Can Security Guards Legally Use Handcuffs in the UK?

Yes - there's no UK law that bans a security guard from carrying or using handcuffs.

The Security Industry Authority has confirmed this directly: in a 2020 FOI response, the SIA stated it neither endorses nor declines to endorse handcuff use, and that SIA-licensed operatives have no legal powers over and above any other civilian.

That's the key point. A security guard's right to use handcuffs comes from the same general power any member of the public has - not from their SIA licence. In practice, that means handcuffs can only be applied as part of a lawful citizen's arrest (Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s24A) or in self-defence or defence of others under the Criminal Law Act 1967.

The SIA's own guidance is explicit that using handcuffs without being able to show the use was reasonable and proportionate to the circumstances could itself amount to a criminal offence. Whether a guard carries them at all is then a matter for their employer's policy, not a licensing requirement.

Related: Do Security Guards Need Training to Use Handcuffs?

Stand2's Handcuffing & Soft Restraints course covers exactly this legal framework in full, alongside the practical skills to apply it safely.