When does Martyn's Law come into effect?

The duties in Martyn's Law do not have a start date yet. The Government intends at least 24 months between Royal Assent and commencement. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) expects the Act to come into force in spring 2027.

Is Martyn's Law in force yet?

No. The standard duty and the enhanced duty are not in force. Nothing in the Act yet makes any premises liable to a penalty for failing to meet them.

When the legislation was last checked, on 10 September 2026, the Secretary of State had not appointed the day on which the duties start.

When is it expected to start?

The Home Office said when the Act received Royal Assent that it intends an implementation period of at least 24 months from 3 April 2025. On that intention, the duties would not start before April 2027.

The SIA's guidance, published on 17 July 2026, says the Act is expected to come into force in spring 2027. It also says people will be invited to test the notification portal from early 2027.

Neither statement is a legal date. The guidance note describes the Home Office and SIA documents and how to use them.

What is already in force?

Some provisions that prepare for the duties are in force. They do not place duties on premises.

Only the Principal Use of Premises Regulations affect premises directly. They decide which Schedule 1 use governs a mixed-use building. They do not impose a duty. The principal use note explains how they apply to a hotel with a bar, a restaurant and a function suite.

Why is there no single start date?

Section 37 of the Act brought Parts 1 and 2 into force for making regulations on the day the Act passed. For every other purpose, they start on a day the Secretary of State appoints by regulations. Different days can be appointed for different purposes or areas.

That means there is no single "Martyn's Law day". Parts of the regime have started on different dates, and the duties may start on another.

Notification is a separate step. Registration with the SIA starts when section 9(1) comes into force, and its deadlines run from that day. The notification note sets out the three-month, 28-day and 14-day periods.

What should you do now?

If you run a pub, restaurant, hotel, venue, place of worship, school or sports club, or organise ticketed events, nothing is due yet. The time before commencement is best used to find out where you stand. Every Responsible Person will be asked the same first question: are the premises in scope, and at which tier?

Four free steps. Each runs in your browser and stores nothing.

1. Check whether the Act applies to you. The scope checker asks a few plain questions about your use and busiest-week capacity, and gives an indicative tier. The Act guide states the same tests with section references.
2. See what you already have. The procedure gap checker shows which evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication arrangements are in place and which are missing.
3. Write the plan down. The plan builder produces a one-page plan for standard-tier premises, with pocket cards for staff.
4. Brief your team. The staff briefing pack gives a ten-minute script and a sign-off sheet.

Together, these leave you with a dated record of what you decided and why. That record is what you will be asked for first.