A police certificate of conduct contains information about you held in police databases.

An ordinary police certificate of conduct lists most sanctions for all types of criminal offences within a given period of time.

The following information is included:

prison sentences of 6 months or less – if the sentence was imposed 3 years or less prior to the issue of the certificate
prison sentences of more than 6 months – if you were released
less than 10 years prior to the issue of the certificate
suspended prison sentences – if the sentence was imposed 3 years or less prior to the issue of the certificate
sentences of preventive detention or preventive supervision – if you were released less than 10 years prior to the issue of the certificate
community sentences or community service sentences – if the alternative prison sentence is 6 months or less
judgments passed 3 years or less prior to the issue of the certificate
community sentences or community service sentences – if the alternative prison sentence exceeds 6 months and the community sentence was served less than 10 years prior to the issue of the certificate
youth sentences – if the sentence was imposed 3 years or less prior to the issue of the certificate
fines for criminal offences carrying a maximum penalty of more than 6 months' imprisonment – included for three years from the date on which the fine was accepted
sentences of committal to psychiatric care
sentences of committal to care or preventive supervision – if the sanction was lifted less than 10 years prior to the issue of the certificate
sentences of loss of rights for limited periods of time – if the sanction was lifted less than 10 years prior to the issue of the certificate
sentences of permanent loss of rights – always included

The following information is not included:

suspended prison sentences which are not yet final
fines for criminal offences carrying a maximum penalty of 6 months' imprisonment
fixed penalty notices
waivers of prosecution
cases remitted to the National Mediation Service for mediation
cases transferred to the Child Welfare Service
confiscation orders, for instance for driving licences
orders of personal examinations or forensic psychiatric examinations

If you have several convictions for serious criminal offences resulting in:

prison sentences of 6 months or more
preventive supervision
preventive detention
committal to psychiatric care or committal to care

– all the convictions are included in the certificate, even if only one of them should be included under the 10-year time-limit. In other words, one of the convictions must fall within the time-limit.

Examples of loss of rights are the loss of the right to occupy a position or engage in an enterprise or activity. Another example is restraining orders.

Two exceptions for young offenders

Did you commit a criminal offence before you turned 18? If so, the following will not be included in your certificate:

fines or suspended prison sentences – if the offence was committed more than 2 years prior to the issue of the certificate
community sentences with an alternative prison sentence of more than 6 months or a youth sentence – if the offence was committed more than 5 years prior to the issue of the certificate

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Why do you need a police certificate of conduct?

How long is the police certificate of conduct valid for?

What type of police certificate of conduct do you need?

Information included in an ordinary police certificate of conduct

Information included in an exhaustive police certificate of conduct

Information included in an extended police certificate of conduct

Information included in a limited police certificate of conduct