What do you have to buy for Martyn's Law?

At the Standard tier, the honest answer is nothing. Martyn’s Law does not make you buy equipment, install anything, book a training course or hire a consultant. The Government’s own guidance calls the Standard duties “simple, low-cost activities with costs relating primarily to time spent”.

The short version

• No equipment. No CCTV, bollards, barriers, alarms or scanners required.
• No building works. You do not have to change the premises.
• No certified training. No mandatory course and no accreditation to pay for.
• No consultant. GOV.UK says plainly you “do not need to spend money on consultants to be compliant”.
• No security guards. Standard tier does not require you to hire anyone.
• What it does ask for is a set of simple procedures and that your people know them. That is time, not money.

Do I have to install security equipment?

No. The Standard tier has no requirement for physical security measures — no CCTV, no bollards, no barriers, no alarm systems, no bag scanners. Physical measures only come into the picture at the Enhanced tier, and even there they are judged on what is reasonable for the site. If you are a hall, a club or a mid-sized venue under 800 at your busiest, none of that kit is being asked of you.

Do my staff need a paid-for training course?

No. There is no mandatory course and no certificate you have to buy. What the law expects is that the people who would act in an emergency know the procedures and know their part in them — where the exits are, who makes the call, what to say. That is a briefing and a walk-through, not a day out at a training provider. A written plan that nobody has been told about is not enough; a short, well-understood plan is.

Do I need to hire a consultant?

No. GOV.UK is unusually direct on this: premises “do not need to spend money on consultants to be compliant”. The Standard tier was designed to be something a responsible person can do themselves. Plenty of firms will offer to sell you a package — that is a choice, not a requirement.

So what do I actually have to do?

Two things, once the regime is in force. First, notify the regulator (the SIA) that you are the responsible person for the premises — the portal for that is not open yet, so there is nothing to register today. Second, put appropriate public protection procedures in place, so far as is reasonably practicable. Those cover four situations: getting people out (evacuation), moving them to safety inside (invacuation), securing the premises (lockdown), and telling people what to do (communication).

“So far as is reasonably practicable” is the key phrase. It means proportionate — you weigh what would help against the time, cost and effort it takes, for your premises. A small committee is not expected to do what a stadium does.

Then why does everyone think it’s expensive?

Because “terrorism legislation” sounds like it must mean gates and guards, and because there is a market in selling exactly that. The fear does the selling. But the Standard tier is deliberately light: it is about having thought it through and being ready to act, not about turning your premises into a fortress. Spending money does not make you more compliant — a clear, rehearsed plan does.

Where does that leave the cost?

At the Standard tier, close to nothing but your time. The Workbook walks you through the procedures, helps you write them down in a form you could show someone, and gets a small team to the finish line in an afternoon — without buying a single thing.

Where the definitive answer is

For definitive information about whether your premises or event is within scope and what is required, refer to the current statutory guidance issued under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.