The New Police
Vetting Rules 2026
On 13 July 2026 police vetting for new officers moved from guidance into law. The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 created a six-month window between clearance and your start date, a list of records that bar you outright, a presumption against any other caution or conviction and a statutory right to reasons and an appeal. This guide explains each change, who it covers and what to do now.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
From 13 July 2026 a police officer candidate must hold vetting clearance granted by the force in the six months before they start, applied for after the recruitment stages. A custodial sentence, sex offender notification or a conviction or caution for a listed or domestic abuse offence is an automatic bar. Any other caution or conviction makes you unsuitable unless particular circumstances justify clearance. If refused, you get detailed written reasons and a right of appeal on three grounds.
Six-month clearance clock
Since 13 July 2026 a police officer candidate's vetting clearance must have been granted by the force in the six months ending with the day they are appointed. Check whether your dates fit. Your dates stay on this device.
Vetting updates
Vetting rule changes, explained for applicants
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What changed on 13 July 2026, at a glance
The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/653) were made on 16 June 2026, laid before Parliament on 22 June and came into force on 13 July 2026. For applicants they do two things. They insert a new Part 1A, "Vetting Clearance: Police Candidates", into the Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025. And they amend regulation 10 of the Police Regulations 2003, which sets the qualifications for appointment, so that vetting clearance and freedom from automatic disqualification are legal conditions of becoming a police officer.
| Rule | Where it is | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| You must hold vetting clearance to be appointed | Police Regulations 2003 reg 10(1)(hb); Vetting Regs reg 4B(1) | Vetting is now a legal condition of appointment, not only a force policy. |
| Clearance must be granted within the 6 months ending with your start date | Vetting Regs reg 4B(1), 4C | If your start date slips past six months from the grant, you must reapply. |
| Vetting comes after the recruitment stages | Vetting Regs reg 4B(2)(a); Police Regs reg 10(1)(eb) | You apply for clearance only after the application form, sift, online assessment and force interview. |
| Automatic disqualification for some records | Police Regs reg 10(1)(ha), (2A) and Schedule 3A | Custodial sentences, sex offender notification and listed or domestic abuse offences bar you outright. |
| Any other caution or conviction: unsuitable unless particular circumstances justify clearance | Vetting Regs reg 4D(2)(b) | A presumption against you that the facts of your case must overcome. |
| Report changes promptly | Vetting Regs reg 4B(5) | A new partner, an arrest or a CCJ while you wait must be reported. |
| Detailed written reasons for a refusal or conditions | Vetting Regs reg 4F | Subject to a harm test, you must be told why. |
| Statutory appeal on three grounds | Vetting Regs reg 4G | To someone not involved in the decision; the force must follow the outcome. |
| Re-check for clearances granted before 13 July 2026 | SI 2026/653 reg 28 | If you were cleared earlier but not yet appointed, expect further checks. |
The Home Office's explanatory memorandum says the aim is to place vetting standards into legislation, because the Code of Practice and the College's Authorised Professional Practice (APP) are not legislation (paras 5.8 and 5.9). Much of what follows was already expected of forces under the College's guidance. What is new is that it is now law, with a fixed list of bars, a time limit and appeal rights you can rely on.
Who the rules cover
The rules apply to a "police candidate", defined as "a person seeking appointment to a police force, but does not include a police officer who is seeking to transfer from one police force to another". That covers every entry route to constable: the apprenticeship, the degree-holder entry, the entry programme, Police Now and the detective routes.
| You are applying to be | Covered by the 2026 candidate rules? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A police officer (any entry route) | Yes | Every part of this guide applies. |
| A special constable | The Home Office says yes | The explanatory memorandum says the instrument applies to police candidates and serving officers, together with special constables. Thames Valley Police applies the automatic disqualification to special constable candidates. Check with your force. |
| A serving officer transferring forces | Partly | Excluded from 'police candidate', but covered by separate transfer rules (regs 5C to 5F): a full vetting application assessment and an appeal right. |
| A PCSO or member of police staff | No | The memorandum says the Code remains applicable to police staff. Force policy and the College's APP apply. |
If you are applying for a staff or PCSO role, read our guide to PCSO, special constable and staff vetting instead. The automatic bars below do not apply to you in law, although forces still apply the College's standards.
