The following information is not disclosed in an Australian police check:


  • Traffic offences are not criminal offences and are not disclosed unless the individual has been found guilty by a court.
  • An Australian national police check does not include information about spent convictions.

    A spent conviction means certain criminal convictions that are removed from a record following a period of good behaviour.

    The Spent Conviction Scheme applies to convictions for less serious Commonwealth, State, Territory and Foreign offences, and also covers pardons and quashed convictions. Importantly, any unauthorised disclosure and use of this information is also prohibited. Generally speaking, a spent conviction is:
    • A criminal offence older than five years, if convicted as a child
    • An offence older than ten years in any other case

      The above waiting periods are intended to demonstrate that the individual has been of good behaviour and has not re-offended during the five year or ten year period.

      More information about spent convictions can be found in the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission website.