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Non-front line licence Reviewed 13 August 2026

Non-Front Line Licence Check

This licence has no sector of its own on the Register of Licence Holders. It is identified by the Role field showing “Non Front Line”, so filtering a name search by a sector will hide it. 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.

Non-Front Line Licence: The Facts on the Record

Register sector
None — identified by the role "Non Front Line"
Role on the register
Non 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
Not required for this licence
How it is issued
A “licence granted” letter rather than a card — the letter is the holder’s proof.

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 Non-Front Line Licence?

People who manage, supervise or employ individuals who perform licensable activities, and directors of a company or partners of a firm where other directors, partners or employees perform licensable activities. It is the right licence only if you will not personally be working as a security operative — anyone who personally performs a licensable front line activity, whatever their job title, needs a front line licence.

It is issued as a letter, not a card, and it has no register sector of its own: on the Register of Licence Holders it is identified by the Role field showing 'Non Front Line'. It also allows the holder to do the licensable work of a key holder. In limited cases the SIA may allow a director of a UK-registered company (or one of its parent companies) to hold a non-front line licence without the right to work in the UK.

Which licence someone needs depends on the work they actually do, not their job title. This licence records no sector on the register precisely because it does not authorise front line work in any of them.

How to Check a Non-Front Line 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

Take the 16-digit number from the letter

A non-front line licence is issued as a letter rather than a licence card, so there is no card to read a number off — it comes from the holder's “licence granted” letter or their SIA online account. Enter all 16 digits with no spaces; the SIA's own advice is that the licence number is the most efficient way to search.

3

Do not filter by sector

A non-front line licence has no sector on the register, so choosing any sector in a name search will hide it. Set the role filter to “Non Front Line” instead, or leave both filters blank and narrow the search with the first name and date of birth.

4

Read the status, the role 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 Role reads “Non Front Line” — this licence does not cover front line security work, whatever the job title. 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 number copied from an old record, 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 Non-Front Line Licence

There is no licence-linked qualification for this licence, so the application itself is the first step — but every identity, right to work and criminal record check still applies.

  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 Non-Front Line 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.

No refresher qualification published for this licence

GOV.UK's renewal guidance sets out refresher qualifications for door supervisors, security guards and close protection operatives only. It does not set one out for public space surveillance (CCTV), cash and valuables in transit, key holding, vehicle immobilisation or non-front line licences. Otherwise you do not need to re-take training you have already had, although the SIA may require additional training where it has added new topics.

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.

Non-Front Line Licence FAQs

How do I check a non-front line licence?

Search the SIA's Register of Licence Holders at rolh.services.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk. It is free and needs no account. A non-front line licence has no sector of its own, so do not filter by one — it is identified by the Role field showing “Non Front Line”. Search by the 16-digit licence number where you have it, or by surname narrowed with the first name and date of birth.

Who needs a non-front line licence?

People who manage, supervise or employ individuals who perform licensable activities, and directors of a company or partners of a firm where other directors, partners or employees perform licensable activities. It is the right licence only if you will not personally be working as a security operative — anyone who personally performs a licensable front line activity, whatever their job title, needs a front line licence.

How much does a non-front line 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 non-front line licence?

No. GOV.UK does not set a licence-linked qualification for this licence, so there is no course to complete before applying. Every other check still applies: you must be 18 or over, prove your identity, hold the right to work in the UK in most cases, and pass the SIA's criminal record checks.

What do you need to renew a non-front line licence?

You can apply from 4 months before the expiry date, and any time left on the current licence is added to the new one. GOV.UK's renewal guidance sets out refresher qualifications for door supervisors, security guards and close protection operatives only — it does not set one out for this licence. The SIA runs the same checks as for a new application, so you prove your identity again. If the licence has already expired you cannot renew it; you must apply for a brand-new licence instead.

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.

Thinking About the Door Supervisor Route?

The door supervisor licence is the most common route into UK private security, and it also covers security guard work. Our free guide and mock tests cover the Level 2 qualification behind it, the £204 application and the checks.

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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.