Vetting now comes after the recruitment stages
Regulation 4B(2) says that to apply for vetting clearance a candidate "must have first completed each of the recruitment stages mentioned in regulation 10(1)(eb) of the Police Regulations 2003". Regulation 10(1)(eb), in force since 17 March 2026, requires a candidate for constable, within the times and to the standard set by the College of Policing, to:
- complete and submit the national application form;
- pass the national sift test;
- pass the online assessment process;
- pass an in-person interview with the force that meets the national standard.
In practice this means your vetting forms come later than many older guides suggest. It also means the parts of the process you control early on, the national sift and the online assessment, are what stand between you and vetting.
You cannot submit vetting forms early, but you can prepare: request your free ACRO record, get your statutory credit reports, gather your five-year address history and list your relatives and co-residents. Our evidence builder organises this by area.
The six-month window (regs 4B and 4C)
Regulation 4B(1) is the headline: "A police candidate must not be appointed to a police force unless they hold vetting clearance which was granted by the vetting authority of the police force to which they are seeking appointment within the period of 6 months ending with the date of appointment."
Three consequences follow.
- Clearance must come from the force you are joining. A clearance from another force, or from an earlier application, does not count.
- Vetting is timed to your start date. The force must carry out the assessment "as close as reasonably practicable to the date of appointment and in any event within the period of six months ending with that date" (reg 4C(1)). Expect your vetting decision late in the process.
- A slipped start date can mean starting again. If your appointment is postponed so that the period from the grant to the appointment is more than six months, "the police candidate must reapply for vetting clearance" (reg 4C(2)).
| Clearance granted | Last start date it covers (our reading) |
|---|---|
| 1 January | 30 June |
| 15 March | 14 September |
| 1 September | 28 February (29 in a leap year) |
| 31 August | 27 February (28 in a leap year) |
Start dates move for ordinary reasons: a fitness retake, a medical referral, an intake being merged. Each can now break the window. Use the clock above and ask the force in writing as soon as a date changes. Our guide to how long vetting takes covers the timeline.
Automatic disqualification (reg 10(2A))
Regulation 10(1)(ha) says a candidate, other than an officer transferring between forces, must "not have engaged in conduct which attracts automatic disqualification". Paragraph (2A) defines that conduct:
| Conduct | Regulation |
|---|---|
| Convicted of a criminal offence for which the court imposed a custodial sentence | 10(2A)(a) |
| Is, or has been, subject to the notification requirements of Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 | 10(2A)(b) |
| Convicted of, or given a caution for, a listed offence | 10(2A)(c) |
| Convicted of an attempt or conspiracy to commit a listed offence | 10(2A)(d) |
| Convicted of, or given a caution for, an offence determined to involve behaviour amounting to domestic abuse (Domestic Abuse Act 2021, s.1) | 10(2A)(e) |
The listed offences are in Schedule 3A to the Police Regulations 2003:
| Listed offence | Legislation |
|---|---|
| A sexual offence (including exposure, voyeurism, sexual assault) | Sexual Offences Act 2003 Part 1 and Schedule 3 |
| Possessing indecent images of a child | Criminal Justice Act 1988 s.160 |
| Stalking | Protection from Harassment Act 1997 ss.2A and 4A |
| Controlling or coercive behaviour | Serious Crime Act 2015 Part 5 (s.76) |
| Sharing or threatening to share private sexual images | Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 s.33 (before repeal); Domestic Abuse Act 2021 s.69 |
| Meeting a child after grooming, or possessing extreme images of rape | Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 ss.36 and 37 |
| Forced marriage, or breaching a forced marriage protection order | ASBCPA 2014 s.121; Family Law Act 1996 s.63CA |
| Female genital mutilation offences | Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 |
| Breaching a stalking protection order, sexual harm prevention order or sexual risk order | Stalking Protection Act 2019 s.8; SOA 2003 ss.103I and 122H |
| Breaching a domestic abuse protection order | Domestic Abuse Act 2021 s.39 |
Three points matter for applicants. First, a caution is enough for a listed or domestic abuse offence: you do not need to have been to court. Second, the rules do not distinguish by age, so a youth caution for a listed offence counts. Third, the domestic abuse bar covers any offence, not just listed ones, if it is determined to have involved domestic abuse. Our guide to domestic abuse cautions and the new bar explains what that means.
