Get everyone out
Evacuation
How you move people out of the building, or part of it, quickly and safely.
Martyn's Law became law in April 2025. Duties are expected to start:Spring 2027
Get your venue ready for Martyn's Law. Keep it ready all year.
If 200 or more people are at your venue at busy times, the law asks for plans your team knows about. hailo drafts them, briefs everyone and keeps your records ready.
A picture of hailo at work for a made-up venue, Millbrook Village Hall: its four plans being drafted, the responsible person being sent to the SIA, volunteers and a hirer confirming their briefings, and the evidence pack ready.
Martyn's Law at a glanceAt a glance
- Became law:3 April 2025
- Standard tier:200 to 799 people
- Plans to have in place:4
- Security equipment needed:None
- Training course needed:None
- Regulator:The SIA
- Duties expected:Spring 2027
- Standard tier maximum penalty:£10,000
Sources: Home Office: overarching factsheet, Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.
Made for the people who open the doors at halls, pubs, sports clubs and places of worship of every faith.
See how it worksEverything Martyn's Law asks for. Done with you, kept ready all year.
What the law actually asks
At the standard tier: tell the SIA who is responsible for the venue, and have four simple plans that the people with a part to play know about. That's it.
Bring everyone in
Invacuation
How you bring people inside, or to a safer room, when outside is the danger.
Lock down
Lockdown
How you stop people getting in or out, for example by locking doors.
Keep people informed
Communication
How you tell people what's happening and what to do: stay put, or move away.
What the standard tier doesn't ask for
No hardware, no guards, no course. It's about plans and people knowing them.Home Office factsheet
- Not needed: Security staff
- Not needed: Bag searches
- Not needed: CCTV or new equipment
- Not needed: Building work
- Not needed: A training course
Where things stand today
3 April 2025
Becomes law
The Act receives Royal Assent.
15 April 2026
Guidance published
The Home Office publishes its statutory guidance.
You are here · November 2026
Time to get ready
Nothing is required by law yet. The Home Office encourages venues to start thinking about what the law asks.
Early 2027 (expected)
SIA templates
The SIA is expected to publish its templates and scope tool.
Spring 2027 (expected)
Duties expected to start
At least 24 months after Royal Assent, once regulations bring them in.
Sources: Home Office: overarching factsheet, Home Office: statutory guidance. Dates marked expected aren't fixed yet.
See what's changedDownload the key dates for your calendar (.ics file)
Everyone knows what to do
Volunteers, staff and hirers each get a short briefing for your building on their phone, and confirm they've read it. No app needed, no password.
A made-up example. Real briefings are written from your own answers, and the details that need to stay private, like where keys are kept, go only to the people who need them.
Your plans in about 30 minutes. Four steps.
Most of the time is answering questions about a building you already know.
- 12 minutes
Check your venue
Four questions tell you whether Martyn's Law applies and which tier you're in. Free, with no email needed.
- 2About 20 minutes
Tell us about your building
Your doors, rooms, where people could gather safely, and who has keys. Plain questions, with examples.
- 3About 10 minutes
Approve your plans
hailo drafts your four plans in plain English, written for your building. Edit anything, then approve them.
- 4Ongoing
Brief your team
Volunteers, staff and hirers get a short briefing by link or QR code and confirm on their phone.
We remind you. When a volunteer joins, a keyholder leaves, a plan changes or the yearly review is due, hailo tells you and re-briefs the people it affects.
Why not just use the free template? You can. Here's what hailo adds.
The SIA is expected to publish templates in early 2027. A template is a blank form. hailo fills one in for your building, briefs everyone and keeps it up to date.
Time to plan your procedures
- Without hailoAbout 9 hours
- With hailo
Without hailo: the Home Office's estimate of managers' time to plan the procedures. With hailo: 20 minutes about your building, 10 to approve your plans.
Home Office impact assessment| What you need | The template, without hailo | With hailo |
|---|---|---|
| Written for your building | You write it | Drafted from your answers |
| Plain English | Depends who writes it | Written for volunteers |
| Who's been briefed | Lists and emails | Confirmed on each phone |
| Hirers | Not covered | Briefed for their booking |
| Changes and reviews | Remember yourself | Reminders when things change |
| Evidence | Gather it if asked | One click |
Does it apply to you? Find out now.
Four questions, an answer straight away, and no email needed.
Your result shows here
Martyn's Law starts at 200 people. Answer the questions to see which tier your venue is in, and what that means.
Your result
A guide, not legal advice.
Martyn's Law scope check
Your result
Your answers
- Building
- Most people at once
- Mainly used for
- Events for 800 or more
What to do now
- Agree who is responsible for your venue (the responsible person).
- Tell the SIA (the regulator) who that is.
- Write your four plans: get everyone out (evacuation), bring everyone in (invacuation), lock down (lockdown) and keep people informed (communication).
- Make sure your volunteers and staff know the plans. When you hire out your building, you stay the responsible person. The Home Office's guidance says to explain to each hirer what's expected of them, and to be able to show the SIA that you did.
- Get specialist advice on the enhanced tier's extra duties, such as security measures and a named senior person.
- Agree who is responsible for your venue, and tell the SIA (the regulator).
- Start with the four plans every venue in scope needs: get everyone out (evacuation), bring everyone in (invacuation), lock down (lockdown) and keep people informed (communication).
- Make sure your volunteers, staff and hirers know the plans.
- Nothing is required by Martyn's Law for your venue.
- Check again if your numbers grow, for example if you start holding bigger events.
- A simple plan for emergencies is still a good idea. Insurers and hirers may ask for one.
