Martyn’s Law is now on the statute book, but its main requirements are not yet in force. The Security Industry Authority currently expects the Act to commence in spring 2027, although the exact date has not yet been confirmed. The period before commencement gives organisations time to understand whether they may be in scope and begin proportionate, site-specific preparation. This guide explains what the legislation requires, which premises and events it may affect, and the practical procedures it places at the centre of preparedness. It is written for installers and contractors who want to advise customers accurately and support them as they begin preparing.

What Martyn’s Law is, and where it came from

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 – commonly known as Martyn’s Law – received Royal Assent on 03/04/2025. It is named in tribute to Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack on 22 May 2017. His mother, Figen Murray OBE, campaigned for six years for a legal duty on public venues. The Act was also informed by the Manchester Arena Inquiry’s Volume One report, chaired by Sir John Saunders and published on 17 June 2021, whose recommendations contributed to the development of legislative requirements intended to improve the safety and security of public venues.

The purpose is straightforward: to make publicly accessible premises and events better prepared to respond to a terrorist attack. The Home Office is clear that the Act is about preparedness, not prediction – it assumes an attack could happen anywhere.

The timeline and the regulator

The Government has indicated that there will be an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent before the Act’s main duties become enforceable. Commencement is currently expected in spring 2027, although the exact date has not yet been confirmed. The Home Office published its statutory guidance under section 27 of the Act on 15 April 2026.

The regulator is the Security Industry Authority (SIA) — the same body that already regulates the private security industry. The SIA consulted on its draft section 12 operational guidance between 15 April and 12 June 2026 and expects to publish its final guidance and consultation report in autumn 2026. Where there is serious or persistent non-compliance, the SIA will be able to issue compliance notices, monetary penalties and, for enhanced-tier premises, restriction notices. The Act also creates some criminal offences.

Who is in scope: tiers and thresholds

The Act uses two tiers, based on how many people it is reasonable to expect may be present at the same time:

• Standard tier –  200 to 799 people. Smaller qualifying premises.
• Enhanced tier –  800 or more people. Larger premises, plus qualifying events.

Premises are in scope if they are a building (or building and land), are wholly or mainly used for one of the uses listed in Schedule 1 of the Act, can reasonably expect 200+ people, and are not excluded under Schedule 2.

Schedule 1 covers a wide range of public uses, including retail and shopping centres; food and drink venues; hotels and other accommodation; entertainment and leisure venues; sports grounds; museums, galleries and libraries; places of worship; healthcare; education and childcare; halls; visitor attractions; and certain public-authority and transport premises. This is a summary rather than an exhaustive list.

A few important nuances worth knowing when you advise customers:

• Certain premises receive special treatment. Premises principally used for childcare, primary or secondary education, further education or as places of worship remain in the standard tier once the 200-person threshold is met, even if 800 or more people may reasonably be present.
• Qualifying events, such as ticketed concerts in a park, can fall within scope even on open land with no permanent building, where 800 or more people are reasonably expected and access is controlled by an entry condition such as a ticket, pass, payment, membership or invitation.
• The Act gives the Secretary of State power to amend the thresholds by regulations, subject to statutory safeguards and consultation. The lowest figures permitted by the Act are 100 for qualifying premises and 500 for enhanced premises and qualifying events.

Schedule 2 excludes certain premises and events, including specified legislative premises and transport locations already subject to separate security regimes. Open-access parks, gardens and similar recreation spaces will not normally be qualifying premises in their own right, although a controlled-access area used for a qualifying event may still fall within the Act. Crown and government premises require particular care, as their treatment may depend on who occupies and controls them. Premises that do not meet the 200-person threshold and the other qualifying criteria will not normally be qualifying premises in their own right; however, a qualifying event held at the location, or its relationship with a larger qualifying site, may require separate consideration.