Regulation 4D(2)(a) of the Vetting Regulations adds that a candidate who has engaged in such conduct is "not suitable to hold vetting clearance". So the bar works twice. Check your own record with the free disqualification checker.
Any other caution or conviction: the presumption (reg 4D)
Regulation 4D(2)(b) is the change most applicants will meet. A candidate is not suitable to hold vetting clearance if they have "been convicted of, or given a caution for, an offence falling outside regulation 10(2A)... unless there are particular circumstances relevant to the candidate's case which justify the candidate being regarded as suitable to hold vetting clearance notwithstanding the commission of that offence."
The explanatory memorandum calls this "a rebuttable presumption that individuals with a conviction or caution will not be suitable to hold vetting clearance" (para 5.20). It is not a ban. It moves the starting point: instead of the force looking for a reason to refuse, the facts of your case need to show why clearance is justified.
The regulation does not list the "particular circumstances". The College's guidance has long told decision-makers to weigh:
- the nature and seriousness of the offence and any element of dishonesty, violence or harm to vulnerable people;
- your age at the time and how long ago it happened;
- your level of involvement and whether it was a one-off;
- whether you were open and honest about it;
- the role and the effect on public confidence;
- your conduct since.
This is the part of vetting where preparation genuinely changes how your case is presented. The Vetting Prep Report (£19.99) organises what you tell it around exactly these factors: the documents to gather, the questions a vetting officer may ask and a factual draft disclosure in your own words. It does not predict a result.
Community resolutions, penalty notices for disorder, paid traffic fixed penalties and arrests that ended in no further action are not convictions or cautions, so they are not caught by reg 4D. You must still declare them on the national vetting form and the vetting unit can look at the circumstances.
You must report changes promptly (reg 4B(5))
"A police candidate who has applied for vetting clearance or been granted vetting clearance must promptly notify the vetting authority... of any change in their personal circumstance or any other matter which may reasonably affect their suitability to hold vetting clearance." The memorandum adds that failure to disclose this information may affect your clearance (para 5.10).
The duty runs from the day you apply until you start. Examples: a new partner or co-resident, any arrest, interview or investigation, a county court judgment or default, a change of address and anything you realise you left off the form. If in doubt, report it.
Conditions, renewal dates and revocation
- Renewal date. When the force grants clearance it must specify the renewal date: the date by which it must start the renewal process (reg 4B(4)(a)).
- Conditions. Clearance can be granted subject to conditions (reg 4B(4)(b)) and the force can add, remove or vary them before you start (reg 4E(1)). The APP gives examples such as financial conditions that support ongoing risk management.
- Revocation. If the force considers that a candidate it has cleared is no longer suitable, it must revoke the clearance (reg 4E(2)).
Detailed reasons and a statutory appeal (regs 4F and 4G)
Where the force declines to grant clearance, grants it with conditions, adds or varies conditions, or revokes it, it "must... provide the police candidate with detailed reasons in writing for its decision" (reg 4F(1)). It must leave out information to which the harm test in reg 8(2) applies, such as material that would prejudice criminal or misconduct proceedings, harm national security or endanger a source.
