If your SIA licence is expiring, the top-up refresher course is the training you have to complete before you can renew it.
95% pass first time
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Pay in 30 days or in 3 monthly interest-free instalments. Learn more
Your SIA licence lasts 3 years, and refresher training is how you keep it. The SIA will not renew a front line licence without it.
It does 2 things. First, it sharpens your safety-critical skills: searching, restraint, spotting a threat. Any skill dulls without regular practice, and these are the ones a front line officer has to get right first time. The refresher training puts them back to standard so they are there the moment you need them.
Second, it teaches you what has changed since you last trained. The SIA has added new material to the standard, and this is where you pick it up.
You leave with the certificate the SIA needs to see on your renewal application.
The refresher training covers:
Conducting searches Protecting people in vulnerable situations, including spiking Terror threat awareness, including your ACT certificate Physical intervention, on the Door Supervisor refresher course
Searches, spiking and vulnerability, terror threat awareness, and physical intervention.
Searches, spiking and vulnerability, and terror threat awareness with ACT.
Terror threat awareness, surveillance and planning, and protection scenarios.
95% pass first time. If you are not one of them, you retake it at no extra cost.
Qualified security trainers who teach off real shifts, not just slides.
You find out whether you have passed on the day you sit it, not weeks later.
Interest-free instalments through Klarna or PayPal Credit, 6 weeks to 3 months.
Our free app. Mock exams before the day, then your licence, certificates and shifts in one place after.
Work back from the expiry date on your licence. The order matters: refresher training first, then the application. Book with enough room to sit the course, pass it, and get the application in.
Licence already expired? Call us on 0207 078 7259 before you book anything. A 2-minute call puts you on the right course rather than one you do not need.
Any time before expiry: you can sit the refresher up to 3 years ahead. There is no such thing as too early. Up to 4 months before expiry: the SIA opens your renewal application. Unused time carries over. Once your checks are running: the SIA typically takes ~2 to 4 weeks to reach a decision. Anything changed on your record? Check it first with the free SIA criminal record checker.The SIA rebuilt front line training around what officers deal with on shift now. Refresher training became a condition of renewal for Door Supervisors and Security Guards on 1 April 2025, and for Close Protection operatives on 1 April 2026.
Working in the private security industry Conflict management and communication Basic search and access control Physical intervention, on Door Supervisor courses Close Protection: threat assessment and team protection drills Conducting searches Protecting people in vulnerable situations, including spiking Terror threat awareness, and the ACT certificate that goes with it Physical intervention on the Door Supervisor refresher course, practised rather than watched Close Protection: threat assessment and team protection drillsSpiking, county lines, and what to do when someone in your venue is in trouble. Yours free with every Door Supervisor and Security Guard refresher course booking.
Hold 2 licences and far more of the work is open to you. More shifts, more sites, first pick of both. The easiest time to add one is while you are already booking training.
Everything your Security Guard licence covers, plus licensed venues, events and nightlife. It is the most in demand front line licence in the UK.
Control room work: indoor, on a rota, steadier hours than the door. Opens up shopping centres, councils and corporate sites that never advertise for door staff.
5,429
people training with us this week
"Very informative at all times helping to keep confidence of people of age not feel out of place. Good demonstration and clear communication and even exam reminded me of my a levels years ago. Well done"
For the last two days, I had Matt as my trainer and he was exceptional, super friendly,
answered questions with precision and expanded his knowledge so that I could fully understand.
Absolutely brilliant Matt, Thank you.
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The course you need depends on the licence printed on your SIA card: Door Supervisor Top-Up, Security Guard Top-Up or Close Protection Top-Up.
The licence type is printed on the front of your SIA card. The relevant qualification depends on the licence route, and holding more than one licence may mean completing separate refresher training for each licence you want to keep.
Complete the course first, then apply to renew on the SIA website. The SIA licence guide explains the application order and timing.
Each course may also include e-learning before the classroom training. The practical assessments must be completed in person where the course requires them.
The SIA renewal fee of £204 is separate and is paid directly to the SIA. Check the packages, locations, and dates for the exact course price before booking.
Search techniques, physical intervention and other practical skills need to be demonstrated to a trainer. If you need a mostly online route into security rather than a renewal, the CCTV Operator course offers live virtual training for part of its programme.
If your certificate has expired or is close to expiry, add the Emergency First Aid at Work course to the booking where available.
The SIA says processing times vary and are not guaranteed, but typically take up to 6 weeks. Read the SIA licence renewal guide for the application steps. If your licence has expired, the SIA says it cannot be renewed; check the new-application and training requirements before booking.
If you are thinking about adding another licence instead of renewing only your current one, compare the options in the SIA licence guide before choosing a course.
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Your licence got you the work. The refresher training keeps you on it. Book a date near you and get it done while you are still licensed to work.
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