Martyn's Law tiers
Martyn's Law Standard Tier vs Enhanced Tier
Martyn's Law uses two main levels for qualifying premises: the Standard Tier and the Enhanced Tier. For ordinary qualifying premises, the dividing line is based on how many people it is reasonable to expect may be present at the same time.
Quick answer
For ordinary qualifying premises, the Martyn's Law Standard Tier generally covers 200–799 people and the Enhanced Tier generally starts at 800 people. Staff count towards those numbers. Enhanced Tier premises have additional requirements beyond the Standard Tier.
Martyn's Law tier thresholds at a glance
Standard Tier
200–799
People reasonably expected to be present at the same time, including staff, for ordinary qualifying premises.
Enhanced Tier
800+
People reasonably expected to be present at the same time for ordinary qualifying premises.
These figures are not simply theoretical maximum capacities. The statutory test focuses on the number of individuals it is reasonable to expect may be present at the same time, from time to time.
What is the Martyn's Law Standard Tier?
The Martyn's Law Standard Tier generally applies to ordinary qualifying premises where between 200 and 799 individuals may reasonably be expected at the same time.
When the legislation comes into force, the responsible person for Standard Tier premises will need to notify the SIA and have appropriate public protection procedures in place, so far as reasonably practicable.
The four Standard Tier public protection procedures
Evacuation
Moving people out of the premises or part of the premises and away from danger.
Invacuation
Moving people to a location inside the premises where there is less risk of physical harm.
Lockdown
Securing the premises to prevent people entering or leaving where appropriate.
Communication
Ensuring relevant information and instructions can be provided to people at the premises.
What is the Martyn's Law Enhanced Tier?
The Martyn's Law Enhanced Tier generally applies to larger ordinary qualifying premises where 800 or more people may reasonably be expected at the same time.
Qualifying events also have the same main requirements as Enhanced Tier premises.
Enhanced Tier responsible persons must meet the public protection procedure requirements and also consider additional public protection measures.
Enhanced Tier public protection measures
Current SIA guidance identifies four categories of Enhanced Tier public protection measures:
Monitoring
Monitoring the premises, event and immediate vicinity using appropriate arrangements such as CCTV where relevant.
Movement
Managing the movement of individuals into, out of and within the premises or event.
Physical security
Appropriate physical safety and security arrangements for the premises or event location.
Security of information
Protecting sensitive information about the operation, design, use or internal workings of the premises.
Standard Tier vs Enhanced Tier requirements
| Requirement | Standard Tier | Enhanced Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Usual threshold | 200–799 | 800+ |
| Staff included | Yes | Yes |
| Notify the SIA | Yes | Yes |
| Public protection procedures | Yes | Yes |
| Public protection measures | Not the Standard Tier duty | Yes |
| Document procedures and measures for the SIA | Not the Standard Tier requirement | Yes |
Do staff count towards the Martyn's Law tier?
Yes. Current official guidance says staff are included when assessing the number of individuals reasonably expected to be present at the same time.
This means hospitality businesses should not assess their tier by customer numbers alone.
Relevant people may include:
- customers and guests;
- employees;
- contractors;
- volunteers;
- performers;
- conference delegates;
- wedding or function guests; and
- other people reasonably expected to be present.
Is the 200-person threshold based on licensed capacity?
Not automatically. A licence or fire-capacity figure may provide useful evidence, but Martyn's Law uses the number of people it is reasonable to expect may actually be present at the same time.
Hospitality venues should therefore consider their real operating pattern rather than relying only on a maximum number printed on a licence or certificate.
Are there exceptions to the normal tier thresholds?
Yes. Current official guidance identifies special treatment for premises used for childcare, primary, secondary or further education, and places of worship.
Where those premises have 200 or more people, they remain in the Standard Tier even where the number reaches 800 or more.
That special rule does not generally apply to ordinary pubs, restaurants, bars or hotels.
What if my hospitality venue is close to 800 people?
If realistic operating numbers could reach or exceed 800, you should not assume that a Standard Tier workflow is sufficient.
Review the evidence used to establish expected numbers and consult current official guidance. Enhanced Tier brings additional duties that go beyond Hospli V1's current product scope.
Hospli V1 scope
Hospli V1 is built specifically around Standard Tier hospitality readiness. The Venue Checker can flag that information supplied may indicate an Enhanced Tier pathway, but Hospli does not present its current workflow as Enhanced Tier compliance software.
Which Martyn's Law tier is my pub?
For an ordinary qualifying pub, the key threshold question is how many people it is reasonable to expect may be present at the same time, including staff.
- Fewer than 200 generally falls below the ordinary premises threshold.
- 200–799 generally indicates Standard Tier.
- 800 or more generally indicates Enhanced Tier.
The full statutory scope criteria still need to be considered, so these figures should not be treated as a standalone legal determination.
Which Martyn's Law tier is my hotel?
Hotels should calculate expected numbers using the real operation of the premises rather than bedroom count alone.
Staff, guests, restaurant customers, conference delegates, wedding guests and function attendees may all affect whether the hotel is below 200, within the Standard Tier or potentially within the Enhanced Tier.
Check your likely Martyn's Law tier
Hospli's Venue Checker asks plain-English questions about the premises and expected numbers to help hospitality operators understand the likely pathway.
Start with the threshold, then build the record
- Check likely scope.
- Record expected numbers.
- Identify the responsible person.
- Understand the likely tier.
- If Standard Tier is indicated, begin building the four procedure areas.
Martyn's Law tier FAQs
What is the Martyn's Law Standard Tier?
For ordinary qualifying premises, the Standard Tier generally applies where 200 to 799 people may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time from time to time. Staff are included in that number.
What is the Martyn's Law Enhanced Tier?
For ordinary qualifying premises, the Enhanced Tier generally applies where 800 or more people may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time from time to time.
Do staff count towards the 200 and 800 thresholds?
Yes. Current official guidance says staff are included when considering the number of individuals reasonably expected to be present at the same time.
What is the difference between Standard Tier and Enhanced Tier?
Both tiers involve public protection procedures, but Enhanced Tier also requires appropriate public protection measures, documentation assessing how procedures and measures reduce risk and vulnerability, and additional organisational responsibilities.
Does Hospli support Enhanced Tier venues?
Hospli V1 is deliberately focused on Standard Tier hospitality readiness. It can help identify that a venue may fall into the Enhanced Tier, but it does not provide an Enhanced Tier compliance workflow.
Official sources and current guidance
This page was last reviewed on 4 September 2026 against current official guidance.
- 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 does not make a binding legal determination about tier status and does not provide an Enhanced Tier compliance workflow.