How to Choose a Close Protection Company: A Checklist

Choosing a close protection company comes down to a short list of checks. Before you hire one, make sure that:

Every officer holds an SIA close protection licence, and you have checked it on the SIA’s public register.
You know whether the company is in the SIA’s Approved Contractor Scheme, and what that does and does not mean.
The company is insured for the work it will do for you.
Its people are properly vetted, and you have asked how, including whether screening follows BS 7858.
You know who leads it, by name, and will meet the person responsible for your protection.
It can give references, under a confidentiality agreement if need be.
It starts with an assessment, not a price.
None of the red flags below apply.

This guide explains each check. If you are looking for protection now, see how Sectech approach close protection in London.

1. Check the SIA Licence on the Public Register

In the UK, anyone working under contract as a close protection officer needs a licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA). The same applies to door supervisors, security guards and CCTV operators. A licence lasts three years, and since 1 April 2026 close protection officers have had to complete refresher training to renew it (GOV.UK: renew your SIA licence).

Anyone can check a licence, free, on the SIA’s public register, using the 16-digit licence number or the holder’s surname and other details. Ask the company for the licence numbers of the officers who will work for you, and check each one. Make sure it is a close protection licence and that it is current.

This matters because working without a licence in a licensable role is a criminal offence under section 3 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, punishable by up to six months in prison, a fine, or both. A company that is vague about licences is telling you something.

2. Understand the Approved Contractor Scheme

The SIA’s Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) is a separate thing from the licence. It is voluntary, it approves companies, not individuals, and approval lasts three years. It shows that a company has been assessed against a set of standards for how it is run.

Because it is voluntary, a company that is not in the scheme is not breaking the law. But if a company says it is approved, check: the SIA publishes a register of approved contractors, and falsely claiming approval is a criminal offence. Ask what the company’s status is and look it up.

3. Ask About Insurance

Protection work carries risk, and the company should be insured for it. Ask what cover it holds, that the cover matches the work it will do for you, including any driving and any travel abroad, and whether you can see confirmation. A company that cannot answer clearly is not ready to protect you.

4. Ask How Officers Are Vetted

The people who protect you will know your address, your schedule and your family. Ask how the company screens them before they start. BS 7858 is the British Standard for security screening of people employed in a security environment; ask whether the company’s vetting follows it, what the checks cover, and how often they are repeated.

Ask too how officers are chosen for an assignment: their experience, their training, and whether they suit the setting. An officer who will spend time with your children or in your home needs a different temperament from one walking a client through a crowd.

5. Find Out Who Leads the Company

A close protection company should be able to tell you, by name, who runs it and who will be responsible for your protection. You should be able to meet that person before you sign anything. Be wary of a company whose website names no one, or where every conversation is with a salesperson rather than someone who will plan the work.

6. Ask for References

Discretion means many clients will not want to be named, and a good company will not name them without permission. But it should be able to arrange a reference, under a confidentiality agreement if need be, from a client or a professional adviser it has worked with. Expect to sign or receive a non-disclosure agreement yourself.

7. How the First Assessment Should Work

A good company will want to understand the risk before it quotes. The first conversation should be about you: who needs protecting, where and when, what has prompted the enquiry, and what has happened before. For anything beyond a short booking, that leads to a security risk assessment that looks at the threat, the people, the homes and the travel, and recommends the protection that fits.

Be cautious of a company that names a number of officers and a price before it has asked these questions. The right protection might be a team, a single officer, a bodyguard for one event, a security driver, or residential security at home rather than protection on the move.

Red Flags

Vague or missing licence numbers, or a reluctance to let you check them.
A claim of ACS approval that does not appear on the SIA’s register.
No named leadership, and no chance to meet the person responsible for your protection.
A price before any questions about you, the threat or the itinerary.
Promises that sound too good: guarantees that nothing will happen, or talk that is designed to impress rather than to explain how you will be protected.
Indiscretion: a company that talks freely about other clients will talk about you.
Pressure to decide quickly, especially when there is no urgent threat.
No written agreement setting out what is being provided.

Choosing for the Whole Family

Families often need more than one kind of protection: officers for the people, a team for the house, drivers, and travel planning. The same checks apply to every part, and our guide to choosing a residential security team covers the questions to ask about protection at home. Where a family office runs the family’s affairs, it helps if one company can coordinate security for the family office as a single plan.

If you are unsure whether you need a bodyguard for an occasion or an ongoing team, our article on bodyguards and close protection officers explains the difference.

FAQs

How do I check a close protection officer’s licence?

Ask for their 16-digit SIA licence number and enter it on the SIA’s public register at https://www.gov.uk/check-a-private-security-licence. You can also search by surname and other details. The register shows whether the licence is valid and what type it is; for protection work it should be a close protection licence.

Does a close protection company have to be ACS approved?

No. The SIA’s Approved Contractor Scheme is voluntary, so a company does not have to join it to work legally. It approves companies, not individuals, and approval lasts three years. If a company says it is approved, check the SIA’s public register of approved contractors, because falsely claiming approval is a criminal offence.

What is BS 7858?

BS 7858 is the British Standard for security screening of people employed in a security environment. It sets out the checks an employer should make before someone starts work. When you choose a close protection company, ask whether its vetting follows BS 7858 and what the checks cover.

What questions should I ask a close protection company?

Ask for the officers’ SIA licence numbers, the company’s ACS status, its insurance, how it vets its people, who leads it and who will be responsible for your protection, whether it can give references under a confidentiality agreement, and how it will assess the risk before it recommends anything.

What are the warning signs of a poor close protection company?

Vague licence details, a claim of ACS approval you cannot find on the register, no named leadership, a price before any questions about the threat, promises that nothing will ever happen, talk about other clients, and pressure to sign quickly.