What each tier must do

Standard-tier duty holders must notify the SIA and put in place, so far as is reasonably practicable, appropriate public protection procedures. These duties are primarily procedure-based and do not, by themselves, require the purchase of equipment or physical alterations to the premises. They centre on four responses:

1. Evacuation –  getting people out of the premises safely.
2. Invacuation – moving people to a safer place inside, when leaving would increase risk.
3. Lockdown – securing the premises to prevent people entering or leaving, for example locking doors and shutters.
4. Communication – alerting and giving clear instructions to everyone on site.

Enhanced-tier duty holders must do all of the above, plus put in place public protection measures to reduce the premises’ vulnerability to an attack — for example, monitoring the premises and its immediate vicinity — document those procedures and measures, and provide the document to the SIA.

Where the responsible person is an organisation, it must also designate a sufficiently senior individual to ensure that the organisation complies. This designation does not transfer the organisation’s legal responsibility to that individual, an installer or another contractor.

Where alert and communication systems may support site procedures

Those four procedures are areas in which fire and security systems may be relevant. Depending on the premises, its risk assessment and emergency plan, suitable alert and communication equipment may help staff warn people quickly and give clear instructions.

But be precise with customers. The Act is outcomes-based: neither the Home Office nor the SIA mandates or endorses any specific product, system or standard. In his written ministerial statement of 15 April 2026, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: ‘The Government strongly advises against using third-party providers who claim they can make premises or events compliant with the Act at this time. No third-party product is endorsed by the Home Office or by the Security Industry Authority.’

There is currently no British Standard written specifically for Martyn’s Law. Depending on the application, existing standards may nevertheless be relevant — for example, BS 7827:2019 for emergency sound systems at sports grounds, large public buildings and venues, and BS EN 50849:2017 for sound systems used for emergency purposes. BSI is also considering a new code of practice specifically addressing emergency audio communication under Martyn’s Law, including lockdown, evacuation and invacuation. That proposed standard has not yet been published.

BS 8629:2019+A1:2023 should not be confused with a Martyn’s Law lockdown or invacuation standard. It covers evacuation alert systems for use by fire and rescue services in buildings containing flats, which is a different purpose and operating model.

A responsible way to explain the role of equipment is this: the law requires proportionate, site-specific procedures, and suitable alert and communication equipment may support the delivery of one or more of them. Equipment alone does not establish compliance, and the responsible person must determine what is appropriate and reasonably practicable for the premises. The same capability may also support emergency planning beyond terrorism — for example, a violent incident, a chemical leak or another situation in which keeping people inside is safer than sending them out.

Some manufacturers use blue manual call points (MCPs) and blue visual indicators to distinguish non-fire security alerts from fire alarms, alongside voice sounders that can play a pre-recorded message explaining what is happening. This is not currently a statutory or universal colour convention. Whatever signalling method is chosen should be site-specific, accessible, clearly documented and designed to minimise the risk of a security alert being confused with the fire alarm.

How Huvo can help

Martyn’s Law: lockdown and evacuation alert solutions

Once your customer’s risk assessment and emergency plan define what they need, we can supply the equipment to deliver it. Three routes we’d point you to:

C-TEC

C-TEC LOCKDOWN ALERT. C-TEC’s dedicated range of lockdown and invacuation solutions is built specifically to aid compliance with Martyn’s Law, using clear voice messaging to tell everyone on site exactly what’s happening. The range includes:

• LAP2/CA multi-message panel – fully monitored and battery-backed, with secure keyswitches so authorised users can select the right response as a situation develops: partial lockdown (internal or external threat), full lockdown or full evacuation.
• Voice sounders and VADs (Visual Alarm Devices) – pre-recorded messages for each scenario plus an ‘all-clear/situation resolved’ message, with blue-beacon versions available.
• Blue lockdown call points – a clear, dedicated trigger point for staff.
• CAST interface modules – automatically trigger door locking, roller shutters, access control and other security systems when a lockdown is activated, connecting the alert to the physical response.
• ENVISION Cloud monitoring – keep an eye on incidents on or off site.
  

