Overview
The UK Security Industry Authority (SIA) Check verifies whether an applicant currently holds a valid UK security licence on the SIA Register of Licence Holders.
A valid SIA licence is a regulatory requirement for many UK security-sector roles — door supervision, close protection, security guarding, key holding, and more. This check gives you confidence that the people you're hiring into these positions are properly licensed and in good standing with the regulator.
With this check, you can:
- Confirm whether an applicant holds a valid, current SIA licence
- See licence status (Active, Expired, Suspended, or other)
- Capture licence number and expiry date directly in your reports
- Order the check for applicants located anywhere in the world
- Pair it with other checks in our Professional & Regulatory Register suite
Most cases complete automatically, so your team gets results quickly without manual intervention.
How to order
Step 1: When building an order, scroll to the Professional & Regulatory Register section and select UK Security Industry Authority (SIA) Check from the available options.
Step 2: Send the invitation
Order the check against your candidate as you would any other Centric check. The applicant receives an email invitation to complete their application via the Centric Applicant Portal.
What the applicant sees
Applicants complete the standard Centric application flow (personal details, address history, and any relevant consents). When the SIA Check is part of the order, they'll also see one additional optional field:
- SIA Licence Number — optional. If the applicant provides their licence number, the check uses it to find the most accurate match on the register. If they don't have it to hand, that's fine — the check still runs using their surname and date of birth.
Important: Encourage applicants to provide their licence number where possible. It improves match confidence and reduces the chance of needing manual review.
How results are returned
The check searches the public SIA Register of Licence Holders and returns one of the following outcomes:
- Active licence found — Clear / Registration verified. Licence details surfaced in the report.
- Licence found but Expired, Suspended, or otherwise restricted — Review / Results found. Status details surfaced in the report.
- No matching record — Review / No registration found. The applicant cannot be confirmed as currently licensed.
- Multiple matches — routed to a Certn analyst for review. The analyst disambiguates and surfaces the correct result.
Note: Unlike adverse checks, "no match found" on the SIA Check is not a Clear outcome. The SIA Check is a positive verification — it's designed to confirm that someone is licensed. If no record is found, we can't make that confirmation, so the result returns as Review.
Where to find your results
Results appear in:
- Case Management
- Client Portal
- Consumer Report
The report includes Match status, Licence status, Licence number, Expiry date, and a Source link to the official SIA Register entry.
Frequently asked questions
Can I order this check for applicants outside the UK?
Yes. The licence itself is UK-issued, but the check has no applicant country restriction. Applicants located anywhere can be checked against the UK SIA register.
What happens if my applicant doesn't have their licence number?
The check will still run using their surname and date of birth. The licence number simply improves match accuracy when available.
How long does the check take?
Most checks complete automatically within minutes. Cases requiring analyst review take longer and follow our standard P+R turnaround times.
Does the check use AI?
No.
Need more help?
Contact your Certn representative or reach out to support@certn.co.