely new one.

Sources

Last reviewed 13 August 2026. The fee, duration, licensable activities, register fields and renewal rules on this page were read from these primary sources on the dates shown.

DoorSupervisorTests is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) or any awarding body.

Working Towards This Licence?

Our licence guide walks through the Level 2 qualification, the £204 application and the checks — and the mock tests cover all four units of the door supervisor award, free and without signup.

Free SIA Mock Test SIA Door Supervisor Licence Guide

DoorSupervisorTests is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) or any awarding body.