A nationally coordinated criminal history check records an individual's disclosable criminal offences and convictions with outcomes including pending charges obtained from the databases of all Australian police agencies.

Residents of South Australia can apply through ANCC's secure online application form and get their check online.

The check contains releasable court data and outcomes sourced from the databases of all Australian police agencies.

Disclosable court outcomes (DCOs) can include and are not limited to:

• Releasable convictions and findings of guilt.
• Traffic infringements such as drunk or drug driving or excessive speeding for which an individual has been convicted.

Information on nationally coordinated criminal history checks is released in accordance with the spent convictions scheme and information release policies.

The spent convictions legislation and information release policies vary throughout the states and territories of Australia.

For information on how the spent convictions scheme or information release policies will apply to a nationally coordinated criminal history check, please refer to the 'legislation' section of the (ACIC) website.

A nationally coordinated criminal history check is a point-in-time check valid until the issue date. There is no set expiry date for a nationally coordinated criminal history check.

Decision makers generally request a nationally coordinated criminal history check in SA to obtain a summary of a person's criminal background (if any).

Only decision-makers can determine the period that will elapse before an updated nationally coordinated criminal history check is required.

Most employers and decision-makers in South Australia (SA) do not accept a nationally coordinated criminal history check that is older than three months. This, however, will depend on each organisation and its internal risk-mitigating strategies.

If you have been asked to provide a nationally coordinated criminal history check, there are two main ways of applying:

Option One: You can apply for a nationally coordinated criminal history check online through an ACIC-approved agency like ANCC. The process is completed online via a secure online application form. ANCC's checks are suitable for employment.

Option Two: You can apply for a police certificate through the South Australian Police Force (SAPOL) website.

Applicants who apply through ANCC do experience a substantial difference in speed and efficiency when obtaining their nationally coordinated criminal history check online.

Seventy per cent of nationally coordinated criminal history checks get returned to applicants within 24 hours. Approximately 30 per cent of checks will be referred to one or more police agencies in Australia (including agencies outside of SA).

Checks referred for manual processing due to a potential match will take longer to get returned due to the manual nature of this process.

• The first page of the application consists of your legal name and the purpose for which you are applying for the check;
• The remaining pages consist of your other details (previous known names, gender, address history, place of birth and more);
• Proof of identity documents.

Search for and then click on the Australian National Character Check online application form.

• Complete the first page of the application form;
• Fill out and complete the online application form (with the correct details);
• Read and sign the informed consent;
• South Australian applicants will receive their check results via email. An applicant can also request a hard copy of the certificate, which gets sent via Australia Post.

A commonly asked question for applicants based in Adelaide or other parts of South Australia is regarding check processing times.

Approximately 70 per cent of applicants will receive their nationally coordinated criminal history check results within 24 hours. However, a nationally coordinated criminal history check application can automatically get flagged for 'manual processing' which will delay the person's application by 10 or more days. Manual processing occurs for around 30 per cent of applications.

A manual review for a nationally coordinated criminal history check occurs when there is a likelihood of a correlation between an applicant's information and the police criminal database. An official from one or more police agencies must peruse the records before a result can be released.

Just because an application gets referred for manual processing does not necessarily mean they have a criminal history.

There is likely an individual in the country with the same or similar name (and date of birth) to the applicant who is of interest to Australian police agencies.

Unfortunately, ANCC cannot see beforehand if an application will be flagged for manual review.

Our software system will automatically notify the applicant via email when this occurs.

ANCC is an accredited service approved by the Australian Federal Government to conduct nationally coordinated criminal history checks.

The nationally coordinated criminal history check issued by Australian National Character Check is valid Australia-wide and, hence, also within South Australia (SA).

Australian National Character Check (ANCC) provides a reliable online solution for local Australian businesses and Australian government bodies that are based in South Australia to streamline nationally coordinated criminal history checks when hiring or recruiting staff.

The ANCC Business Portal is used by businesses, enterprises and government bodies all over Australia.

Please contact us today to find out how we can streamline nationally coordinated criminal history checks for your SA-based organisation.