When does Martyn's Law come into force?
Martyn's Law — the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 — received Royal Assent in April 2025 and the Home Office published its statutory guidance in April 2026. The duties are expected to come into force in Spring 2027; the Home Office has confirmed they will not commence before April 2027, to give venues around two years to get ready. Nothing is enforceable until commencement, and the system for notifying the regulator (the SIA) is not open yet — but because the guidance is published, you can prepare now.
Short answer: Martyn's Law is expected to come into force in Spring 2027, and the Home Office has confirmed it will not commence before April 2027. It isn't in force yet — but the rules are now settled, so this is the time to get ready calmly rather than in a rush.
The timeline, milestone by milestone
- April 2025 — Royal Assent. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 became law. That fixed what the law will require, but the duties didn't switch on.
- April 2026 — statutory guidance published. The Home Office published the detailed guidance that explains how to meet the duties. This is the point at which a venue can work out exactly what it needs to do.
- Expected Spring 2027 — commencement. The duties come into force. The Home Office has confirmed this will not be before April 2027, giving venues roughly two years from Royal Assent to prepare. The exact date is set by Parliament nearer the time.
Why we say "expected", not a date. Until Parliament confirms commencement, no specific day is fixed. Anyone quoting you an exact deadline is guessing. "Expected Spring 2027 — not before April 2027" is the honest planning assumption.
What's true right now
- Nothing is enforceable yet. There are no penalties and no duties in force until commencement.
- You can't notify the regulator yet. The SIA's notification system isn't open; there is nothing to submit today.
- But the rules are knowable. Because the guidance is published, you can settle your scope and draft your procedures now — which is exactly what the lead-in is for.
What to do at each stage (mostly: don't rush)
The long run-up is a gift — use it calmly:
- Now: work out whether the law even applies to you. Many smaller venues are out of scope. Our free scope checker settles it in three minutes; minute the conclusion either way.
- If you're in scope: draft your four procedures from your existing fire and emergency arrangements, and brief your people. The standard tier guide walks through it. None of this needs to wait for a date, and none of it costs anything.
- Nearer commencement: watch for the SIA's notification system opening, and be ready to notify. We'll flag it in the monthly update when it happens.
One thing that can happen before commencement: your insurer or a regular hirer asking what your Martyn's Law arrangements are. Having a dated record turns that into a thirty-second answer — which is the quiet, practical reason not to leave it all to 2027.
Common questions
When does Martyn's Law come into force?
The duties are expected to come into force in Spring 2027. The Home Office has confirmed they will not commence before April 2027. No exact date is fixed yet — that's set by Parliament nearer the time — so treat "expected Spring 2027" as the planning assumption.
Is Martyn's Law in force now?
No. The Act became law (received Royal Assent) in April 2025 and the statutory guidance was published in April 2026, but the duties themselves are not yet in force and nothing is enforceable until commencement, expected Spring 2027. There's nothing you can submit to the regulator yet.
How long do we have to get ready?
Around two years from Royal Assent — the long lead-in is deliberate, to give venues run by volunteers time to prepare without rushing. The sensible use of it is to settle whether you're in scope and, if so, draft your four procedures calmly rather than in a panic near the deadline.
What happens on the day it commences?
In-scope venues will need to have their arrangements in place and to notify the SIA once its (free, online) system opens. There's no "big bang": the regulator has said it will take a supportive, advisory-first approach. The practical risk before then is your insurer or hirers asking about your arrangements — which can happen at any renewal.
Use the lead-in well: are you even in scope?
The calm way to use the time is to settle scope first. Our free scope checker tells you in three minutes — and for one plain-English email a month until commencement, join the countdown list.