Security public liability insurance
Join over 900k UK customers (including over 1,300 security guards like you) – we offer public liability cover from £4.74*
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Rated 4.8/5
Based on 39,800 reviews
Claims paid in 24 hours
For 80% of settled claims
Why is security guard insurance important?
Our policies focus on public liability insurance security industry professionals can treat as back-up. But we don’t stop there – claim costs for employee injuries and illness, laptop theft, and your legal fees can run into thousands of pounds, so the cover we provide is built to flex with your business, contracts, and risk profile.
- Security public liability insurance from £1 million to £5 million
- 24/7 claims helpline and UK-based contact centre
- pay monthly or annually, whatever works for your company
Insurance for security guards – what’s covered?
We’ll start with security public liability insurance, built to cover against third party injuries and property damage. Lots of security guards choose to add cover for their phone and laptop, if using them for work. If anyone’s working for you, employer’s liability insurance is usually required by law, carrying big fines if you’re not fully covered.
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Public liability insurance
In case your security company causes an injury or property damage.
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Employers’ liability insurance
In case anyone gets ill or injured while working for your security company.
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Business and office equipment insurance
In case something happens to equipment like your laptop or phone.
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Legal expenses insurance
In case you have to pay legal costs connected with your security company.
This content has been created for general information purposes. Make sure you have the right level of business insurance by checking your policy documentation for details. Read our full Terms and Conditions
How much does security guard insurance cost?
Find out how much you’ll pay by comparing prices from a range of trusted insurers. You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.
Prices start from £4.74 per month
Get your quotes in 7 minutes – prices are guaranteed for 30 days.
Get your tailored quotes in 7 minutes
The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance – 10% of customers paid £56.82 or less annually between 1st Jan – 31st May 2024. Equivalent to £4.74 a month (and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly). 76% of customers have a £1 million limit and 24% £2 million. If you complete a quote, more types of cover will be available. These all have additional costs.
Example security guard insurance quotes, real prices
£9.98 /month
£79.82 /year
A self-employed bouncer who works for local pubs
- 1-2 years’ experience
- Sole trader
- No employees
- Based in Nottingham
Public liability
£1,000,000
Employers’ liability
Not included
Contents & business equipment
Not included
£ 192.67 /month
£1712.65 /year
A small security company who use guard dogs to patrol
- 5+ years’ experience
- Limited company
- 4 employees
- Based in AB16 7LL
Public liability
£5,000,000
Employers’ liability
£10,000,000
Contents & business equipment
£10,000
How we work out example quotes These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 03/03/2023). They’re based on a range of factors, like employees and location. Your own quote will be based on what you tell us about your business. Prices may go up or down from day to day, so the prices you’re quoted may differ to the ones you see here.
What kind of excess should I expect?
An excess is an amount you pay towards any claim you make on your insurance. For example, if your excess is £250 and you make a claim worth £1000, your payout will be a maximum of £750.
Insurance cover | Lowest excess | Highest excess |
|---|---|---|
Public liability | £100 | £2500 |
Employers’ liability | No excess | No excess |
Tools | £60 | £500 |
Stock | £100 | £500 |
Business and office equipment | £50 | £750 |
The figures above are for guidance only and any excess applying to your quote may differ. You’ll get a breakdown of the excesses for each quote when you compare with us.
How it works
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How do I choose security insurance?
Making sure you have the right type and level of business insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Read our tips for guidance on what to consider when buying a policy.
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Which type of workers do I need insurance for?
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Does security guard insurance cover my work correctly?
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Do I need cover for other types of work?
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Which public liability cover limit should I choose?
Talk to an expert
Our team of UK-based insurance experts are here to help, Mon 09.00am – 05.30pm, Tues 09.00am – 05.30pm, Weds 09.00am – 05.30pm, Thurs 09.30am – 05.30pm, Fri 09.00am – 05.30pm, Sat 09.00am – 02.00pm
Call our team
How do security insurance claims work?
Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive.
£51 million in claims paid out in 2023
83% of claims were settled in 2023.
The figure above is rounded across our range of products. “Settled” covers paid, declined or withdrawn. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis. Our specialist partner Sedgwick will pay the claims on behalf of the insurer. Reviewed on 24/04/2024.
Example claim
Having security company insurance through Simply Business has saved industry professionals thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.
Graham saved more than £7,200
Graham (not his real name) was working with his German Shepherd dog on a night shift – his dog ran at a passer by and their dog, biting their arm. The public liability insurance included in Graham’s security guard policy covered the accidental injury claim costs, and the legal expenses cover he’d added helped pay for court fees.
Insurance payout
£7,285
Covering the cost of injuries caused by an animal
Insurance payout
Covering the cost of injuries caused by an animal
Covering the cost of injuries caused by an animal
Security guard insurance FAQ
Whether you’re new to buying business insurance or you’ve been trading for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about insurance for security guards. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.
Public liability insurance is a popular cover for the security industry, as it can protect you from a claim if someone is injured or their property gets damaged because of your work. Lots of companies also choose to add business equipment cover for the essential kit they rely on.
In terms of legal requirements, you’ll usually need employers’ liability insurance if you employ anyone – for example a temp you hire during the busy Christmas season or another security guard to share the load with. It’s almost always a legal non-negotiable, so don’t leave it out, or you could face fines of up to £2,500 a day for each employee.
This depends on your business, and which insurer is providing your cover. Prices start from £6.56 a month for our security company customers – we work this out by taking the highest price from the bottom 10 per cent of all our customers paying in monthly instalments (based on data from 1 July – 31 December 2020). Most customers pay more than this but some pay less.
Yes. You may start offering additional services that require you to use different skills or carry out different tasks. If you find yourself in this situation, it’s important to give us a call on 0333 043 8527 to update your policy before you take on this new work. If you don’t have the correct type of cover in place for the work you do, you may be unable to claim on your policy if something goes wrong.
Each insurer looks at CCJs and IVAs differently – some apply stricter rules than others, but having a CCJ or IVA doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to buy insurance.
This will depend on whether you have employers’ liability insurance in place. Public liability insurance is designed to protect your business against the consequences of legal action brought by members of the public for injuries or damage to their belongings. But when it comes to your employees causing injury or damage, this protection only activates if you also have employers’ liability insurance.
If you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance.
There’s one exception here. Family businesses that aren’t incorporated as a limited company are not legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. The government defines a “family business” as one where all your employees are closely related to you (as a spouse, civil partner, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, step-parent, stepchild or half-sibling). So if you run an unincorporated family business and you choose not to get employers’ liability insurance, it’s important to know that your public liability insurance wouldn’t cover you against damage or injury caused by your team.
We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always check policy documentation for details and seek professional advice. Read our full Terms and Conditions
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