The short answer
For most people starting out, the Door Supervisor licence opens the most doors. It covers door supervision at licensed premises and the guarding work a Security Guard licence covers, so one qualification leaves you eligible for a wider range of vacancies.
Why Door Supervisor usually wins on employability
- It covers licensed premises, events, retail, corporate sites and much general guarding
- Events and night-time work hire in volume, often at short notice
- Many employers advertise for "SIA DS" as their default requirement
- It includes physical-intervention training, which some employers expect
When a different licence is the better choice
- You specifically want control-room work: take CCTV, which is a separate category a Door Supervisor licence does not cover
- You only want static, retail or site guarding and want the shorter course: Security Guard
- You are targeting protective security: Close Protection, a specialist route at 194 hours over 18 days
Holding more than one licence
You can hold several categories if you meet the requirements for each. From 1 June 2026, additional eligible licences included in the same application cost £102 each rather than the full £204. Door Supervisor plus CCTV is a common combination, because it covers both front-line and control-room vacancies.
Before you decide on cost alone
The shorter course is not automatically the cheaper decision. If the work you want needs a category your licence does not cover, you pay twice: once for the wrong course and again for the right one. Choose by the jobs you intend to apply for. Which SIA licence do I need?
Last reviewed 22 September 2026. SIA rules and fees change. Check the current official guidance before you book or apply: April 2026 change to the SIA licence fee · Apply for an SIA licence
