How Long Is A Police Check Valid For in Australia?

How Long Is a Police Check Valid For in Australia? #

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) — commonly referred to as a National Police Check — does not have a set expiry date in Australia.
It is considered a “point-in-time” record, meaning the results are accurate only on the day the check is issued.

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🕒 How Long You Can Access Your Police Check #

Once your check is complete, you’ll have access to your results in your Worker Checks portal for 3 months.
During this period, you can view, download, print, or securely share your police check certificate.

After 3 months, the certificate will no longer be available online for security and compliance reasons.

⚠️ Important:
There is no fixed validity period for a police check. However, most employers, licensing bodies, and government agencies require a new check every 6–12 months, depending on their internal risk or compliance policies.

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📜 ACIC Rules and Compliance #

In accordance with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC):

“Accredited bodies such as Worker Checks must not provide to the applicant or any third party a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check after three months have passed since it was issued by the ACIC — except where required by law, or with prior written consent from the ACIC.”

This ensures that all distributed checks remain compliant with federal data-protection and privacy laws.

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📅 Understanding Police Check Validity vs. Access #

Aspect	Meaning
Validity	Your police check reflects your criminal record status at the exact date and time of issue. It may become outdated if offences occur after that date.
Access period	You can access, view, and share your certificate for 3 months in your Worker Checks portal.
Re-check requirement	Organisations may request an updated check at any time, particularly when renewing employment, licensing, or accreditation.

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💡 Why Police Checks Are “Point in Time” #

Because criminal history information can change, police checks cannot be “ongoing.”
A new offence recorded after your certificate is issued will not appear on your previous check.
That’s why many employers or regulatory bodies require periodic re-checks to maintain compliance.

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🔗 Related Articles #

• What Identification Is Required for a Police Check?
• Re-ordering a Police Check with Worker Checks ›

Still Need Help? #

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