How Much Does an SIA Licence Cost in 2026? Full Breakdown

The single most common question we get asked is a simple one: what does it actually cost to get an SIA licence? The honest answer is that the licence itself is only part of the total — and the adverts promising a "£99 SIA course" almost always leave out the parts that make up most of the real bill. Here is the full picture for 2026, with nothing hidden.

The three costs everyone pays

Getting licensed always involves three separate payments, and it helps to think of them as three distinct things rather than one lump sum:

So for the most popular qualification — the Door Supervisor licence — a realistic all-in figure for 2026 is around £495 for training plus the £190 SIA fee, giving a total of roughly £685. Anyone quoting you dramatically less is usually excluding the SIA fee, the first aid element, or both.

Why Door Supervisor costs more than Security Guard

The Door Supervisor course is longer (six days versus four) because it includes physical intervention and conflict management modules that the Security Guard qualification does not. It also includes Emergency First Aid at Work as standard. The upside is that a Door Supervisor licence lets you do everything a Security Guard licence does and more — which is why most people choose it even though it costs a little more up front.

The extras that catch people out

• First aid: a valid Emergency First Aid at Work certificate is required before the SIA will issue a Door Supervisor licence. Good courses (including ours) build this in — cheaper ones make you pay for it separately, often £60–£90.
• Licence-linked qualifications: since the SIA training refresh, top-up training may be required to renew older licences. Factor this in if you already hold a licence from several years ago.
• DBS / criminal record check: the SIA carries out its own checks as part of the application, but you must be able to prove your identity and right to work.
• Retakes: reputable providers include a mock exam and first-attempt exam fees. Ask before you book whether resits cost extra.

Is it worth it?

For most people, yes — comfortably. SIA-licensed door supervisors in the East Midlands typically earn £12–£18 per hour, and event and close-protection work pays considerably more. At those rates the entire cost of getting licensed is usually recovered within the first week or two of work. The licence lasts three years before renewal, so the ongoing cost is modest.

The bottom line

Budget around £685 all-in for a Door Supervisor licence in 2026, or roughly £540 for the shorter Security Guard route. Be wary of any advert that looks far cheaper — the £190 SIA fee is unavoidable, and a course that hides it is not really cheaper, just less transparent. Our course prices are shown in full with first aid included, so the only additional cost is the SIA fee you would pay whoever you trained with.