You don't need: security staff, bag searches, CCTV or new equipment, building work or a training course.
When: Nothing is required by law yet. The Home Office encourages venues to start thinking about what the law asks.
How long: on your own, the Home Office estimates about 9 hours of managers' time to plan the four procedures, and about 15 minutes for each person to learn them. With hailo, your plans are written and approved in about 30 minutes.
For your meeting: the free committee pack has the six decisions to make and draft wording for the minutes, at gethailo.co.uk/guides/martyns-law-committee-pack.
How hailo helps
- Drafts your four plans from your answers about the building, in plain English. You read and approve each one.
- Briefs your volunteers, staff and hirers by link or QR code, and records who has confirmed.
- Helps you tell the SIA, and keeps your evidence ready in one pack.
- Reminds you when people or plans need a refresh, and when the annual review is due.
Get your plans ready in about 30 minutes at gethailo.co.uk
Free to set up. You only pay when you approve your plans.
Questions
How accurate is this check?
It follows the tiers in the Act and the Home Office guidance, and it's a guide, not legal advice. The SIA plans to publish its own scope tool, expected in early 2027; your answer should match it.
What counts as the number of people?
The most people you'd reasonably expect in the building at the same time, including staff and volunteers, at your busiest times, even if those are only now and then. Under 200 is out of scope; 200 to 799 is the standard tier.
Do you keep my answers?
No. The check runs on this page in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to us or stored.
Simple pricing. Every feature on every plan.
One price a year per venue. No per-person charges, however many volunteers you have.
Community
Places of worship, village halls, clubs and charities
£39a year per venue
plus VAT, paid yearly
- Your four plans, written for your building
- Briefings for volunteers, staff and hirers
- Posters, one-page summaries and the evidence pack
- Reminders and the annual review
- Unlimited volunteers, staff and hirers
Business
Pubs, bars and restaurants
£99a year per venue
plus VAT, paid yearly
- Your four plans, written for your building
- Briefings for volunteers, staff and hirers
- Posters, one-page summaries and the evidence pack
- Reminders and the annual review
- Unlimited volunteers, staff and hirers
Multi-site
Organisations with 5 or more venues
£35a year per venue
plus VAT, paid yearly
- Your four plans, written for your building
- Briefings for volunteers, staff and hirers
- Posters, one-page summaries and the evidence pack
- Reminders and the annual review
- Unlimited volunteers, staff and hirers
Free to start. Always free: check whether Martyn's Law applies, set up your venue, and answer the questions to see your draft plans.
Pay when you're ready. You pay when you approve your plans and start briefing people. No card needed before then.
Five venues or more? Every venue moves to Multi-site at £35 a year each, whatever kind of venue it is.
Made by SimpleKPI, a UK software company. Founded in 2007.
About hailoYour plans stay private
Lockdown details and where keys are kept never appear on a public page.
UK company, UK law
SimpleKPI Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company 06191007.
UK GDPR
Registered with the ICO (ZB902250). We only keep what the plans and evidence need.
Questions committees actually ask
Does Martyn's Law apply to us?
It applies to a building where 200 or more people, including staff and volunteers, can reasonably be expected at the same time, used for things like worship, entertainment, food and drink, sport or community events. Our free scope check tells you in two minutes.
How do we count to 200?
Count the most people you'd reasonably expect in the building at the same time on your busiest occasions, including staff and volunteers. Think of festivals and big services, quiz nights or big matches, not an ordinary day.
Do we legally have to write our plans down?
Not at the standard tier: the law asks you to have the procedures in place, not a document. But written plans are how you brief people consistently and show the SIA what you've done, which is why hailo writes them for you.
Why pay when the SIA's template will be free?
The template is a blank form. hailo fills it in for your building, briefs every volunteer, member of staff and hirer, and keeps it current when people and plans change.
How much of our time will it take?
The Home Office estimates that planning the procedures takes about 9 hours of managers' time, and puts the standard tier's cost at about £330 a year, almost all of it people's time rather than money. With hailo it's about 30 minutes of questions about your building, then a few minutes whenever things change.
Does hailo make us compliant?
hailo helps you prepare, and keeps the evidence of what you've done. Only the regulator can judge whether a venue meets the law, and the responsibility for your venue stays with you.
What do volunteers need to do?
Open a short briefing on their phone, read what to do in each situation, and tap to confirm. It takes a few minutes, and there's nothing to install.
Do we need security equipment or staff?
No. The standard tier doesn't require security staff, bag searches, CCTV or any equipment. It's about plans and people knowing them.
What happens if we do nothing?
Once the duties start, expected in spring 2027, the SIA can give advice and, where needed, issue penalties. For the standard tier the maximum penalty is £10,000, and up to £500 a day if a venue ignores an order to put things right.
Do our hirers need to know about it?
Yes. When you hire out your building, you stay the responsible person. The Home Office's guidance says to explain to each hirer what's expected of them, and to be able to show the SIA that you did. hailo sends each hirer a short briefing for their booking and keeps a dated record of who confirmed it.
Who is the SIA and how do we tell them?
The Security Industry Authority is the regulator for Martyn's Law. The responsible person must tell it about the venue; the SIA will publish how, and hailo will walk you through it.
Who is behind hailo?
hailo is made by SimpleKPI Ltd, a UK software company founded in 2007. It is independent and not endorsed by the Home Office or the SIA.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Plans are paid yearly per venue, from £39 plus VAT, and you can stop renewing at any time. The emergency steps your door posters link to stay online, so volunteers are never left without the plan.