Martyn's Law hospitality guide
Martyn's Law for Hospitality: What Pubs, Bars, Restaurants and Hotels Need to Know
Martyn's Law, formally the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, introduces preparedness duties for qualifying publicly accessible premises. For ordinary hospitality premises, the Standard Tier generally covers venues where 200 to 799 people, including staff, may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time from time to time.
Quick answer
If you run a pub, bar, restaurant, hotel, nightclub or function venue, Martyn's Law may apply if the premises meets the statutory scope criteria and 200 or more people may reasonably be expected at the same time. Standard Tier premises will need an identified responsible person and appropriate public protection procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication when the Act comes into force.
Does Martyn's Law apply to hospitality businesses?
Hospitality premises can fall within the legislation because the Act covers qualifying premises used for categories that include food and drink, entertainment and leisure, and hotels.
Whether a particular premises is in scope depends on the statutory criteria, including its use and the number of people it is reasonable to expect may be present at the same time.
Standard Tier
200–799
People reasonably expected at the same time, including staff, for ordinary qualifying premises.
Enhanced Tier
800+
People reasonably expected at the same time for ordinary qualifying premises. Hospli V1 does not provide an Enhanced Tier compliance workflow.
Do staff count towards the Martyn's Law threshold?
Yes. Current statutory guidance says the relevant number includes staff. In the guidance, staff includes employees, contractors, volunteers and others working at the premises.
This is why a pub or restaurant should not simply look at the number of customers it expects through the door. The relevant question is the greatest number of individuals it is reasonable to expect may be present at the same time, from time to time.
Is licensed capacity the Martyn's Law capacity?
Not necessarily. A premises licence, fire capacity or other stated capacity may be useful evidence, but the statutory guidance focuses on the number of individuals it is reasonable to expectmay be present at the same time.
That can require a hospitality operator to think about customers, staff, contractors, performers and other relevant people, as well as areas such as function rooms, terraces, beer gardens or event spaces where appropriate.
What does the Martyn's Law Standard Tier require?
When the legislation comes into force, the responsible person for Standard Tier premises must notify the Security Industry Authority and have in place, so far as is reasonably practicable, appropriate public protection procedures to reduce the risk of physical harm if an attack occurs at the premises or in the immediate vicinity.
Evacuation
Moving people out of the premises, or part of it, and away from danger.
Invacuation
Moving people to a place within the premises where there is less risk of physical harm.
Lockdown
Securing the premises to prevent individuals entering or leaving where appropriate.
Communication
Making sure relevant information can be provided to people at the premises.
Who is the responsible person in a hospitality business?
The responsible person depends on who has control of the premises in connection with its qualifying use. In hospitality that can require careful consideration of operating arrangements, especially where a landlord, brewery, tenant, franchisee or management company is involved.
The responsibility cannot simply be transferred to a consultant or software provider. Hospli helps responsible people organise and evidence their arrangements; it does not assume their legal responsibility.
Martyn's Law for pubs
For pubs, the most common practical questions are likely to be whether the premises reaches the 200-person threshold, who the responsible person is under the operating arrangement, how function rooms or outside areas affect the picture, and whether existing emergency procedures are suitable.
Hospli is designed to turn those questions into a manageable venue workflow rather than a one-off document.
Martyn's Law for restaurants
Restaurants should consider the greatest number of people reasonably expected at the same time, including diners, staff and other relevant people. Larger restaurants and hospitality venues with event or function activity should take particular care not to assume seated customer numbers tell the whole story.
Martyn's Law for hotels
Hotels can involve more complicated operating patterns because guests, staff, restaurants, bars, conference rooms, weddings and functions may all affect how many people can reasonably be expected to be present.
Martyn's Law for nightclubs
Nightclubs can combine large customer numbers with bar teams, security staff, performers, contractors and late-night operating conditions. Operators also need to be alert to the 800-person Enhanced Tier threshold, because Hospli V1 supports Standard Tier readiness only.
Martyn's Law for live music venues
Live music venues may need to consider audiences alongside venue staff, security, performers, technicians, promoters and other contractors. Event-day attendance and operations can look very different from ordinary trading.
Read the dedicated Martyn's Law for live music venues guide →
How Hospli supports Martyn's Law readiness
Hospli is built for hospitality operators who want a structured way to prepare and maintain their venue record without treating software as a substitute for the responsible person.
- Check the venue's likely Martyn's Law pathway.
- Record the responsible person.
- Build and version evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication procedures.
- Brief staff and record acknowledgements.
- Maintain an evidence timeline and review reminders.
- Generate a reproducible Hospli Venue Record Pack.
Start with your venue
Answer a few plain-English questions about your hospitality premises and see the likely pathway based on the information you provide.
Check My Venue FreeMartyn's Law hospitality FAQs
Does Martyn's Law apply to my pub?
It may. A pub can be a qualifying premises if it meets the Act's scope criteria and 200 or more people, including staff, may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time from time to time. Hospli's Venue Checker helps you work through the key questions, but it does not make a legal determination.
Do staff count towards Martyn's Law capacity?
Yes. Current statutory guidance says the number of individuals used for the tier thresholds includes staff. Staff includes employees, contractors, volunteers and others working at the premises.
Is Martyn's Law based only on licensed capacity?
No. The statutory test is based on the number of individuals it is reasonable to expect may be present at the same time, from time to time. A premises licence or stated capacity may be useful evidence, but it is not the only factor.
What is the Martyn's Law Standard Tier?
For ordinary qualifying premises, the Standard Tier applies where 200 to 799 individuals may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time from time to time. Different rules apply to some categories such as places of worship and certain educational premises.
What procedures does a Standard Tier hospitality venue need?
When the legislation comes into force, a responsible person for Standard Tier premises must, so far as reasonably practicable, have appropriate public protection procedures covering evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication.
When does Martyn's Law come into force?
The Security Industry Authority currently says the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 is expected to come into force in spring 2027. The exact commencement date is still to be confirmed.
Official sources and current guidance
Hospli uses current official guidance as the source of truth for its public explanations. This page was last reviewed on 5 September 2026.
- Home Office — Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025: statutory guidance
- Security Industry Authority — Understanding Martyn's Law and the SIA's role as regulator
Hospli supports readiness and record keeping. It is not the regulator, does not provide government approval or certification, and does not make a binding legal determination about whether a premises is in scope.