National police check

What Information is Typically Stated on This Document?

Your criminal record check will only detail particular information about your criminal history, if you have one. Namely, it will state if you have any of the following to your name:

• Offences
• Records
• Disclosable court outcomes (DCOs)
• Court sentences
• Pending Australian cases within Australia

One notable consideration is that the above information will only be stated on your criminal history record if it falls within the guidelines outlined in the Spent Convictions Scheme. This Scheme provides that information about your conviction will be omitted if one of the following is true:

• You were an adult when you were convicted and a period of 10 years has already passed since your conviction, during which time you did not re-offend.
• You were a minor when you were convicted and a period of 5 years (or 3 years in NSW) has already passed since your conviction, during which time you did not re-offend.

What Other Names is a national police check Known By?

There are a number of different names that a national police check may be referred to by. Some examples include:

• Police check
• Police check Australia
• National Police Certificate
• National Police Clearance
• Police Clearance
• National Criminal History Check
• Police check Online
• Criminal Background Check
• Criminal Record Check
• Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check
• Police Clearance Certificate
• National Criminal Check

It is vital to familiarise yourself with such names because different companies, organisations,  and government departments and agencies may use any one of them to refer to a national police check.

It is also important to be aware of the fact that the name of a state or territory may be specified in the name.

For example, in New South Wales, this document may be called a police check NSW, NSW Criminal Record Check, NSW Police Clearance, and a Criminal Background Check in NSW.

Whereas, in Victoria, this document may be referred to as a police check VIC, a Victorian National Police Certificate, Police Clearance Certificate in Victoria, and a VIC Police Clearance, to name a few examples.

At Crime Check Australia, we provide police checks for each and every Australian state and territory. So we can help you to order yours, regardless of where you reside in Australia.

When is My National Police Certificate Valid Until?

A national police certificate is considered valid as long as the requesting party deems it so. The reason is that there is no expiry date noted on the actual document.

As such, it is up to each company, organisation, or government department or agency to decide the duration of time they will consider a police check to be admissible.

If you order a new national police certificate and submit it as soon as you are requested to do so, you will not need to worry about it being rejected as the results will be up to date.

If, however, you choose to hand in a copy of one that you ordered in the past, you will need to double-check if it will be deemed valid by the party requesting it.

Keep in mind that most companies, organisations, service providers, and public and private agencies only accept police checks that have been issued within the past 3 months.

So to be on the safe side, it is prudent to order a new set of results each time you are requested to provide a copy of your criminal record.

Are There Different Types of Police Clearance? Which One Should I Choose?

There are two main types of police clearance that are available:

• Employment
• Volunteer

An employment police clearance is designed for applicants who wish to engage in paid work.

A volunteer police clearance is specifically designed for applicants who wish to engage in unpaid work, namely, volunteering.

As the latter type is limited in its scope, unless you intend to become a volunteer, it is most likely that you will need to select the employment type.

If you are unsure which of the two types you require, make sure to confirm with the party requesting the police check.

It is crucial that you order the correct type as failure to do so may render you unable to:

• Proceed with your job, volunteer, student placement, or internship opportunity.
• Receive a certain visa or citizenship status.
• Proceed with your adoption or fostering application.

What Options Do I Have For Ordering Mine?

You have two main options at your disposal for ordering your police check in Australia. You can either do so at your local police station or online using an Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) accredited online provider of police checks (like Crime Check Australia).

The table below shows the key differences between ordering your police check at a police station versus using an ACIC accredited online provider.

As you can see, it is considerably more convenient and efficient to opt for an online provider like Crime Check Australia.

What Makes Crime Check Australia the Best Provider of Online police checks?

Our thousands of satisfied customers have experienced first-hand the many benefits of ordering a police check online with us.

We have worked hard to cement a strong reputation in providing all Australians with a quick, trouble-free, and 100% online way of ordering their nationally coordinated criminal history check.

As we are accredited by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) as an Official National Police Checking Service (NPCS) provider, we have the legal authority to both request and receive police checks on behalf of our customers. This is notable because unless a crime check is issued by an ACIC accredited provider, it will not be considered legitimate.

We have been in the business of providing national police checks for years, so we understand what separates a good customer experience from a great one. We know that applicants like you not only value their time and money, but also their reputation. That is why we have strived to continually improve our service so it is as straightforward and speedy as possible.

