diff --git a/.env.demo b/.env.demo
index 65f82fdf..6c8dc303 100644
--- a/.env.demo
+++ b/.env.demo
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379/0
 EXTERNAL_HOSTNAME=docuelevate.example.com
 GOTENBERG_URL=http://gotenberg:3000
 ALLOW_FILE_DELETE=true  # Allow deletion of file records
+COMPLIANCE_ENABLED=true  # Enable compliance templates dashboard (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2)
 
 # **UI / Appearance**
 # Default colour scheme: system (follow OS), light, or dark
diff --git a/docs/ComplianceGuide.md b/docs/ComplianceGuide.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c85150c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/ComplianceGuide.md
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+# Compliance Templates Guide
+
+DocuElevate includes pre-built compliance templates for **GDPR**, **HIPAA**, and **SOC 2** that help you configure your instance to meet regulatory requirements. This guide covers how to use the compliance dashboard, apply templates, and monitor your compliance status.
+
+## Overview
+
+The compliance templates feature provides:
+
+- **Pre-built configurations** for GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2
+- **One-click apply** to configure all required settings at once
+- **Compliance status dashboard** to monitor your regulatory posture
+- **Individual check results** showing which settings are compliant and which need attention
+
+## Accessing the Dashboard
+
+The compliance dashboard is available to **admin users only**.
+
+1. Log in as an administrator
+2. Click **Admin** in the navigation bar
+3. Select **Compliance** from the dropdown menu
+
+Or navigate directly to: `/admin/compliance`
+
+## Available Templates
+
+### GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
+
+The European Union regulation for data protection and privacy. The GDPR template enforces:
+
+| Setting | Value | Purpose |
+|---------|-------|---------|
+| `AUTH_ENABLED` | `True` | Controls access to personal data |
+| `SENTRY_SEND_DEFAULT_PII` | `False` | Prevents PII leaking to external services |
+| `SECURITY_HEADERS_ENABLED` | `True` | Protects against common web vulnerabilities |
+| `SECURITY_HEADER_HSTS_ENABLED` | `True` | Ensures encrypted connections |
+| `SECURITY_HEADER_CSP_ENABLED` | `True` | Prevents XSS and injection attacks |
+| `SECURITY_HEADER_X_FRAME_OPTIONS_ENABLED` | `True` | Prevents clickjacking |
+| `ENABLE_DEDUPLICATION` | `True` | Data minimisation — avoids duplicate storage |
+
+### HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
+
+United States regulation for protecting health information. The HIPAA template includes all GDPR settings plus:
+
+| Setting | Value | Purpose |
+|---------|-------|---------|
+| `MULTI_USER_ENABLED` | `True` | Individual accounts for access accountability |
+
+### SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2)
+
+Trust Service Criteria framework for service organisations. The SOC 2 template includes the same settings as HIPAA, mapped to SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria (CC6.x, PI1.x).
+
+## Applying a Template
+
+1. Navigate to the **Compliance** dashboard (`/admin/compliance`)
+2. Find the template you want to apply (GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC 2)
+3. Click **Apply Template**
+4. Confirm the action in the dialog
+5. The template settings are written to the database immediately
+
+> **Note:** Applying a template writes configuration values to the database. Some settings (e.g., security headers) may require a restart to take effect. Check the Settings page for restart indicators.
+
+## Understanding Compliance Status
+
+Each template shows one of four statuses:
+
+| Status | Badge | Meaning |
+|--------|-------|---------|
+| **Compliant** | Green | All checks are passing |
+| **Partial** | Yellow | Some checks are passing, others are not |
+| **Non-Compliant** | Red | No checks are passing |
+| **Not Applied** | Grey | Template has never been applied |
+
+### Individual Checks
+
+Click **Show Details** on any template card to see individual check results:
+
+- ✅ **Passing** — The setting matches the expected compliance value
+- ❌ **Failing** — The setting does not match; the current and expected values are shown
+
+## API Endpoints
+
+The compliance feature exposes the following API endpoints under `/api/compliance/`:
+
+### List Templates
+
+```bash
+GET /api/compliance/templates
+```
+
+Returns all compliance templates with their current status.
+
+### Get Single Template
+
+```bash
+GET /api/compliance/templates/{name}
+```
+
+Returns a single template by name (`gdpr`, `hipaa`, or `soc2`).
+
+### Apply Template
+
+```bash
+POST /api/compliance/templates/{name}/apply
+```
+
+Applies a compliance template, writing all its settings to the database.
+
+### Get Template Status
+
+```bash
+GET /api/compliance/templates/{name}/status
+```
+
+Evaluates the live compliance status of a template against current settings.
+
+**Response example:**
+
+```json
+{
+  "status": "partial",
+  "total": 7,
+  "passed": 5,
+  "failed": 2,
+  "check_results": [
+    {
+      "key": "auth_enabled",
+      "label": "Authentication enabled",
+      "description": "User authentication must be enabled to control access to personal data.",
+      "expected": "True",
+      "actual": "True",
+      "passing": true
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+### Compliance Summary
+
+```bash
+GET /api/compliance/summary
+```
+
+Returns an overall compliance summary across all templates.
+
+**Response example:**
+
+```json
+{
+  "overall_status": "partial",
+  "total_checks": 22,
+  "total_passed": 18,
+  "total_failed": 4,
+  "templates": [
+    {
+      "name": "gdpr",
+      "display_name": "GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)",
+      "enabled": true,
+      "status": "compliant",
+      "total": 7,
+      "passed": 7,
+      "failed": 0,
+      "applied_at": "2026-03-09T12:00:00+00:00",
+      "applied_by": "admin@example.com"
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+> **Note:** All API endpoints require admin authentication.
+
+## Configuration
+
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `COMPLIANCE_ENABLED` | `True` | Enable the compliance templates dashboard. Set to `False` to hide the feature. |
+
+## Best Practices
+
+1. **Apply templates before going live** — Set up compliance before processing real documents
+2. **Monitor status regularly** — Check the compliance dashboard after configuration changes
+3. **Use the refresh button** — After changing settings elsewhere, refresh the compliance page to see updated status
+4. **Combine templates** — You can apply multiple templates; settings overlap is handled automatically
+5. **Review after updates** — After upgrading DocuElevate, review your compliance status as new checks may be added
+
+## Related Documentation
+
+- [Configuration Guide](./ConfigurationGuide.md) — Full list of configuration options
+- [Privacy & Compliance Guide](./PrivacyCompliance.md) — Privacy notice and GDPR compliance details
+- [Deployment Guide](./DeploymentGuide.md) — Production deployment with security best practices
+- [Security Audit](../SECURITY_AUDIT.md) — Security findings and mitigations
diff --git a/docs/ConfigurationGuide.md b/docs/ConfigurationGuide.md
index 009dc5a9..fb2bdc8a 100644
--- a/docs/ConfigurationGuide.md
+++ b/docs/ConfigurationGuide.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ Configuration is primarily done through environment variables specified in a `.e
 | `GOTENBERG_URL`        | Gotenberg PDF processing URL.                           | `http://gotenberg:3000`        |
 | `EXTERNAL_HOSTNAME`    | The external hostname for the application.             | `docuelevate.example.com`      |
 | `ALLOW_FILE_DELETE`    | Enable file deletion in the web interface (`true`/`false`). | `true`                      |
+| `COMPLIANCE_ENABLED`   | Enable the compliance templates dashboard (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2). | `true`                      |
 
 ### Batch Processing Settings