Police check for residents in the ACT

Are you based in the ACT and need a police check? Get your police check online now.

Australian National Character Check™ (ANCC®) makes obtaining a nationally coordinated criminal history check easy for residents in the ACT.

The check supplied by ANCC is formally referred to as a nationally coordinated criminal history check. The check is valid Australia-wide including Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Our police check application for residents in the ACT can be completed securely from your computer, mobile or tablet.

70 percent of police checks are returned to applicants within 24 hours. Approximately 30 percent of checks may be referred to one or more police agencies and can take longer than 10 business days to be returned, due to the manual nature of this process.

ACT residents can make payment securely online via a credit card, debit card or by PayPal.

*If an applicant requires a check that is issued by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) e.g. for immigration or visa purposes, this can only be obtained directly through the Australian Federal Police (AFP) website. Australian National Character Check is not affiliated with the AFP and applicants must obtain one directly through their website. Applicants should allow a minimum of 10 business days for an AFP police check to be issued.

A nationally coordinated criminal history check lists an individual’s disclosable court outcomes (DCOs) sourced from the databases of all Australian police agencies.

Information is released by police agencies according to the spent convictions scheme and information release policies.

If you are asked to submit a police check in the ACT, there are multiple ways you can obtain one:

Option one: Applying online via an ACIC accredited body. A common and convenient method is to apply online through an accredited body like Australian National Character Check. 70 percent of police checks are returned to applicants in ACT within 24 hours. Approximately 30 percent of checks may be referred to one or more police agencies and can take longer than 10 business days to be returned, due to the manual nature of this process.

Items that you need to apply for a nationally coordinated criminal history check include:

• Personal details including all the names you are or have been known by, Date of Birth, Gender, five years of residential address history and other details as outlined in the online application form and informed consent form.
• Contact information including email address and mobile phone number.
• Proof of identity documents as listed on the application form. You will be required to provide four forms of identification and a biometric link.

Option two: The conventional method of applying for a police check in the ACT was to fill out and submit a paper-based application form with the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The AFP also has an online application process. Please visit the AFP website if you wish to apply for a check directly via the AFP. Australian National Character Check is not affiliated with the AFP and applicants must obtain a check directly through the AFP website if they wish to obtain an AFP police check.

It should be noted that 70 percent of checks are returned to applicants within 24 hours via email. Approximately 30 percent of checks can be referred to one or more police agencies in Australia and can take longer than 10 business days to be returned. This is due to the manual nature of this process.

If an application is marked for ‘manual processing’ by the national police checking service, issuance of the certificate can take longer than 10 business days to be returned. Manual processing may occur when part or all of an applicant’s data bears similarity with information on the police database. Manual processing does not necessarily result in a finding of a disclosable court outcome. The reasons behind a check being referred for manual processing may include and is not limited to:

• Common names;
• Missing or incomplete police information;
• A further perusal of the applicant’s identity;
• Related matches against the applicant’s details.

Applicants are required to allow sufficient time for their check to be processed.

A police check is a "point in time check”. The check is considered current as of the date of issue. The police check does not have a set expiry date.

The requesting authority or decision maker alone has the prerogative of informing you when to provide an updated police check according to their internal policies.

Generally, most organisations in the ACT do not accept a police check that is older than three (3) months from the date of issue.

Most workplaces request for a person’s nationally coordinated criminal history check before the person is offered employment or admission.

The nationally coordinated criminal history check issued by ANCC® can be conducted on:

• Persons seeking employment;
• Persons applying for a licence;
• Persons seeking a check for personal probity.

Applicants under 18 years of age must have consent from a parent or guardian on their application.

Please note that a police check for the purpose of immigration or visa must be obtained directly from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The nationally coordinated criminal history check means that criminal history is sourced from all Australian police databases. The information is disclosed by police according to the spent convictions legislation and information release policies.

Australian National Character Check (ANCC) is an accredited service approved by the Australian Federal Government to conduct nationally coordinated criminal history checks.

The check issued by is valid Australia-wide and hence also within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Our software systems provide an online solution for business and government clients that are based in the ACT to streamline their employment screening checks.

Contact our support team today to find out how Australian National Character Check can streamline police checks for your workplace.

All of our support team is based locally in Canberra (ACT).