Does My Record
Bar Me From Policing?
A free, tap-through checker for the police vetting rules in force from 13 July 2026. Tell it what is on your record and it shows, item by item, whether the law makes it an automatic bar, triggers the presumption against clearance or simply needs declaring. Nothing is saved or sent.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
For police officer candidates (and, the Home Office says, special constables), a custodial sentence, ever being on the sex offenders register, or a conviction or caution for a listed offence or a domestic abuse offence is an automatic bar from 13 July 2026. Any other conviction or caution makes you unsuitable unless particular circumstances justify clearance. Community resolutions, paid fixed penalties and arrests with no further action are not convictions or cautions, but you must still declare them.
Does my record bar me?
Tap through your record. Nothing you choose is sent anywhere or saved. It tells you how the rules in force from 13 July 2026 read on what you enter. It does not predict a vetting decision: the force decides.
How the checker works
The checker applies three layers of rules, in the order a vetting unit would. First, the automatic disqualifications in regulation 10(2A) of the Police Regulations 2003, which since 13 July 2026 stop a candidate being appointed as a police officer whatever the circumstances. Second, regulation 4D of the Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025, which says any other conviction or caution makes a candidate unsuitable for vetting clearance "unless there are particular circumstances relevant to the candidate's case which justify" clearance. Third, the College of Policing's vetting guidance, which covers everything that is not a conviction or caution, and covers police staff and PCSOs completely.
It does not score you or give a percentage. Vetting is a judgement made by the force on everything it finds, and nobody outside the force can predict it. What the checker can do is tell you which category each thing falls into, so you know whether there is anything to prepare at all, what to declare and what to ask the force.
Whether you are automatically disqualified can turn on the exact offence a record shows. Ask ACRO for your Police National Computer record with a free subject access request. ACRO says the disclosure covers arrests, convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings, penalty notices and no further action outcomes.
The five automatic bars (regulation 10(2A))
Regulation 10(1)(ha) of the Police Regulations 2003 says a candidate must not have engaged in conduct which attracts automatic disqualification. Paragraph (2A) lists it. It does not apply to a serving officer transferring between forces.
| Automatic bar | Regulation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Convicted of an offence for which the court imposed a custodial sentence | 10(2A)(a) | Any offence, any age. Whether a suspended sentence counts is not stated: the College already rejected all prison sentences including suspended and deferred. |
| Is, or has been, subject to sex offender notification requirements | 10(2A)(b) | Current or past. |
| Convicted of, or cautioned for, a listed offence | 10(2A)(c) | A caution is enough. The list is in Schedule 3A (next section). |
| Convicted of an attempt or conspiracy to commit a listed offence | 10(2A)(d) | The wording covers convictions. |
| Convicted of, or cautioned for, an offence determined to involve domestic abuse | 10(2A)(e) | Any offence, not just listed ones, where it is determined to involve domestic abuse as defined in section 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. |
Regulation 4D(2)(a) of the Vetting Regulations repeats the effect for vetting: a candidate who has engaged in conduct attracting automatic disqualification is not suitable to hold vetting clearance. So the bar works twice: you cannot be appointed and you cannot be cleared.
The listed offences (Schedule 3A)
These are the offences named in Schedule 3A to the Police Regulations 2003, inserted by SI 2026/653. A conviction or caution for any of them is an automatic bar.
| 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 |
Controlling or coercive behaviour is the best known offence in Part 5 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 (section 76). Part 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 covers the main sexual offences, from rape and sexual assault to exposure and voyeurism. If you are unsure which offence a record shows, the ACRO disclosure gives the offence wording.
Everything else: the presumption and the circumstances
For any other conviction or caution, regulation 4D(2)(b) starts from "not suitable" and asks whether there are particular circumstances relevant to your case which justify treating you as suitable. The regulations do not list those circumstances. The College's guidance has long described a rebuttable presumption against applicants with convictions or cautions and lists what decision-makers weigh, including:
- the nature and seriousness of the offence, and whether it involved dishonesty, violence or vulnerable people;
- your age at the time and how long ago it was;
- your level of involvement and whether it was a one-off or repeated;
- whether you were open about it;
- the role you are applying for and the effect on public confidence;
- your conduct since.
This is where preparation genuinely matters, because the force needs the facts set out clearly to find those circumstances. The Vetting Prep Report (£19.99) is built for that: it organises what you tell it into what the guidance weighs, the documents to gather and a draft disclosure in your own words. It does not predict a result.
What counts as a conviction or caution
Only convictions and cautions are caught by regulations 10(2A) and 4D. Plenty of other outcomes appear on a police record and must still be declared, because the national vetting form asks about them. This table shows how the checker treats each.