You may appeal any of those decisions to a "vetting appeal decision maker" nominated by the force, who has the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience and "was not involved in the decision appealed against" (reg 4G(2)). The grounds are limited. Regulation 4G(3) says "the only grounds of appeal" are:
- the decision was unreasonable;
- there is evidence that could not reasonably have been considered as part of the decision which could have materially affected the decision;
- there was procedural or other unfairness which could have materially affected the decision.
The decision maker writes a report with detailed reasons and the force "must uphold the decision of the vetting appeal decision maker" (reg 4G(4) and (6)). The regulations set no deadline for candidate appeals: your force does, in your decision letter.
Our appeal letter template shows how to write to each ground. The Vetting Appeal Builder checks your points against the grounds for free and builds the letter for £24.99.
Applied before 13 July 2026?
Regulation 28 of SI 2026/653 deals with candidates caught mid-process. Where, before 13 July 2026, a force granted vetting clearance to a candidate without having carried out all the checks in a "vetting application assessment", and the candidate was not appointed before that date, the force "may only appoint" the candidate on or after 13 July 2026 if, before the appointment, it has carried out those checks and "remains satisfied that the candidate... is suitable to hold vetting clearance".
A vetting application assessment is defined as a comprehensive and in-depth assessment that includes a criminal history check, a check of the police barred and advisory lists and checks that, so far as reasonably practicable, give a full picture of your financial history and conduct and your close associations. If you were cleared before July and have not yet started, expect contact from the vetting unit and answer it quickly.
Serving officers transferring forces
Transferring officers are not "police candidates" and the automatic disqualification in reg 10(1)(ha) does not apply to a police officer applying to transfer. But SI 2026/653 inserted regulations 5C to 5F into the Vetting Regulations: the receiving force must generally carry out a vetting application assessment, including a criminal history check (EM para 5.13) and a transferring officer refused by the receiving force can appeal (reg 5F(2)). Older guides that say transferees have no right of appeal are out of date.
Once you are serving: clearance must be kept
Since 14 May 2025 the Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 have required serving officers to hold and maintain vetting clearance and withdrawal of clearance leads to dismissal. SI 2026/653 added review and renewal rules (regs 5A and 5B) and a suitability test for serving officers similar to reg 4D (reg 5D). The explanatory memorandum says that, unless exceptional circumstances apply, an officer with a custodial sentence, sex offender notification or a listed or domestic abuse offence is unsuitable and any other caution or conviction makes an officer unsuitable unless particular circumstances justify otherwise (para 5.14).
In January 2026 the Court of Appeal decided, in R (Lino Di Maria) v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2026] EWCA Civ 28, that a vetting reviewer may take into account allegations that were investigated in misconduct proceedings but found unproven or with no case to answer, because vetting is an evaluation of future risk, not a finding of past fact. The test still needs a basis in objective evidence. The officer's own removal stayed quashed on other grounds. For applicants, the lesson is that vetting looks at the whole picture, not only at outcomes.
What has not changed
- Declare everything. Officer and special constable applicants remain exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, so spent convictions and cautions, including youth cautions, must be declared.
- The APP still applies. The College's Vetting APP (May 2025) remains the detailed guidance on checks, finances, associates, social media and residency. The memorandum says it remains in place for both officers and staff (para 5.8).
- The Code is being updated. The College's Code of Practice page notes the amended Regulations; where they differ, the Regulations prevail.
- Finances, family and online content. These are weighed exactly as before, under the APP. See our guides to debt, associates and social media.