So the next time you need to order a legitimate national police check online, remember that you can rely on Crime Check Australia to get the job done quickly and without a hitch.

How Do I Get Started?

If you are ready to order your national police clearance with us, the good news is that the process couldn’t be easier.

All you need to do is click this link to get started. It typically takes just 5 minutes to complete our online form.

We have streamlined the entire process to 5 easy-to-follow steps, as detailed below:

1. Provide your personal details. You will need to provide your full legal name, contact details, select which type of police check you need, and provide some details about why you need one and the party requesting it.
2. Verification. We will verify your identity based on the information you provide.
3. Payment. Complete your order payment by credit or debit card on our secure 256-bit SSL encrypted online platform.
4. Upload mandatory documents. In order to process your order, you will need to provide copies of specific mandatory documents (see below for more information).
5. Confirm your order. Make sure to check that all of the details you have provided are correct and then confirm your order.

It’s really that simple! Once your order is confirmed, we can begin processing your police check right away.

Just take it from the 70% of our customers who received their results in just one business day!

We will notify you by email or SMS as soon as your results are ready, or if we have any updates about your application.

Police check Australia: What Mandatory Documents Do I Need to Provide?

Regardless of how you order your national police check — whether at a police station or online — Australian police agencies require all applicants to provide specific mandatory documents in order to complete their application.

There are a total of four mandatory documents you should be prepared to provide a copy of, as follow:

• 1 commencement document. Acceptable documents include your:
  • Full Australian Birth Certificate (not an extract or birth card).
  • Current Australian passport (not expired).
  • Australian Visa current at the time of entry to Australia as a resident or tourist.
  • ImmiCard issued by Immigration and Border Protection that enables you to prove your visa and/or migration status and enrol in services.
  • Certificate of Identity issued by Foreign Affairs and Trade to refugees and non-Australian citizens for entry to Australia.
  • Document of Identity issued by Foreign Affairs and Trade to Australian citizens or persons who have the nationality of a Commonwealth country for travel purposes.
  • Certificate of evidence of resident status.
• 1 primary document. Acceptable documents include your:
  • Current Australian drivers licence, learner permit, or provisional licence issued by a state or territory, showing your signature and/or photo and the same name as claimed.
  • Australian marriage certificate issued by a state or territory (church or celebrant-issued certificates are not accepted).
  • Current passport issued by a country other than Australia with a valid entry stamp or visa.
  • Current proof of age or photo identity card issued by an Australian Government agency in your name, with a signature and photo.
  • Current shooters or firearms licence showing a signature and photo (not minor or junior permit or licence).
  • Current student identification card with a signature or photo (only acceptable if you are under 18 years of age with no other Primary use in the Community Documents).
• 2 secondary documents. Acceptable documents include your:
  • Certificate of identity issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  • Document of identity issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  • Convention travel document secondary (United Nations) issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  • Foreign Government issued documents (for example, drivers licence).
  • Medicare Card.
  • Enrolment with the Australian Electoral Commission.
  • Security Guard or Crowd Control photo licence.
  • Evidence of right to an Australian Government Benefit (Centrelink or Veterans’ Affairs).
  • Consular Photo Identity Card issued by Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  • Photo Identity Card issued to an officer by a Police Force.
  • Photo Identity Card issued by the Australian Defence Force.
  • Photo Identity Card issued by the Australian Government or a state or territory government.
  • Aviation Security Identification Card.
  • Maritime Security Identification Card.
  • Credit Reference Check.
  • Australian Tertiary student photo identity document.
  • Australian secondary student photo identity document.
  • Certified Academic Transcript from an Australian University.
  • Trusted Referees report.
  • Bank Card.
  • Credit Card.

Additionally, you will need to provide us with a selfie holding one of the documents listed above. The document you choose must feature a photo of you.

The reason we require one is that as an online provider, it is the easiest way to verify your identity. Verifying your identity in this way allows us to confirm that you are who your documents say you are, and in turn, helps us to prevent cases of identity fraud.

I Have More Questions - How Can I Contact You?

If you have any other questions about our services or national police checks in general, take a read of the FAQ section on our homepage, as well as those on our state and territory information pages.

Alternatively, click here to fill out our contact form or email us at info@crimecheckaustralia.com.au with your query. One of the friendly customer service team members will get back to you shortly to answer any questions you have.