What is the National Police Checking Service?

CrimTrac provides national police checking services for a range of organisations across the country. These services involve checking the police history of potential employees on behalf of employers, such as government agencies, and non-government organisations.

A national police check involves identifying and releasing any relevant police information subject to relevant spent convictions/non-disclosure legislation and/or information release polices.   CrimTrac facilitates about 2.9 million national police checks a year through a decentralised process involving all Australian police services evaluating relevant police records with a view to determining the type and extent of the police information that can be released.

All national police checks must be undertaken with the informed consent of the person being checked, unless the check is mandated by relevant legislation.

The process includes:

• Searching a central index containing names of persons of interest to police;
• Possible match(es) referred to the relevant police services for evaluation against their records; and
• Police issuing either a National Police Certificate for individual checks or providing the results to an accredited agency/third party either directly or through CrimTrac.

Australia-New Zealand exchange of criminal information

Following a successful six month trial, the sharing of information for criminal history checks between Queensland and New Zealand has been extended.

Australian Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice, Jason Clare, and New Zealand Minister of Justice, Judith Collins, agreed to extend the trial to July 2013. An agreement was reached in January 2012 between the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand to improve the exchange of criminal history information between the two countries.

For further information about the trial, please view the announcements from Jason Clare, Minister for Home Affairs and Justice:

Australia and New Zealand extend criminal history information sharing trial

Australia and NZ Agreement to Strengthen Criminal History Checks

Australia-New Zealand exchange of criminal history information trial begins

 

How do I obtain a National Police Check?

• Individual checks - If you are require an individual National Police check, go here
• Less than 500 checks - If your organisation requires fewer than 500 checks within a 3-year period, go here
• Greater than 500 Checks - If your organisation requires 500 or more checks within a 3-year period, go here

Accredited Agencies

Agencies that have completed the National Police Checking Service accreditation process are listed in the following document:

• NPCS Accredited Agencies List (PDF - 62KB)