Background check

Do you need a background check for employment? Australian National Character Check - ANCC® provides background checks online. Apply for your nationally coordinated criminal history check online now.

70 percent of background checks are returned to applicants within 24 hours. Results are emailed on the same day they are received. Approximately 30 percent of checks may be referred to one or more police agencies and can take longer than 10 business days to be returned, due to the manual nature of this process.

The product supplied by ANCC® is formally referred to as a nationally coordinated criminal history check.

Applicants can apply for a background check via their mobile, desktop or tablet and results are dispatched via email. An optional hard copy certificate can be selected at the payment checkout page.

Employment decisions generally require more than just the individual's academic or expertise. An employer should ensure that the individuals they employ will not harm the company's image, the staff, or customers. That is why before recruitment; a number of employers in Australia request a nationally coordinated criminal history check.

A nationally coordinated criminal history check (sometimes referred to as a 'background check') is often required when applying for employment, appointment to positions of trust and a variety of Australian licensing and registration schemes.

The background check assists various organisations make informed decisions about the suitability of an applicant.

The check result contains Disclosable Court Outcomes (DCOs) (if any) of the applicant.

A nationally coordinated criminal history check is a point-in-time check; they are valid from the point of issuance. Moreover, how long a background check is "relevant" before "updating" your check depends on your employer or the requesting party. Most employers in Australia do not accept a background check that is older than 3 months.

However, if you obtain a conviction after the issuance of your check, you should obtain an updated check. Employers should ensure that their employees provide updated checks regularly depending on their risk management strategy and assessments.

A nationally coordinated criminal history check can be issued by Australian police agencies or via ACIC accredited bodies.

There are two ways you can obtain your check;

• In-person (local police station)
• Online (Australian based accredited agency)

The in-person method of applying for a background check may involve visiting the local branch of your police station and requesting an application form. After completing the form; you have to submit it and wait to receive the results via post.

The online method of the background check application involves completing the application form and submitting it online via a website.

With the online application, 70 percent of nationally coordinated criminal history checks are returned to applicants within 24 hours. Results are emailed on the same day they are received. Approximately 30 percent of checks may be referred to one or more police agencies and can take longer than 10 business days to be returned, due to the manual nature of this process.

A hard copy will follow later on should you request it.

70 percent of checks are returned to applicants within 24 hours of submission. Around 30 percent of checks are referred to one or more police agencies because a 'potential match' is found. On limited occasions, this process can take longer than 10 business days to process, due to the complexity of the check. A 'potential match' may be found if the applicant shares similar details with other individuals recorded in police systems, particularly if they have a common name. Processing of a check in these instances can take longer to progress.

When the software flags an application for manual review, an official is usually required to review it.

If the system generates a potential match, the check will be referred to the relevant police agency (or agencies) for further assessment. If the police agency confirms the applicant's details do not match the police information, a 'No Disclosable Court Outcome' result will be provided as the result of the check. If the police agency determines the applicant's details do match the police information, a referral is then generated with the relevant police agency for them to conduct their 'vetting' process.

You should note that Australian National Character Check does not and cannot influence flagged applications. ANCC does not know in which application will be flagged for a "manual review".

The background check issued by Australian National Character Check is valid in all States and Territories of Australia.

A nationally coordinated criminal history check may show the following:

• charges
• court convictions, including penalties and sentences
• findings of guilt with no conviction
• court appearances
• good behaviour bonds or other court orders
• matters awaiting court hearing
• warrants and/or warnings
• traffic offences

Whether a conviction is considered Spent, or not, depends on the state's legislation where such offence was committed.

Offences that are generally not eligible to be spent include;

• Convictions for sexually related offences
• Convictions against corporate organisations and institutions
• Convictions stated by the regulations
• Convictions for which a prison sentence of more than six months is imposed

A NDCO result means there is:

• No police information held against the applicant
• No police information that can be released according to the purpose and category of the nationally coordinated criminal history check, and the application of relevant spent convictions legislations and/or information release policies.

A DCO result means there is:

• Police information that can be released.

Australian National Character Check returns nationally coordinated criminal history check results once they are ready. It generally takes less than 12 minutes to complete the online criminal background check application form and you will have to pay the full application fee before submitting your application. The base cost to obtain a nationally coordinated criminal history check is $52.90 + GST AUD.

The identity of applicants is verified before they can obtain a background check.

Data that is required includes and is not limited to:

• Name of the person including any previous known names
• Date of birth of the individual
• Residential addresses for past five years and contact information
• Purpose of the check

All applicants have to provide three identification documents;

• 1 Primary ID
• 1 Secondary IDs
• 1 Commencement ID
• A biometric link

These identification documents add authenticity and linkage to the information produced by the applicant. It helps to improve the checks procedure and work towards our goal of providing accurate and timely criminal record checks and as a result, improving community safety in Australia.