In Australia, criminal background checks can be obtained from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) and state or territory police departments, including the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The ACIC facilitates the Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) and the AFP facilitates National Police Certificates. While similar in many aspects, each of these checks has distinct characteristics and purposes.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) administers the National Police Checking Service which facilitates access to police information (as provided and maintained by Australian police agencies) in accordance with relevant Australian legislation. The National Police Checking Service provides access to Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checksacross all Australian states and territories. It aggregates data from various state and territory police services. It’s broadly used for Australian candidates for employment, volunteering, licencing and probity checking.

As an Accredited Agency, we’re required to have all customers using the National Police Checking Service approved by the ACIC. Customers are also required to agree to and sign a Terms of Use agreement.  Candidates must provide specific information for each request for a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check, including specific identification and consent.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is Australia’s national policing agency responsible for enforcing Commonwealth (federal) laws and laws of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The AFP offers a National Police Certificate  based on national records, including data from all Australian states and territories. A National Police Certificate is most often used for purposes relating to federal government positions or Australian government roles, National Police Certificates for non-Australian candidates , certain immigration and visa applications, and national security clearances. Candidates must provide consent to obtain a National Police Certificate, along with 100 points of identification.

Yes. Certn’s wholly owned subsidiary, InterCheck Global Pty Ltd (trading as Intercheck Australia and Certn) is an Accredited Agency with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) to access the National Police Checking Service, we provide Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks (NCCHCs). We also have an account with the Australian Federal Police to provide National Police Certificates.

Yes. We’re able to provide criminal history background checks for every organisation and individual requiring a check, including those working in regulated sectors. These include, but aren’t limited to: aged care workers, finance licensing, mortgage licencing, and ASIC licencing.

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) or a National Police Certificate may reveal the following:

• Criminal Convictions: Any recorded convictions for criminal offences across all Australian states and territories. This includes both current and past convictions.
• Court Findings: Findings of guilt or court outcomes related to criminal offences, including those where the conviction may have been recorded as a “spent conviction” in certain circumstances.
• Pending Charges: Information on any pending criminal charges that haven’t yet been adjudicated or resolved in court.
• Spent Convictions: Information about spent convictions, if applicable. In Australia, certain convictions may become spent and are not typically disclosed on police checks after a specified period, provided the individual meets certain conditions. However, for some roles, such as working with vulnerable groups or in sensitive positions, spent convictions may still be revealed.
• Summons and Warrants: Records of any outstanding summonses or warrants related to criminal matters.

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) and a National Police Certificate doesn’t show the following:

• Non-Criminal Information: Personal information unrelated to criminal history, such as employment details or financial information.
• Non-Conviction Records: Information about arrests or investigations that didn’t result in a conviction, unless there’s a specific legal requirement in the relevant police jurisdiction to release the information, or if the checks are for sensitive roles where such information might be included.
• Certain Spent Convictions: In some cases, spent convictions may not appear on the report, depending on the legal and policy requirements for disclosure.

To undertake a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) or obtain a National Police Certificate, you have to provide us with the full name, date of birth, and email address of the candidate. You can’t run a check on someone without their permission, so the proper written consent is essential. It’s mandatory for an employer to acquire an employee or candidate’s consent before conducting a background check.

The candidate will be required to provide specific information and also provide copies of their ID to allow us to facilitate the check.

Turnaround times vary based on the candidate’s responsiveness, their personal details and history. Around 70% of  NCCHC background checks and National Police Certificates are returned within 1-5 days of the request being submitted, but timeframes longer than this can occur.  More common names often take a little longer to process, along with any name matches.  Name matches are subject to further review by the police jurisdiction where the match has been identified.

We don’t provide any advice around hiring decisions. While we will provide a comprehensive set of background checking reports outlining relevant information, the actual decision to proceed with hiring a potential candidate is your business decision. Our background checks reports help support your decision making process and help to mitigate HR risks.

Click here for more answers to frequently asked questions about Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks and police checks in Australia.