Do Police Checks Expire?
A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (formerly known as a Australian National Police Check) or an Australian Federal Police (AFP) Check is requested for many purposes. It involves a criminal record check on an individual to disclose police information on any disclosable criminal history of an individual. The question is often asked – do Police Checks expire?
How Long Is A Police Check Valid For?
There is no standard period of time that a check remains valid for – the Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check is a point in time record
However it will not be available for viewing printing or e-sharing on your Worker Checks Portal 3 months after it is issued.
As per Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) Worker Checks
must not provide to the Applicant or any third party, a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check after 3 months have passed since it was issued by the ACIC, except where required by Law or with the prior written consent of the ACIC.
The information contained in the document is only accurate up to the date and time of issue. The information may become outdated quickly – for example if an offence took place after the certificate was issued.
What Does Point In Time Mean?
Any check – an Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check, an AFP Check or an International Police Check is classed as a ‘point in time’ check. A point in time check means that the information is only in date as of that moment. If a person commits an offence the day after receiving their police check certificate, this latest offence will not be included in the information. For this reason, police checks should be renewed regularly depending on the reason they are being used.
What Does A Police Check Result Look Like?
The National Police Checking Service generates a report containing the individual’s check results. An example copy of the document can be found on the website of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
Some reports may include branding from whichever accredited service provider the applicant used, but the police information and check results must remain the same as they are found on police databases.
The document will state the following information:
- The date that the check was issued
- An outline of the police check process
- Details of the applicant (name, birth date, birth place etc.)
- The outcome of the results, either NDCO (No Disclosable Court Outcomes) or DCO (Disclosable Court Outcomes) and the details of the offence
Is A Police Check Valid For Multiple Jobs?
An Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check cannot be used for multiple jobs. As every police check requires the reason for requesting the document, the results can differ. Police authorities need complete disclosure of the reason behind a police check, so that they are able to assess the individual correctly, and apply the correct legislation. The fact that the check is job specific or purpose specific, means it is not suitable for reusing for different jobs.
Different legislation and information release policies apply to different occupations. Usually for child-related work, all prior convictions and charges will be released in the police check results. Alternatively, a check request submitted for an office worker would not require the same disclosure of certain past offences.
It is important to note, that in the time that a person works for one particular company, they could have received a charge on their record since their last police check when moving to a new company. Companies should always request a fresh police check to ensure the applicant’s police history is up to date and any new offences are recorded and acknowledged appropriately.
Jobs Within The Same Company
In Australia, the Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check is part of the screening procedure for employees joining a company or organisation. On many occasions, an existing employee might seek to change roles within the company, whether for a promotion, a career change or to gain new skills.
In this case, the employee, although having already provided police clearance when they first joined the company, may need to obtain a new check. Despite the company remaining the same, a different role brings different risks. It’s important that current employees are vetted before switching roles.
It is possible that since beginning their job with the company, new information has been added to their criminal record. A new check will reveal any recent offences which could affect their suitability for the different role.
Is A Police Check Valid For Multiple Purposes?
A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check in Australia is not valid for multiple purposes. Each case should be individually assessed to ensure the right protocol is applied. A police check is only accurate up to the date it is received. As with employment screening, the same applies to any other purpose a police check is used for. A background check for the purpose of obtaining licences and registrations, voluntary work, immigration purposes, visa applications and adoption purposes each require a unique police check to assess the individual for the correct reasons. This not only assures the security of others, but ensures that you, the applicant, is assessed fairly.
Ongoing Employee Screening
In some industries, ongoing employee screening is in place. For example, in the aged care sector, a renewed police check is required typically every three months. This keeps information up to date, and again acts as a preventative measure for putting others in the community at risk.
If a person is employed and is currently involved with the police for whatever reason, they should communicate the situation with their employer if it could have an impact on their career.
Do Criminal Records Expire?
In Australia, criminal records do not expire. An individual’s record will never be erased completely, however, for some convictions, there is a time frame for how long an offence must be disclosed for. All states and territories in Australia have legislation which limits the disclosure or certain information after a certain amount of time. This is known as the spent convictions scheme or spent convictions legislation.
The period of time after an offence is known as the ‘waiting period’. This is the time after an offence occurred in which the individual does not commit any further offences. In Australia, this tends to be 10 years for crimes committed as an adult, and 5 years for crimes committed as a minor. After the waiting period, the conviction becomes ‘spent’. The conviction still exists, but it will not be disclosed on an Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check, unless under certain circumstances where the information is mandatory for safety reasons. A spent conviction will be spent automatically.
I Need A New Police Check. How Do I Get One?
All police checks can be obtained online through Worker Checks, as follows:
- Australian Federal Police Check (AFP Check),
- Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check
- Overseas or International Police Check
All applications can be completed 100% online.
Does A Police Check Ever Expire?
In short, an Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check does not expire, but it will only be available for viewing, printing or e-sharing from your Worker Checks portal for 3 months after the certificate is originally issue. should not be relied upon for a long period of time. Much can change for any individual over time, and it is vital that new police history is recorded accurately.
It is important that organisations request recent police checks (<3 months) to ensure accuracy and validity, to continue to support the security that any Police Check provides.
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