| Outcome | Is it a conviction or caution? | What the 2026 rules do with it (officer and special candidates) |
|---|---|---|
| Conviction in court, including a guilty plea by post, a fine or a discharge | Conviction | Automatic bar if custodial, a listed offence or a domestic abuse offence; otherwise the presumption (reg 4D) |
| Simple or conditional caution (adult) | Caution | Automatic bar if a listed offence or a domestic abuse offence; otherwise the presumption |
| Youth caution or youth conditional caution | A caution given to a 10 to 17 year old | Treated the same way: the rules do not distinguish by age. Your age at the time is a circumstance the force weighs |
| Reprimand or final warning (before April 2013) | The regulations do not say expressly | Assume it counts as a caution and ask the force |
| Community resolution | No | Declare it on the form. Not an automatic bar and not caught by the presumption |
| Penalty notice for disorder or cannabis warning | No | Declare it. Not an automatic bar and not caught by the presumption |
| Paid traffic fixed penalty (with or without points) | No | Declare it (form question 8.12). Not a conviction |
| Arrest or interview, no further action | No | Declare it (form question 8.7). The vetting unit can look at the circumstances |
| Charged, case not finished | Not yet | Application put on hold until the outcome is known |
| Under investigation or on bail | Not yet | Vetting application discontinued; reapply once it is finished |
PCSOs and police staff: different rules
The Home Office's explanatory memorandum to SI 2026/653 says the instrument applies to police candidates and serving officers, together with special constables, and that the Code of Practice remains applicable to police staff (para 5.8). PCSOs are police staff. So for a PCSO, call handler, detention officer or investigator role there is no automatic bar in law: the force weighs your record under the College's guidance.
Staff applicants also benefit from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act filtering rules. A protected caution or conviction does not have to be declared. In broad terms an adult caution is protected after 6 years and a youth caution immediately; a conviction is protected after 11 years (5 years 6 months if you were under 18), but only if it did not lead to a custodial sentence and is not on the list of specified offences. The checker applies these rules when you choose a staff or PCSO role. See PCSO, special constable and staff vetting.
What the checker cannot tell you
- How a domestic abuse "determination" is made. Regulation 10(2A)(e) refers to an offence "determined under this regulation" to involve domestic abuse, but the regulation does not set out the process. The checker says "likely" and tells you to ask.
- Whether a suspended sentence counts. Not stated in the regulation (see above).
- Anything about relatives, debt, social media or residency. Those are weighed under the College's guidance and are covered by the evidence builder and our vetting guides.
- The outcome. The force decides on everything it finds.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What automatically disqualifies you from joining the police in 2026?
Since 13 July 2026, a police officer candidate is automatically disqualified if they have had a custodial sentence for any offence, have ever been subject to sex offender notification requirements, have been convicted or cautioned for a listed offence (sexual offences, stalking, controlling or coercive behaviour, forced marriage, FGM and certain order breaches), have been convicted of an attempt or conspiracy to commit one, or have been convicted or cautioned for an offence determined to involve domestic abuse (Police Regulations 2003, reg 10(2A)).
Can I join the police with a caution in 2026?
Possibly, if it is not for a listed offence or a domestic abuse offence. Any other caution or conviction makes an officer candidate unsuitable for vetting clearance unless there are particular circumstances relevant to the case which justify clearance (Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025, reg 4D). The force weighs things like the offence, your age at the time, how long ago it was and your openness.
Does a youth caution bar me from the police?
Not automatically, unless it was for a listed offence or a domestic abuse offence: the automatic rules do not distinguish by age. A youth caution for anything else falls under the presumption in reg 4D, and your age at the time is one of the circumstances the force considers. Officer applicants must declare youth cautions.
Is a suspended sentence a custodial sentence for police vetting?
The 2026 regulation says "custodial sentence" and does not say whether a suspended sentence counts. The College of Policing's 2024 pre-employment guidance already rejected applications in all cases with a prison sentence, which it says includes suspended or deferred sentences. Treat it as very likely to bar you and ask the force.
Do the 2026 rules apply to special constables and PCSOs?
The Home Office says the 2026 rules cover special constables as well as police officers. Check with your force. They do not apply to police staff, including PCSOs: their vetting follows the College's guidance and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act rules for staff.
Does a speeding fine or points on my licence stop me joining the police?
A paid fixed penalty is not a conviction, so it is not caught by the 2026 rules, but the national vetting form asks about traffic offences including fixed penalties, so declare it. A driving offence dealt with in court (including a guilty plea by post) is a conviction and falls under the presumption.
Is this checker's result a vetting decision?
No. It tells you how the published rules read on what you enter. The force decides, and it may know things you have not entered or weigh circumstances differently. Use the result to prepare and to ask the right questions.
Does the checker save what I enter?
No. It runs in your browser and nothing you tap is sent anywhere. If you choose to go on to the evidence builder, only fixed answer codes go across (that you have a caution or conviction), never the details.
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.
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 10 (qualifications for appointment), latest version : reg 10(1)(ha) and (2A): automatic disqualification from 13 July 2026; Schedule 3A listed offences (accessed 21 October 2026)
- The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/653), as made : regs 15, 24 and 25 and Schedules 2 and 3 insert the candidate rules and the listed offences (accessed 21 October 2026)
- The Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/502), latest revised text : reg 4D: a candidate with any other conviction or caution is not suitable unless particular circumstances justify clearance (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Explanatory Memorandum to SI 2026/653 (Home Office) : para 5.8: the instrument applies to police candidates and serving officers, together with special constables; the Code remains for staff (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Vetting authorised professional practice (May 2025, PDF) : applicant under investigation (3.10.4), crime allegations (6.5.19), ROA and protected records (8.6.2, Appendix O), national form questions 8.7 to 8.12 (Appendix I) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Police constable pre-employment guidance (April 2024, PDF) : prison sentences including suspended or deferred; outstanding charges; the rebuttable presumption and the factors weighed (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Thames Valley Police: Automatic Disqualification from Appointment (July 2026, PDF) : a force applying the automatic disqualification to police officer and special constable candidates (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Domestic Abuse Act 2021, section 1 (definition of domestic abuse) : the definition of domestic abuse used in reg 10(2A)(e) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- ACRO Criminal Records Office: Subject Access : free subject access request for your Police National Computer record (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.