How to get a police check in Western Australia (WA)

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Australian National Character Check (ANCC) makes every effort to provide updated and accurate information to its customers. However due to the continuously changing nature of legislations for the Commonwealth and various States and Territories, it is inevitable that some information may not be up to date. The information on the website is general information only. The contents on the website do not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal or professional advice. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, suitability, accuracy or availability with respect to the information.

If you are living in Western Australia, many documents are necessary for any of your dealings. For all those seeking roles, a police history check is a common requirement in any of the following sectors;

• Paid employments
• Accreditations
• Licensing, and co

The Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check is a nationwide document that carries a search of all disclosable court outcomes in every state and territory of Australia.

How to apply for a police check?

The importance of the police check has made it increasingly easy over the years to get your results. Now, candidates can apply online via portals like ANCC (Australian National Character Check). It has become the most popular method of application for candidates based .

• Online application

With your PC, Tablets and mobile devices, anyone can apply via the online process for Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check. Most successful applicants get their results within 48 hours with the remaining who get referred for manual processing taking longer to process.

Payments, ID verification, and form filling are completely online, it does not require the physical presence of the individual.

One of the easiest ways to apply online is via the Australian National Character Check (ANCC)

• Local Police Office

The Local police office also issues and returns valid criminal history check certificates to successful applicants. However, you may have to apply at your local police office for ID verifications. Therefore, there will be physical interactions (for ID verification).

Some organisations may specify that they prefer the police check results given in a police office.

Applicants applying for their criminal history check via a police office should allow at least 10 business for the result.

• Local Post office

The local post office is another place any willing candidate can start an application. However, the applicant must submit their required IDs to be verified at the post office and the process may require in-person attendance.

What IDs do I need to apply for a police check ?

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check certificate contains the current records of the holder’s convictions history compared from the police and criminal database. Therefore applicants must provide accurate details of the requested information.

The information you provide must have corroboration in the form of ID documents for the nationally coordinated criminal history check.

The information you need to complete the application form include;

• Your full name
• Date of Birth
• Address(es) for 5 years.
• A verifiable photograph should be present in any of the IDs you provide.

For In-person applications, the IDs you will provide are based on four forms of identification.

Generally, these ID documents are divided into 4 categories with a minimum of 1 from each category;

1. One (1) Commencement of ID document;
• ✔ Australian birth certificate issued by the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (Australian Government Unit) - not an extract or birth card
• ✔ Australian Citizenship Certificate
• ✔ Australian visa (supported by a foreign passport) current at the time of entry into Australia as a resident or touris
• ✔ Australian passport (not expired; however, if the Document Verification System (DVS) is used to verify the passport, it may be up to 3 years expired)
• ✔ ImmiCard issued by the Department of Home Affairs


2. One (1) Primary Use in Community Document;
• ✔ Australian passport (not expired; however, if the Document Verification System (DVS) is used to verify the passport, it may be up to 3 years expired)
• ✔ An Australian driver licence, learner permit or provisional licence issued by a State or Territory, showing signature and/or photo
• ✔ ImmiCard issued by the Department of Home Affairs to assist visa holders to provide evidence of their Commencement of Identity in Australia
• ✔ A passport issued by a country other than Australia with a valid visa or valid entry stamp or equivalent
• ✔ Proof of age or photo identity card issued by an Australian government agency which shows the name, date of birth, photo and signature of the individual
• ✔ For persons aged under 18 years with no other Primary Use in Community Documents, a student identity document issued by an Australian government agency or Australian school only.


3. Two (2) Secondary Use in Community Document;
• ✔ Medicare card
• ✔ Enrolment with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)
• ✔ Working with children or vulnerable people card issued by an Australian state or territory government unit;
• ✔ Tax File Number issued by the Australian Taxation Office
• ✔ Bank card, credit card (without recording the payment card number/s)
• ✔ Australian secondary or tertiary student photo identity document
• ✔ Certified academic transcript from an Australian university
• ✔ Foreign government issued driver licence. Documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by a NAATI accredited translation
• ✔ Firearms licence
• ✔ Security Guard/Crowd Control photo licence
• ✔ Evidence of right to a government benefit (DVA or Centrelink)
• ✔ Police Force Officer photo identity card
• ✔ Australian Defence Force photo identity card
• ✔ Aviation security identification card
• ✔ Maritime security identification card
• ✔ Credit reference check
• ✔ Trusted referees report

How long does police checking take?

If you applied for a police check, you may be plagued by the common fear that grips other candidates; Why is my police check result taking so long to come out?

Furthermore, most people erroneously conclude an extended checking period means the candidate has failed their police check. However, this is far from the truth, there are lots of reasons why your police record check may take long;

• Manual review

On some rare occasions, the check algorithm may flag an application for "manual review". It means an official must personally supervise the checking process. Sadly, this can extend the period by 5-10 working days.

Some common causes for manual reviews are;

• Shared names on the application or a common name. E.g. John Gary Smith with a DOB of 05/02/1999 will be referred for a manual review with Jon Gary Smythe with a DOB of 05/03/1999 has a criminal record. Both have similar names and date of birth so it is necessary for the application to be manually reviewed.
• Frequent change of addresses
• Error in application data
• Pending infractions from other agencies, and co


• Numerous Criminal databases to make checks

if an applicant has lived in numerous States and Territories, the checking resource is wider. A police criminal check compares data from all Police and Criminal databases as it relates to the individual. It can also delay a police history check result by a further 10 business days.

Is my police check a one-time check?

Your police check is not a once-for-all check and will need renewals within reasonable timeframes. There are "activities'' always going on in police criminal history for applicants;

• The individual may get another conviction
• Some offences repealed, and so on.

The interested party should always know about the “changes” in your police check. Further to this, police checks do not have a set expiry date. They are a point in time check and are valid up until the date of issue.

What are the steps to apply for a police check online?

If you need a police check, an online application is your easiest and fastest channel. With these few steps, you can complete your national police history check application;

1. Select the “Start a new police check” button on the portal of Australian National Character Check.
2. Complete the application form provided with accurate details of the examples listed above
3. Fill in all contact details and extra information required on the police check. Cross-check previous data you entered.
4. Select and fill the purpose of the application; e.g. probity checks, checks for employment, checks for licensing or accreditation, checks for the finance sector, and so on.
5. Complete payments via any of the online options; PayPal, Debit/Credit card, and co
6. Provide the requested Identification documents by;
• Taking photos
• Scanning and uploading
• Mailing copies (Post/Police office)
7. Send all IDs before you can finally submit the check application
8. Sign the informed consent online before submitting the application
9. Use our “Track a police check” option on the website to track the status of the application. The certificates are also downloadable.
10. Get an electronic copy of the result. It is sent to the Email address on your application.

Why you should get a police check in the state of WA

Lots of organisations and HR systems are incorporating the Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check as an official risk mitigation strategy. While it does not foretell that an individual will do great at their roles, it provides unrivalled details of the candidates’ character/behaviours/social and corporate interactions.

Furthermore for roles like

• Healthcare services
• Special Legal services
• Working with vulnerable populations
• Education background checks and other types of teachers
• Commercial Vehicle drivers
• School Bus drivers
• Aged care services

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