What's changed in Martyn's Law. Newest first.
Every update from the Home Office, the SIA and Parliament, in plain English, with what it means for your venue. Follow it in a feed reader, or add the key dates to your calendar.
Last checked 2 November 2026 against GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk
Coming up and where things stand
These dates are expected, not confirmed. We update them, and the calendar, when they're announced.
Now
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.
Works with Google, Outlook and Apple calendars, and includes a yearly reminder to review your plans.
The updates so far
What was published, what it means for you, and a link to the source.
- SIA
The SIA sets out what's next
The regulator says its templates for the plans will come out over the coming months, and that using them will be optional. An online tool to check whether you're in scope is due in the new year, and telling the SIA about your venue will be done through GOV.UK.
What it means for you: You don't need to wait for the templates. They're optional, so you can write plans that fit your building now and keep them up to date.
SIA: Martyn's Law scope, support and what's next (11 September 2026)
- Home Office
Guidance on a building's main use
The Home Office explains how to work out a building's main use when it's used for more than one thing, for example a hall that hosts worship, classes and parties.
What it means for you: It matters for places of worship, schools and childcare settings, which stay in the standard tier when that's the building's main use. The free scope check asks about it.
- Home Office
The guidance in Welsh
The Home Office adds Welsh translations of its statutory guidance and the documents that go with it.
What it means for you: If you run a venue in Wales, or your committee would rather read it in Welsh, the official Welsh versions are on GOV.UK.
- Home Office
A correction slip for the statutory guidance
The Home Office adds a correction slip to its statutory guidance, and a PDF with the corrections in it the next day.
What it means for you: If you printed or saved the guidance before August, use the corrected version.
- Home Office
The factsheets are updated
The Home Office updates eight of its factsheets, including the overview, the responsible person and the standard tier. "Capacity calculations" becomes "assessment of expected attendance".
What it means for you: Count the people you can reasonably expect on your busiest occasion, staff and volunteers included, not the most the building could hold.
- SIA
The SIA explains its role as regulator
The SIA publishes how it will regulate. It will check by desk-based assessments and visits, usually giving at least 72 hours' notice of a visit, and its focus will be on whether venues have taken reasonable steps.
What it means for you: Keep your plans and a record of who you've briefed somewhere easy to find, so a check or a visit is simple.
SIA: understanding Martyn's Law and the SIA's role as regulator
- Home Office
The SIA's advice role starts
Commencement regulations bring in the part of the Act that lets the SIA publish guidance and give advice (section 12(2) and (3)). The duties on venues don't start yet.
What it means for you: Nothing changes for your venue yet. The regulator can now publish guidance and advise venues ahead of the duties starting.
- Home Office
The statutory guidance is published
The Home Office publishes the official guidance on what the law asks, with worked examples for different venues.
What it means for you: It's the main reference for what the four plans should cover. hailo's questions and plans follow it.
- Home Office
The first part of the Act starts
Commencement regulations bring in section 27, which has the Home Office publish guidance on what the law asks. Nothing else in the Act starts yet.
What it means for you: There are still no duties for venues. It's the step that let the statutory guidance be published five days later.
- Parliament
Martyn's Law becomes law
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 receives Royal Assent, and the Home Office publishes its first factsheets.
What it means for you: The duties don't start yet. There's an implementation period of at least 24 months, so venues have time to get ready.
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Keep your calendar up to date
Opening the file adds the dates once. To get changes as well, subscribe with this address instead (in Google Calendar, "From URL"; in Outlook, "Subscribe from web"):
https://www.gethailo.co.uk/martyns-law-key-dates.ics
We check the official sources and add an entry when the Home Office, the SIA or Parliament publish something that changes what venues should know. General information, not legal advice.
Read next in plain English
Guides
- What is Martyn's Law? A plain-English guide for venues
- Martyn's Law checklist: what to do, step by step
- What is invacuation? Bringing people inside, safely
- Martyn's Law and your fire risk assessment: what you can reuse
- Helping everyone out: people who can't move quickly
- Who is the responsible person for Martyn's Law?
- Does Martyn's Law need training?
- Martyn's Law penalties and fines: what really happens
- When does Martyn's Law come into force?
- Martyn's Law enhanced tier and qualifying events, in plain English
- Martyn's Law quick guide
- Martyn's Law committee pack
- Martyn's Law plan templates
- Questions to ask before you buy Martyn's Law software
- Martyn's Law glossary