Build Your
Vetting Appeal
If a force has refused your vetting, attached conditions or revoked it, you can appeal, but only on three grounds. This builder sorts your points under those grounds for free and flags the ones that will not help. When you are ready, it turns them into a structured appeal letter in your own words.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Answer the reasons in your decision letter point by point, and put each point under one of the three grounds in regulation 4G(3): the decision was unreasonable; there is new evidence that could not reasonably have been considered; or there was unfairness that could have changed the decision. Attach evidence, ask for the outcome you want and send it before your force's deadline.
Sort your points under the three grounds
Free: see which ground each point fits and which points will not help. Nothing you type leaves this browser. It is not legal advice and it does not predict the outcome.
How the builder works
- Tell it about the decision. Who you are (officer or special applicant, transferring officer or staff), what was decided, the letter date and the deadline.
- Add each point. Copy the reason from the letter, write your response, pick the ground and list any evidence.
- Run the free check. It tells you which points are ready, which need work and which are not a ground at all.
- Build the letter (£24.99). Your points, in your words, in the order and structure an appeal needs, with an attachments list.
The three grounds, with examples
| Ground | It fits when | Illustrative example (not a real case) |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Unreasonable | The conclusion does not follow from the facts, an irrelevant factor was given weight or a factor the guidance says to weigh was ignored | Refusal for a relative's 20-year-old conviction with no explanation of a current risk, where you have had no contact for a decade |
| (b) New evidence | There is evidence the decision-maker could not reasonably have considered, and it could have changed the outcome | A certificate of satisfaction for a CCJ paid before the decision, which the register had not yet shown |
| (c) Unfairness | The process was unfair in a way that could have changed the outcome | An adverse point you were never asked about, when it could safely have been put to you |
Grounds (b) and (c) share a test: the evidence or the unfairness must be something that "could have materially affected the decision". The builder asks whether the force already had your evidence, because if it did, the point probably belongs under (a) or (c), not (b).
What is not a ground
- Disagreement on its own. "I think the decision is wrong" is not one of the three grounds. The builder leaves such points out of the letter and tells you so.
- Character references with no link to the reason. They may help as evidence of change, but only tied to a ground.
- The automatic bar itself. If you are automatically disqualified (for example a listed offence), an appeal can challenge whether the record is accurate, not the rule.
- Information the force may lawfully withhold. Some reasons can be held back under the harm test in regulation 8(2), and checks on relatives and associates are usually not disclosed.
What the letter contains
The letter follows the structure the Regulations imply: the decision you are appealing and when you were told; the regulation you appeal under; the grounds you rely on; each point under its ground, quoting the reason and giving your response and evidence; a numbered list of attachments; and what you ask the decision maker to do. Where you were not given reasons, it asks for them and reserves your right to add to the appeal.
No facts you did not give, no apologies or claims about your character, no statements about what you have learned and no invented dates. Placeholders in [square brackets] mark what you still need to fill in. Read every line before you send it.
Privacy
Vetting appeals often involve criminal records, debts and family. So this tool never sends what you type to our server and we never store it. The letter is assembled in your browser. Your points are kept in this tab's own storage until you close it, so they survive the checkout. Payment is handled by Stripe.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the grounds for a police vetting appeal?
For a police officer candidate, regulation 4G(3) of the Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 says the only grounds are: (a) the decision was unreasonable; (b) there is evidence that could not reasonably have been considered which could have materially affected the decision; (c) there was procedural or other unfairness which could have materially affected the decision.
Is the appeal letter written by AI?
No. The builder arranges what you type into the structure an appeal needs: the decision, the grounds, each point under its ground, your evidence and what you are asking for. It adds no facts, reasons, apologies or character claims, and leaves [square brackets] wherever something is missing.
Does the builder store what I type?
No. It runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to our server. While the tab is open, your points are kept in that tab's own storage so you do not lose them when you pay; they are gone when you close the tab.
What does the free version do?
It checks each point: which ground it relies on, whether it is disagreement only, whether a ground (b) point really is new evidence and whether a point needs more detail. It also counts the days to your deadline and tells you if you should first ask for written reasons.
What do I get for £24.99?
The complete appeal letter built from your points, with a numbered attachments list, a request for reasons where you were not given them, a before-you-send checklist and copy and download buttons. You can edit and rebuild it as often as you need for 180 days. One payment.
Can I use it if I applied to be a PCSO or police staff?
Yes. Choose the staff option and the letter refers to your force's appeal process and the College's guidance instead of the Regulations, which apply to police officer candidates (and, the Home Office says, special constables).
Will the builder tell me if I will win?
No. Nobody outside the force can predict an appeal. The builder helps you present your points clearly on the grounds the law allows.
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 (Vetting) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/502), latest revised text : reg 4F (detailed written reasons), reg 4G (appeal to a vetting appeal decision maker; the three grounds; the force must uphold the outcome), reg 5E and 5F (transferring officers), reg 8(2) (information that may be withheld) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/653), as made : reg 15 inserted regs 4B to 4H from 13 July 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Vetting authorised professional practice (May 2025, PDF) : appeals by applicants normally by written representations (10.8.1); disclosure of reasons (6.2.4, 6.3.2); third-party information not disclosed (Appendix N 6.4) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Explanatory Memorandum to SI 2026/653 (Home Office) : para 5.11: duty to give detailed reasons and a right of appeal; para 5.8: staff remain under the Code (accessed 21 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
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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.