Sports ground safety licence

Apply for a sports ground safety certificate

Do I need a sports ground safety certificate?

There are two types of safety certificate.

1. General safety certificate

You must have a general safety certificate if you operate:

  • a sports ground or stadium which holds designated sporting events and provides accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators (more than 5,000 for Premier or Football League)
  • a stand at any sports ground or stadium which provides covered accommodation for 500 or more spectators that is not already covered within a designated sports ground/stadium as described above. This is known as a regulated stand.

2. Special safety certificate

You must have a special safety certificate to hold a one-off event or series of events at a sports ground if the events are not already included within a general safety certificate for a designated sports ground/stadium.

All new safety certificates for sports grounds/stadia will be the new style safety certificate which is a risk-based certificate accompanied by an operation manual prepared by the applicant.

Who can apply for a sports ground safety certificate?

You must be a person of good character who is authorised to represent the sports ground/stadium.

In the case of a special safety certificate, the event promoter can apply.

What is the cost for a sports ground safety certificate?

The fee will depend on the capacity of the stadium/sports ground and the amount of officer time required to attend meetings and assess the suitability of the operation manual or the event management plan in the case of a special safety certificate.

Where can I find more information about safety at sports ground certificates?

For details of the legislation see:

Need more information?

For more help and any questions contact the Public Safety Team, Regulatory Services, London Borough of Brent, Brent Civic Centre, Wembley HA9 0FJ. enspublicsafety@brent.gov.uk