For smaller venues, the single-message LAP501/CA panel delivers one fixed, pre-defined lockdown message at lower cost and complexity. As C-TEC’s Business Development Manager Andy Turner put it in the firm’s “Lockdown Lowdown” interview, the aim is “moving from a single-scenario mindset to a multi-layered life-safety strategy.”

Vimpex

Vimpex Identi-Cryer lockdown system. Identi-Cryer brings Vimpex’s 15 years of voice sounder expertise to lockdown notification, built around clear, pre-recorded voice messages so a lockdown instruction can never be mistaken for the fire alarm. The system comprises:

• Lockdown panel – available in 2, 4 and 8 zone versions, continuously monitored, with up to
  72-hour battery standby.
• Voice sounders – synchronised voice messaging across multiple zones, with an optional
  integral blue strobe. No special wiring, so they’re straightforward to retro-fit.
• Voice Message Controller – runs on conventional sounder circuits and can broadcast up to
  seven different messages, from full or partial lockdown to staff-only instructions.
• Blue call points with SmartGuard covers – a clear, dedicated lockdown trigger, protected
  against tampering and accidental activation.
• Mobile communicator – instant notification to staff phones, laptops and tablets

The system can run stand-alone or integrate fully with new or existing fire alarm systems, conventional or addressable, and installation will be familiar territory for any professional fire or security contractor.

Advanced

Advanced MxPro 5 lockdown programming. If the site already runs – or you’re specifying – an Advanced MxPro 5 fire panel, lockdown capability can be programmed into the existing system, with no separate standalone panel needed. Advanced’s Tech Tip (TEC023) walks through the setup, which gives you:

• Flexible triggers – initiate a lockdown from a dedicated call point, panic button, I/O unit or other input device on the loop.
• A distinct lockdown signal – a dedicated ringing style keeps the lockdown alert clearly separate from the fire alarm, and pairs naturally with blue call points and voice sounders.
• Use of existing infrastructure – a cost-effective route for sites already invested in Advanced kit.

Just make sure any alternate use of the fire system is agreed with the customer and reflected in the system documentation. All three are proven ways to deliver clear, distinct lockdown and evacuation alerts — using signals that are deliberately different from the fire alarm tone to avoid confusion at a critical moment.

Scope Communications

Scope Communications LOCKDOWN ALERT. Scope’s dedicated range of lockdown and evacuation solutions is built specifically to aid compliance with Martyn’s Law, using Scope wireless network to send critical messages to tell everyone on site. The range includes:

• EpocSolo fitted or mobile panic button – A compact, rugged wireless panic button designed to provide fast, reliable assistance for lone workers, personal safety and emergencies. With panic, man-down, no-motion detection and optional indoor location messaging, EPOC SOLO integrates seamlessly with Scope paging systems. Ideal for lone-worker, security, healthcare and emergency applications.
• Epocblum two-way critical alert communicator – Not just a pager but compact two-way personal safety pager combining POCSAG messaging and Bluetooth® indoor location messaging. Ideal for lone-worker, security, healthcare and emergency applications.
• Fitted panic buttons, PB*BM range – Compact, battery-powered wireless fitted panic button providing a reliable emergency alert at the press of a button. Designed for use with Scope wireless network. Ideal for lone-worker, security, healthcare and emergency applications.
• LED Display – A wireless moving-message LED display designed to receive and clearly display alerts, notifications and information across a Scope wireless network. Ideal for lone-worker, public, security, healthcare and emergency applications.

Talk to us.

If you’ve got a Martyn’s Law enquiry on your desk, our team can help you specify the right lockdown, invacuation and communication kit for the site. Browse the C-TEC, Vimpex, Advanced and Scope ranges on huvo.co.uk, or get in touch and we’ll help you scope it.

This guide provides general information only and does not constitute legal, security, fire-safety or system-design advice. Whether premises or events fall within scope, and which procedures or measures are appropriate and reasonably practicable, must be determined by the responsible person with reference to current Home Office and SIA guidance and, where necessary, competent professional advice. No individual product or system establishes compliance with the Act.