Licence Dispensation Notices (LDN): Important Changes From 24 February 2025 2 December 2024

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) allows approved contractors to issue licence dispensation notices (LDN) in certain circumstances to deploy security staff while they are still going through the application process.

From 24^th February 2025 the rules for issuing LDN’s will change. The purpose of the change is to promote public protection by ensuring that anybody working under an LDN has had their criminality assessed by the SIA within the last three years.

Approval for use of LDN facility

Approved contractors will need to ‘opt in’ to issue LDN’s and can only do so with the SIA’s express permission (currently this is given automatically).

Approved contractors that want to issue LDN’s in future, should request this when submitting the first annual return after 24^th February 2025.

Notification to the SIA of LDN’s issued

Approved contractors will have to issue LDN’s using the SIA’s business services (online).

The SIA will no longer allow LDN’s for new licence applicants

Approved contractors will only be able to issue LDN’s to employees who held an active SIA licence on the date when they submitted their licence application.

Duration of LDN’s

The period for which an LDN can be issued will change. Presently LDN’s can cover 10 weeks this will be reduced to five weeks.

The change in duration from 10 weeks to five weeks should still allow most renewal applicants to receive a decision on their application within the timeframe of the first LDN. The SIA say they grant or refuse most licence applications within five weeks, with the current average decision time being 10 working days. Approved contractors will be able to approve subsequent LDN’s where needed, as at present.

Webinars

The SIA will hold two webinars in December and one in February to answer any questions, approved contractors may have about these changes. The dates are:

• Wednesday 4^th December, 4pm to 5pm
• Monday 9^th December, 10am to 11pm
• Monday 3^rd February 2025, 11am to 12pm

The two webinars in December are introductory sessions at which the SIA will present the changes to the LDN policy and the reasons for the change. The webinar on 3^rd February will introduce changes to the system and explain how to notify the SIA of LDN’s via the online business account.