You must be 18 or over, have the right to work in the UK, pass identity and criminal record checks, and hold the right qualification for a front line licence.
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The SIA runs its checks after you apply, and the fee is not refundable if you fail them, so it is worth checking each one first. For a front line licence the awarding organisation must tell the SIA you hold the qualification before you can even submit the application. A key holding or non front line licence does not need a licence linked qualification.
Not automatically. The SIA looks at how relevant the offence is, how recent it is, and what sentence or penalty you received.
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A single old offence that ended in a fine may still be granted. A prison sentence, recent offences, or several offences over years make refusal much more likely. Sexual offences and offences against children get special consideration whatever their age, and anyone on the sex offenders register is refused. The SIA publishes a criminal record indicator that follows the same process its licensing team does.
