What SRA authorisation actually involves

What "authorisation" actually means

Authorisation is the SRA's formal permission for your business — not just you as an individual — to deliver legal services. You may already hold a practising certificate, but the firm itself is a separate regulated entity that must be approved before it opens. The application is made through your mySRA account.

Step 1 — Choose your entity type

The SRA authorises three broad kinds of firm, and which one you are determines the forms and scrutiny that follow:

• Recognised sole practice — a solicitor practising on their own account, in their own name or under a trading name.
• Recognised body — a firm where all managers and owners are legally qualified (for example a partnership, LLP or company owned by lawyers).
• Licensed body (ABS) — an Alternative Business Structure with at least one non-lawyer manager or owner. These face additional scrutiny of the non-lawyer interests.

One important trap: if you trade through a limited company, that is not a sole practice. The company itself must be authorised as a recognised body (or licensed body). Decide your legal structure before you apply — see our guide to sole practice vs limited company.

Step 2 — Get your prerequisites in place

Whatever the entity type, the SRA expects every applicant firm to be able to demonstrate that it can:

• obtain qualifying professional indemnity insurance from a participating insurer (see getting PII cover right);
• nominate a COLP and a COFA (more on these below);
• identify all managers and owners, and seek approval for any the SRA considers need it;
• have at least one manager or employee — or procure an individual — who has practised as a lawyer for at least three years;
• meet obligations under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, including a written firm-wide risk assessment.

Step 3 — Appoint your COLP and COFA

Every authorised firm must have two compliance officers, and the SRA must approve them:

• The Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) is responsible for the firm's compliance with the SRA's Standards and Regulations and the terms of its authorisation.
• The Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA) is responsible for compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules — how you handle client money.

In a small firm one person can hold both roles, provided they are suitable and have the seniority and authority to discharge them. These are real responsibilities, not titles — choose deliberately.

Step 4 — Submit the application

The principal application form is the FA1, submitted via mySRA. Alongside it you will usually submit separate FA2 approval forms for individual role-holders — managers, owners and compliance officers — who require approval. Expect to upload supporting material such as your structure, your insurance evidence and your AML policy.

On fees, a new recognised body or sole practice pays a £200 application fee plus a regulatory fee that is pro-rated depending on where in the practising year you are authorised — the SRA invoices this during the process. Always check the current figures on the SRA's authorisation page before you budget.

Step 5 — Understand the timeline

The SRA aims to decide within 90 days of receiving a complete application, but it can take up to 180 days, particularly for ABS applications or where information is missing. The single biggest cause of delay is an incomplete application, so submit clean, complete forms and respond quickly to queries. Crucially, role-holders must be approved before they take up their positions — do not assume you can start trading the day you apply.

After you are authorised

Authorisation is the beginning of an ongoing relationship. You will need to keep your PII in force, renew your firm's authorisation each October, maintain and update your AML risk assessment, and notify the SRA of material changes — such as a change of COLP, COFA or address — promptly (within seven days for many changes). Build these obligations into your operating rhythm from day one rather than treating them as afterthoughts.

This article is general information, not legal advice, and SRA rules and fees change. Always confirm current requirements directly with the SRA before applying.

Sources & further reading

• SRA — Apply for authorisation of a new firm
• SRA — Firm authorisation guidance