What the rules mean in practice: ten scenarios
Each scenario applies the regulations and the College's guidance to a common situation. They describe how the rules read; the force decides every case on its own facts.
| Situation (officer candidate) | Which rule | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Caution for shoplifting at 19, eight years ago | Reg 4D presumption | Not automatic. You are unsuitable unless particular circumstances justify clearance: age, time passed, a one-off and openness all count. Declare it. |
| Caution for assaulting a sibling at 17 (both 16 or over) | Reg 10(2A)(e) | Likely automatic bar if determined to involve domestic abuse. Ask the force how it will treat the record. |
| Youth caution for sexual touching at 15 | Reg 10(2A)(c) | A caution for a listed offence (Sexual Offences Act 2003, Part 1) is an automatic bar, whatever the age. |
| Drink driving conviction, fine and ban, ten years ago | Reg 4D presumption | Not automatic. The force weighs the circumstances. Declare it. |
| Suspended sentence for a public order offence | Reg 10(2A)(a) | Very likely a bar: the College already rejected all prison sentences including suspended ones. |
| Arrested, no further action, last year | College guidance (not reg 4D) | Not a conviction or caution. Declare it; the circumstances can be weighed. |
| Outstanding county court judgment | College guidance | Clearance unlikely while outstanding. Pay it and get a certificate. |
| Cleared in June 2026, intake moved to February 2027 | Regs 4C(2) and 28 | More than six months from grant to start, so you must reapply; the June clearance also predates the new checks. |
| New partner moves in after you are cleared | Reg 4B(5) | Report it promptly. The force can review your clearance before you start. |
| Refused with no reasons given | Reg 4F | Ask in writing for the detailed reasons you are entitled to, then consider an appeal under reg 4G. |
Step by step: from application to your first day
| Stage | What happens | Rule or guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application form | National application form, including eligibility questions | Police Regulations 2003 reg 10(1)(eb)(i) |
| 2. National sift | Online sift test | Reg 10(1)(eb)(ii) |
| 3. Online assessment | College online assessment process | Reg 10(1)(eb)(iii) |
| 4. Force interview | In-person interview to the national standard | Reg 10(1)(eb)(iv) |
| 5. Vetting application | National vetting form: you, your family, co-residents, associates, finances and addresses | Vetting Regs reg 4B(2) |
| 6. Checks | Police systems, credit reference, open source and biometrics for officer candidates | Vetting APP 6.5 |
| 7. Interview (if needed) | Exploratory vetting interview to clarify concerns | Vetting APP 8.5.6 |
| 8. Decision | Granted (with a renewal date, maybe conditions) or declined with reasons | Regs 4B(4), 4F |
| 9. Appeal (if refused) | To a vetting appeal decision maker, on three grounds | Reg 4G |
| 10. Appointment | Within six months of the grant; report any changes until then | Regs 4B(1), 4B(5), 4C |
Medical, fitness and reference checks run alongside these stages in most forces, in an order each force sets. A delay at any of them can move your start date, which is why the six-month clock matters.
Myths and facts about the 2026 rules
| You may hear | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| 'Any caution now bars you from the police.' | No. Only listed and domestic abuse offences are automatic bars. Other cautions fall under a presumption that particular circumstances can overcome. |
| 'Spent convictions do not count any more.' | They do for officer and special candidates, who are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and must declare everything. |
| 'Youth cautions are ignored.' | No. The automatic rules do not distinguish by age and youth cautions must be declared. The College says their impact diminishes with time. |
| 'Vetting lasts forever once granted.' | For candidates it must be granted within six months of appointment; recruitment vetting then has a 10-year renewal period, kept up by annual integrity reviews. |
| 'You cannot appeal a vetting refusal.' | Since 13 July 2026 candidates have a statutory appeal on three grounds (reg 4G). Transferring officers can appeal too (reg 5F). |
| 'The rules apply to PCSOs.' | No. The Home Office says the Code remains applicable to police staff, including PCSOs. |
| 'An arrest with no charge does not matter.' | It is not caught by reg 4D, but it must be declared and the circumstances can be weighed. |
What to do now
- Get your Police National Computer record free from ACRO with a subject access request, so you know the exact offence wording, dates and outcomes.
- Run the disqualification checker on each item. If anything is an automatic bar, speak to the force before you spend months on the process.
