What are the Martyn's Law tier thresholds?

Martyn's Law sets two tier thresholds based on reasonably-expected capacity: standard tier for premises that can hold 200 to 799 people, and enhanced tier for premises that can hold 800 or more. Qualifying events (open to the public, with entry checks, 800 or more expected) carry the same requirements as enhanced tier premises; there is no standard tier for events. The standard tier carries a procedural duty; the enhanced tier carries a substantially heavier documented, personal-liability duty. The line between them sits at 800, with one exception by use: places of worship and childcare, early years, primary, secondary and further education premises stay in the standard tier at any capacity (SIA guidance, 17 July 2026).

From the floor. The line that should focus a board's attention is personal criminal liability above 800 capacity. This is not delegable. The named responsible person is on the hook, and that is a Companies Act 2006 director-duties conversation as much as a venue-operations one. I push our enhanced-tier clients to put the responsible-person nomination on the next board agenda, with the COLP or company secretary in attendance, because the legal structure should sit alongside the AV and security infrastructure, not after it. — Toni Moss, Managing Director and Owner

The four named public protection procedures apply to both tiers and are the operational baseline: evacuation (getting people out), invacuation (bringing people in to a safer area), lockdown (securing in place) and communication (the messaging across all of those). The standard tier's "reasonably practicable" duty means the procedures must exist and be workable, but the bar is broadly proportionate to the venue's size and means.

Enhanced tier adds the four formal categories of public protection measures: monitoring (CCTV, behavioural detection, perimeter surveillance), movement (queue management, vehicle exclusion, pedestrian flow), physical safety and security (hostile vehicle mitigation, blast film, secure rooms), and security of information (operational data handling, staff vetting). Each category is implementable through people, policies and processes, physical mitigations, or both. The Section 27 statutory guidance frames it as a narrative-style compliance document rather than a tick-box form. Strive AV's Martyn's Law guide walks through each category in detail, and the compliance service maps them to existing AV and life-safety infrastructure.

Both tiers must notify the SIA. The Home Office notification guidance of 14 July 2026 gives premises in scope on the commencement date three months to notify through the SIA's online portal on GOV.UK, at no fee; new responsible persons have 28 days and qualifying events 14 days from first publicity.

Quick reference: standard 200-799 capacity (premises only), four named procedures, SIA notification within 3 months of commencement, £10k cap, no documentation required; enhanced 800+ premises and 800+ qualifying events, adds four formal measure categories, documented compliance narrative, designated senior individual, £18m or 5% global revenue, personal criminal liability; places of worship and most education premises standard tier at any capacity.