What does Martyn’s Law actually cost?
Far less than the scare stories suggest. If you have been told Martyn’s Law means buying CCTV, hiring a security consultant or paying for a certificate, you have been sold a version of the law that does not match what the Government actually wrote.
Last reviewed: June 2026
The standard tier: roughly £330 a year
The Government’s own impact assessment estimated the typical cost of the standard tier at around £330 per year— and most of that is management and staff time, not cash spending. The standard tier (200–799 people) deliberately centres on four simple, no-cost public protection procedures: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. There is no requirement to install equipment. The Home Office factsheets and the ProtectUK myth buster both make the point directly: standard-tier premises can prepare without buying specialist products or services.
Training is free, and not required by the Act
You do not have to put staff through a paid course. Free awareness e-learning such as ACT Awareness and SCaNis valuable good practice, but completing it is not one of the Act’s requirements. What matters is that the people expected to carry out your procedures understand them — which a short briefing achieves. Be wary of anyone selling a “required” training package.
The enhanced tier costs more — but it is proportionate
Enhanced-tier premises (800+) do more: public protection measures across monitoring, movement, physical safety and the security of information, plus a documented record for the SIA. But the standard is “so far as reasonably practicable” — a proportionality test, not a fixed shopping list. What is reasonable for a 1,000-capacity venue is different from a 5,000-capacity one, and the responsible person makes that call. No single product is mandated here either.
Where the money actually goes
For most venues, the real “cost” of Martyn’s Law is an afternoon of thinking and writing: working out your realistic peak headcount, drafting four procedures for your actual layout, briefing the team, and keeping a dated record. Doing that calmly now — ahead of the expected spring 2027 commencement — costs far less than scrambling later, and a tool like this one is here to organise it, not to sell you kit you do not need.
Start with the part that costs nothing
Find your number and your likely tier in about five minutes — free, no account.
What this is — and what it is not
martynslaw.app is a preparation and document-management tool. It is not legal advice, not official guidance, not official certification, not SIA approval and not a guarantee of compliance. The responsible person must review and approve all documents before use.
martynslaw.app is an independent product. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Home Office, the Security Industry Authority or any other public body. Official sources are cited as sources only.