Police Clearance - Australian National Character Check

What is included on a Police Clearance?

A police clearance certificate is a collation of police and conviction history information about an individual that has been determined releasable by Australian government agencies.

A police record check contains the results of your Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check application and disclosable court outcomes (if any).

How can employers verify the results of a Police Clearance?

Employers that wish to verify the contents of a police clearance check can do so through the verify a check feature. Simply enter the certificate verification code that will be found on the top right hand corner of the national police check.

Why do employers ask for a Police Clearance?

For many industries, conducting police clearance checks is a mandatory requirement, however, in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of criminal clearance checks conducted as more organisations conduct police clearance checks as a proactive measure as part of their risk management process. The benefits include promoting a safe working environment, mitigating risks to the organisation and protecting the people, property and reputation of an organisation.

Is this Police Clearance Certificate different from the Police Clearance at a local police station?

Local Australian police stations and Australian National Character Check access the same central government database to issue criminal record check results.

There is no difference in the legitimacy of a national police clearance issued by a local police station and a police check online by Australian National Character Check. You may notice small differences in the formatting of the certificate, however both are equally valid.

Applicants that apply through Australian National Character Check do however experience the substantial difference in speed and efficiency when obtaining their police check online. Majority of police clearance checks are returned to applicants within one to three business days. Results are emailed on the same business day they are received and instant sms notifications are also sent. Overall, applicants save time and cost when applying for their police clearance certificate online.

Where is my Police Clearance valid?

The police clearance certificate is valid Australia wide, in all Australian states and territories. When you apply for a nationally coordinated criminal history check, in essence you are also applying for the following:

Police Check New South Wales (NSW)
Police Check Victoria (VIC)
Police Check Western Australia (WA)
Police Check Queensland (QLD)
Police Clearance South Australia (SA)
Police Check Tasmania (TAS)
Police Check Northern Territory (NT)
Police Check Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

How much does a Police Clearance Cost?

The base price for a police clearance application is $46.00. Applicants have the option to pay via credit card, debit card or PayPal. Business customers can pay for multiple checks via credit card, debit card, PayPal or bank deposit.

How can employers include Police Clearances as part of their hiring process?

Employers can register with Australian National Character Check to create a business customer portal account.

The portal sends the police clearance request directly to the applicant. National police clearances can easily be sorted and results are available directly to the employer with the applicant’s consent.

The organisation can decide whether they will be paying for the police clearance certificate, or if the applicant will pay.