Security Guard Licence Check: Validating the Pre-Employment File

This article is for information only and is not legal advice. Regulatory references are accurate at the date of publication (3 November 2026). Consult a qualified professional before deciding on any individual file.

A security guard licence check compares what the candidate's licence says (number, name, role, expiry) with an official register and with the other documents in the file. In the UK, the register is the SIA's public register of licence holders. It tells you whether a licence is held for a role, not whether the plastic card in your hand is genuine, and not whether the person holding it is the person on the passport. This guide sets out the cross-checks that close those gaps and what a reviewer should do when two documents disagree.

What the SIA register can and cannot tell you

Employers must check that someone holds the correct SIA licence before hiring them for private security work, using the SIA register of licence holders (GOV.UK: check security staff have a licence to work). You search with the 16-digit licence number, or with surname plus details such as date of birth and security role. The licence types covered include security guard, door supervisor, close protection, CCTV operator, key holder and cash and valuables guard.

The register answers one question: is there a licence in this person's name for this role? It does not tell you that the candidate in front of you is that person, that their right-to-work status is valid, or that their employment history is true. Those are separate comparisons.

Paying an unlicensed person to carry out licensable security work can lead to a fine or prison, according to the same GOV.UK page. For a recruiter, the register lookup is not a courtesy check. It is the control the law expects.

The cross-checks that make up the file

A pre-employment file is a set of claims about one person, and each claim should be confirmed against a second source. The table below lists the comparisons that matter most, with the mismatch to look for.

Do not treat the table as a form to tick. The value is in the second column: every field is read against a source that was produced independently of the first.

Step 1: Run the register lookup, then reconcile it with the card

Look up the licence on the register yourself; do not rely on a screenshot or a photocopy supplied by the candidate. Use the licence number from the card and record the date and time of the lookup, the result, and the role shown. Keep it in the file, because an inspector will ask when you checked and what you saw.

Then compare three things: the number you typed matches the one on the card, the holder details match the ID, and the licensed role matches the job. If the register returns nothing, try the surname and date of birth route before concluding anything. A typo on a 16-digit number is common, a missing licence is not.

A candidate whose application is pending is a different case. They cannot be deployed on licensable work until the licence is granted. An application receipt is not a licence.

Step 2: Tie the licence to the person

The register confirms a licence exists; only the ID and the interview confirm the candidate is its holder. Compare the date of birth and name on the licence with the passport or other identity document, and the photo with the person. If your process is remote, use a live identity check and still reconcile the printed data fields afterwards.

Check also the right to work. The Home Office guidance on right to work checks sets out the acceptable documents and the online share-code route. The name on the right-to-work evidence has to be the name on the licence, or you need the document that explains the difference, such as a marriage certificate or deed poll.

This is where many files break quietly. The licence says "Mohammed A. Rahman", the passport says "Muhammad Abdul Rahman", the bank account says "M Rahman". Each is plausible. Together they are three different strings that a payroll or audit system will not link. Resolve the form of the name once, write it in the file, and ask for the explaining document.

Step 3: Screening, history and gaps

Security recruitment usually adds screening on top of the licence: criminal record disclosure, a continuous history and references. In the UK, the British Standard for security screening, BS 7858, is the benchmark that approved security contractors commonly follow (BSI). Your client contract may require it; read it.

The cross-check is dates against dates. Employment and education periods on the CV should join up, with any gap explained in writing. Referee statements should match the employer names and periods claimed. A basic or enhanced disclosure certificate should carry the same name and date of birth as the ID. A certificate in a different name is not an automatic problem, but it needs an explanation before you rely on it.

Lawful basis matters too. Collecting criminal-record data is regulated: see the ICO's guidance on criminal offence data before you build the file.

What reviewers do when documents disagree

A mismatch pauses the start date; it does not automatically end the application. The reviewer's job is to classify it, ask the right question and record the answer.

Record the decision, the person who made it and the date. Refusal is a legitimate outcome. A guard who cannot be matched across their own documents is a risk to the client site and to your own audit trail.

Re-checking during employment

A pass at hiring does not cover the licence's whole life. Licences expire, and they can be revoked or suspended. Diary the expiry date at onboarding, re-run the register lookup on a schedule you define in your procedure, and repeat it when the guard changes role or site. A monthly roster check against the register is a reasonable control for larger teams, though the frequency is your decision to justify.

Our guide on agency document requirements shows how the same date-diarising logic applies to other worker documents, and the industry verification guide maps comparable checks across other sectors.

What users ask on forums

Questions on recruiter and security-industry forums fall into a few repeating themes, and the answers follow from the comparisons above.

"Can I start someone while their licence is in the post?" Not on licensable work. The application receipt is not the licence. Give the candidate unlicensed duties only if such duties exist, and only with the role recorded.

"The register says the licence is valid but the card looks off. Which wins?" Neither wins on its own. The register shows a licence exists; the card is the item that may be altered. Ask for the candidate in person with ID, compare the photo and details, and escalate if they do not agree.

"How often should I recheck?" The law requires the licence before work; how often you re-verify is a control you design. Pick a frequency, write it in your procedure and follow it.

Where automated file validation helps

Reviewing eight comparisons per candidate by eye works for a handful of hires and breaks down in a seasonal recruitment wave. CheckFile reads the fields from each uploaded document, such as name, date of birth, licence number, role and expiry, and compares them across the file, flagging the mismatches in the tables above for a reviewer. It does not prove that a licence or passport is genuine, and it does not replace the register lookup. For HR and recruitment teams, see CheckFile for HR, the security page and pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check a security guard licence in the UK?

Use the SIA register of licence holders, searching by 16-digit licence number or by surname with other details such as date of birth and role. Record the date, the result and the role shown, and compare them with the card and ID.

Does a register lookup prove the licence card is genuine?

No. It confirms a licence is held in that name for that role. Whether the card is the original and the person is its holder depends on comparing the card with the ID and the person.

What if the licence expires during the contract?

Diary the expiry date at onboarding and require a fresh check once the renewed licence is issued. Do not roster the guard on licensable work after expiry.

Do I need to check the right to work as well?

Yes. It is a separate legal duty with its own acceptable documents, and the name on the evidence must reconcile with the name on the licence.

Is a licence enough for a pre-employment file?

No. Add identity, right to work, screening history, references and bank details, and reconcile them with each other.