Application Process and Fees
How an application runs
The applicant completes the application, pays the fee, and submits identity, right to work and any supporting documents. The SIA then runs checks, including the criminal record check, before deciding. Key concepts to know are the application fee, the licence duration, and the linked training requirement.
A licence is normally issued for three years. The fee is payable on application and is generally non-refundable even if the application is refused, so a question may test whether an unsuccessful applicant gets their money back. Applicants must also have completed the relevant qualification - for door supervision that includes physical intervention skills - before the licence is granted, though the qualification can be obtained while the application is in progress provided it is held by the decision date.
Traps to expect
- Fee versus fine: the application fee is an administrative charge, not a penalty, and is not returned on refusal.
- Duration: three years is the standard; do not confuse it with the length of a first aid certificate or a qualification certificate.
- Who applies: the individual applies; a employer may pay or assist, but the application is the applicant's.
- Renewal timing: applications should be made in good time before expiry, because a licence that lapses cannot be used while a renewal is processed.
Rule of thumb
Remember F-D-Q: Fee paid and non-refundable, Duration three years, Qualification held by the decision date. If a question asks what happens to the fee when an application is refused, the answer is that it is retained.
Worked example
An applicant pays the fee, submits documents, and is refused because of a barring conviction. The fee is not refunded, and the refusal stands regardless of the qualification the applicant had already completed.