What you need to know, in brief.
- Cautions and convictions stay on the Police National Computer (PNC) until you are 100 years old, but don’t always have to be disclosed.
- If you’re not sure what’s on your criminal record, you can apply for a copy of your police record (it’s free of charge and is known as a ‘Subject Access Request’.
- If you’re applying for a job which is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, you can apply for your own basic DBS disclosure to see exactly what an employer will see.
- The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act gives people with spent convictions and cautions the right not to have to disclose when applying for most jobs or buying insurance.
- For jobs involving standard and enhanced DBS checks you will usually need to disclose spent convictions and cautions unless they have been filtered by the DBS.
- Ancillary orders (for example restraining orders or Sexual Harm Prevention Orders) can extend the time it takes for a conviction to become spent.
- If you were arrested by the police but no further action was taken, this information won’t appear on a basic or standard DBS certificate. It may be disclosed on an enhanced DBS if the police believe it to be relevant.
- You can use our online tool to find out which of your cautions and/or convictions will appear on a basic, standard or enhanced DBS certificate.
Information & Advice Articles
How do I find out about my criminal record?
There are various ways you can find about about your criminal record. How you choose to go about it will depend on what you need to know.
Where do the police record details of your criminal record?
The police record details of cautions and convictions on the Police National Computer (PNC). The Police National Database (PND) holds records relating to criminal intelligence and domestic and child abuse.
Will a conviction I received when I was living abroad appear on the UK PNC?
It will depend on whether the offence is a crime under UK law and whether it is recordable in the UK.
Is it possible to have my convictions and relevant DNA details deleted?
Cautions and convictions remain on the PNC until you are 100 years old. There are some situations where the police may destroy biometric information (DNA and fingerprints).
How does the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act work?
This legislation enables people with spent cautions and/or convictions the right to withhold details of their criminal record in some situations (i.e. when applying for certain jobs).
How do I work out if my convictions are spent?
You’ll need to have the details of your conviction and the disposal you received.
How can criminal records be shared?
There are many ways that a criminal record can be shared. It could be for employment purposes, for risk assessments or by the media.
- Reporting of criminal records in the media
- How details of your criminal record may be disclosed to third parties under MAPPA and the Common Law Police Disclosure scheme
- MAPPA
- Child sex offender disclosure scheme – ‘Sarah’s Law’
- Domestic violence disclosure scheme – ‘Clare’s Law’
- Criminal convictions and data protection
Personal Stories
Hear directly from people with convictions about their experiences living as a law abiding person with criminal convictions.
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Do you need help & support with an issue you’re facing?
We provide support and advice for people in England and Wales who need guidance with either their own, or someone else’s, criminal record.
Please use the search box to start typing your issue. If you cannot find an answer to your problem then you’ll be given options to contact us directly.
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