Can you get an SIA licence with a criminal record?

A lot of people hold back from applying for an SIA licence because of something in their past. The SIA says: "Having a criminal record does not necessarily mean that an Applicant will not get a licence." This guide explains how it decides.

How the SIA checks your record

• The SIA sends a disclosure request to the DBS, Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI, depending on where you have lived in the last 5 years.
• If you have lived outside the UK for 6 continuous months or more in the last 10 years, you also need an official criminal record check from each country. Former armed forces members can use an extract from their service record instead.
• Licensing is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, so the SIA can see unspent and some spent convictions and cautions, subject to filtering rules. In practice, do not assume an old conviction is invisible.

What the SIA looks at

• Relevance: offences that matter for security work, such as violence, dishonesty, drugs, firearms, sexual and safeguarding offences.
• The sentence or disposal: a caution, fine, community order, suspended sentence or prison sentence are treated differently.
• Time: how long it is since the sentence restrictions ended, not since the offence or the court date.
• Patterns: several offences, even small ones, count more than a single old one.

How long it matters: the SIA's grid for one offence

For a single relevant offence, the SIA's May 2026 criteria work like this. "Consider additional factors" means a case-by-case decision rather than an automatic one.

Important exceptions: sexual offences and offences against children are assessed separately and are given special consideration however old they are, and a prison sentence of more than 48 months is never granted automatically. The SIA will refuse if you are on the sex offenders register.

When "time since restrictions ended" starts

• Prison: from the end of the full sentence, even if you were released early. Time on remand counts.
• Suspended sentence: from the end of the sentence period, not the suspension period.
• Community order: from the end of the order.
• Fine, caution, discharge: from the day after it was imposed.

Several offences

Multiple offences add up. For example, three or more relevant convictions ending in the last 7 years, or two or more ending in the last 4 years, can mean automatic refusal. A custodial sentence ending within 7 years plus another disposal ending within 4 years can too. Check the SIA's booklet for the full rules.

What you must declare

• Outstanding charges: you need evidence such as a solicitor's letter or court document. The SIA may wait for the outcome, and the application is withdrawn if charges are still outstanding 1 year after you applied.
• Investigations: tell the SIA if a public body is investigating you for a relevant offence. The same 1-year limit applies.

If you are refused

The SIA writes to you first explaining why. You have 21 days to send an appeal, and if you need longer you must say so within the same 21 days.

• Absolute or automatic refusal: you can only point out factual mistakes, such as a wrong offence on the letter.
• Intention to refuse or consider additional factors: you can correct mistakes and send mitigating evidence: a personal statement, at least one signed character reference, and evidence of rehabilitation such as course certificates or probation reports. Independent referees carry more weight than family or friends.

The SIA cannot change your record or judge whether a sentence was fair. If it stands by its decision, you can appeal to a magistrates' court or sheriff court within 21 days, and you may have to pay court costs. Working in a licensable role without a licence is a criminal offence.

Tips before you apply

• Use the SIA's online criminal record indicator tool first. It follows the same process as the licensing team, but it does not guarantee the result.
• Declare everything. Leaving something out is likely to count against you more than the offence.
• Send supporting evidence with the application rather than waiting to be asked.
• Get independent character references and keep course or work evidence since the offence.

Quick questions

Can I get an SIA licence with a criminal record?

Possibly. The SIA says having a criminal record does not necessarily mean you will not get a licence. It looks at how relevant the offence is to security work, what sentence you received and how long ago the sentence restrictions ended.

Does the SIA see spent convictions?

Yes. SIA licensing is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, so the SIA can see unspent and some spent convictions and cautions, subject to filtering rules.

Will a prison sentence stop me getting a licence?

Not always, but it makes approval much harder. Under the SIA's May 2026 criteria, a prison sentence where the restrictions ended within 4 years is refused, and one that ended 4 to 7 years ago means the SIA considers additional factors. Sentences over 48 months are never granted automatically, however long ago they ended.

What if I am refused?

The SIA writes to you first. You have 21 days to send an appeal. For some refusals you can only point out factual mistakes, and for others you can also send mitigating evidence such as a personal statement and a character reference. You can also appeal to a magistrates' or sheriff court within 21 days of the decision.

Do I have to tell the SIA about outstanding charges?

Yes. You must declare outstanding charges and any public body investigation into a relevant offence. The SIA may wait for the outcome, and withdraws the application if it is still unresolved 1 year after you applied.

Related guides

• How to get an SIA licence
• How much does an SIA licence cost?
• Working abroad as a security professional