- For anything under the presumption, prepare the facts the force will weigh: dates, context, what has changed and documents. The evidence builder starts free.
- Get your statutory credit reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion and deal with any outstanding county court judgment.
- Once cleared, keep the six-month clock in mind and report changes promptly.
- If refused, read the reasons on the day they arrive and note the deadline. Then read how to appeal.
What we could not verify
- How "determined" works for domestic abuse. Reg 10(2A)(e) refers to an offence "determined under this regulation" to involve domestic abuse, but the regulation does not set out who makes the determination or how. Ask your force.
- Suspended sentences. The regulation says "custodial sentence" without saying whether a suspended sentence counts. The College's 2024 pre-employment guidance already rejected all prison sentences including suspended and deferred ones.
- Reprimands and final warnings. The regulations do not say expressly whether pre-2013 youth reprimands and final warnings count as a "caution" for reg 4D.
- Updated College guidance. We did not find a revised Code of Practice or APP written for the 2026 rules at the date of checking.
Vetting updates
Vetting rule changes, explained for applicants
Leave your email and we will tell you when the vetting rules for police applicants change and what the change means for you. Occasional emails, written by hand. Unsubscribe any time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new police vetting rules from July 2026?
From 13 July 2026, SI 2026/653 made vetting clearance a legal requirement for appointment as a police officer, set a six-month window between clearance and appointment, introduced automatic disqualification for custodial sentences, sex offender notification and listed or domestic abuse offences, created a presumption that any other caution or conviction makes a candidate unsuitable and gave candidates a right to detailed reasons and a statutory appeal.
What is the police vetting six-month rule?
A police candidate must not be appointed unless they hold vetting clearance granted by that force within the six months ending with the date of appointment (Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025, reg 4B(1)). If the appointment is postponed so that more than six months pass after the grant, the candidate must reapply (reg 4C(2)).
Do the 2026 vetting rules apply to special constables?
The Home Office says the 2026 rules cover special constables as well as police officers. Check with your force. The explanatory memorandum says the instrument applies to police candidates and serving officers, together with special constables and Thames Valley Police applies the automatic disqualification to special constable candidates.
Do the new rules apply to PCSOs and police staff?
No. The Home Office's explanatory memorandum says the Code of Practice remains applicable to police staff, as the instrument applies only to police candidates and serving officers, together with special constables. PCSOs are police staff, so their vetting follows the College's guidance and force policy.
Can I still join the police with a caution after July 2026?
Possibly. A caution for a listed offence or an offence involving domestic abuse is an automatic bar. Any other caution makes you unsuitable unless there are particular circumstances relevant to your case which justify clearance (reg 4D). The force weighs things like the offence, your age at the time, how long ago it was and your openness.
What offences are automatic disqualification for the police?
Any offence that led to a custodial sentence; being, or having been, on the sex offenders register; a conviction or caution for a listed offence (sexual offences, possessing indecent images of children, stalking, controlling or coercive behaviour, forced marriage, FGM, intimate image offences and certain order breaches); an attempt or conspiracy to commit one; and a conviction or caution for an offence determined to involve domestic abuse.
When do I apply for vetting under the new rules?
After you have completed the recruitment stages in regulation 10(1)(eb) of the Police Regulations 2003: the national application form, the national sift test, the online assessment process and an in-person force interview (reg 4B(2)). The force must then carry out the assessment as close as reasonably practicable to your appointment date (reg 4C(1)).
Will I be told why I failed police vetting?
Yes, as a police candidate you must be given detailed reasons in writing if clearance is declined, granted with conditions, has conditions added or varied, or is revoked (reg 4F). The force must leave out information covered by the harm test in reg 8(2), for example where disclosure would prejudice proceedings or endanger a source.
Can I appeal a police vetting refusal in 2026?
Yes. Regulation 4G gives police candidates a right of appeal to a vetting appeal decision maker who was not involved in the decision. The only grounds are that the decision was unreasonable, that there is evidence that could not reasonably have been considered which could have materially affected it, or that procedural or other unfairness could have materially affected it.
I was cleared before 13 July 2026 but have not started. What happens?
If the force granted clearance before 13 July 2026 without carrying out all the checks the new rules require and you were not appointed by then, it can only appoint you after carrying out those checks and remaining satisfied that you are suitable (SI 2026/653, reg 28).
Do I still have to declare spent convictions?
Yes, as a police officer or special constable applicant. Those roles are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, so you must declare all convictions and cautions, spent or not, including youth cautions. This did not change in July 2026.
Has the Vetting Code of Practice been updated?
Not yet, as far as we can see. The College of Policing's Code page notes the amended Regulations and says the Code will be updated; where they differ, the Regulations take precedence. The Vetting APP (May 2025) remains the College's detailed guidance.
Does a community resolution count under the 2026 rules?
Not as a conviction or caution. The College's guidance on the national form says community resolutions do not form part of your criminal record, although a record is made on local systems. You must still declare it and the vetting unit can look at the circumstances.
What happens if I am arrested while my vetting is in progress?
Tell the force straight away: candidates must promptly report changes that may affect suitability (reg 4B(5)). The College's guidance says an application from someone currently under investigation, including on police bail, is discontinued and a new one can be made once the matter is finished.
Can my vetting clearance be revoked before I start?
Yes. If the force considers a candidate it has cleared is no longer suitable, it must revoke the clearance (reg 4E(2)). Revocation carries the same right to detailed reasons and an appeal as a refusal.
Do the 2026 rules change what happens to serving officers?
They add review and renewal rules and a suitability test like the candidate one. Since May 2025 serving officers have had to hold and maintain clearance and withdrawal leads to dismissal. The College's renewal periods remain 10 years for recruitment vetting and 7 years for management vetting.
Is a refusal under the 2026 rules permanent?
Not unless the reason is permanent, such as an automatic disqualification. The College's guidance says a declined clearance does not set a precedent for future applications and its pre-employment guidance gives a default of reapplying three months after a rejection letter unless the force says otherwise.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/653), as made : reg 15 (Part 1A: regs 4B to 4H for police candidates), regs 24 and 25 (Police Regulations 2003 reg 10(1)(ha), (hb), (2A) and Schedule 3A), reg 28 (transitional re-check); made 16 June 2026, in force 13 July 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 10 (qualifications for appointment), latest version : reg 10(1)(eb) recruitment stages (inserted 17 March 2026), (ha), (hb), (2A) and the definition of listed offence (accessed 21 October 2026)
- The Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/502), latest revised text : regs 4B to 4H (candidates), 5C and 5F (transfers), 8(2) (harm test), 24 (withdrawal leading to dismissal) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Explanatory Memorandum to SI 2026/653 (Home Office) : paras 5.8 (applies to candidates and serving officers together with special constables; Code remains for staff), 5.10 and 5.11 (candidate requirements, reasons and appeals), 5.20 (rebuttable presumption) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Vetting Code of Practice (July 2023) : statutory Code under s.39A Police Act 1996; the page notes the amended Regulations and that they prevail (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Vetting authorised professional practice (May 2025, PDF) : May 2025 APP: exploratory vetting interviews (8.5.6), finances (6.5.12), ROA (8.6.2) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Thames Valley Police: Automatic Disqualification from Appointment (July 2026, PDF) : a force applying automatic disqualification to officer and special constable candidates (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Court of Appeal: Di Maria v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2026] EWCA Civ 28, press summary (27 January 2026) : Court of Appeal: unproven or no-case-to-answer allegations can be taken into account in vetting reviews; the officer's removal stays quashed on other grounds (accessed 21 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force and it does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Recruitment standards, assessment formats and vetting decisions are set by the College of Policing and each force and change from time to time: check the force you are applying to before relying on anything here. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.