Can you join the police if you have a criminal record?
Often yes, with a waiting period. Never by hiding it.
Having a criminal record doesn't automatically stop you joining any Australian police force. WA's recruiting site states it plainly: "A criminal record is not automatically disqualifying." Most forces assess your history against published or internal guidelines that weigh the offence, how long ago it was and your conduct since.
Spent convictions
Disclose
police are excluded from every scheme
Any jail sentence
Permanent bar
Vic, QLD and Tas
Drink driving
1–5 years
typical waiting period
Non-disclosure
Worst outcome
often permanent exclusion
Some things do rule you out for good. Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania treat any jail sentence, including a suspended sentence or youth detention, as a permanent bar. Tasmania also permanently excludes indictable offences such as stealing, deception or serious assault, even if you received a caution or a "without conviction" finding. Most other matters mean a waiting period of between one and ten years.
This is general information, not legal advice
Every case is assessed individually. If you're unsure how your history applies, contact the force's recruiting team, and consider getting advice from Legal Aid or a community legal centre.
Why you must disclose everything, including spent convictions
This is the single most important rule. In most jobs, a spent conviction stays private once the waiting period has passed. Police recruitment is the exception. Every state, territory and Commonwealth spent convictions law carves out applications to become a police officer, so forces can see, and ask about, your full history.
Forces make the same point in their own words. The NT's rule is typical: "Full disclosure of criminal, traffic, juvenile, DVO and bankruptcy history; non-disclosure is likely to mean permanent exclusion." Victoria warns that giving false information can lead to cancellation or an extra exclusion period. The AFP's questionnaire asks for all charges and convictions, including spent ones, cautions and convictions from before you turned 18, and your drug use history.
An old offence you declare can be assessed and accepted. An offence you hid and that's found later is an integrity failure, and integrity is what policing is built on.
Forces will find it. Background checks include national police history, fingerprints in some forces, traffic records from every licensing authority, and intelligence holdings. Read our background and integrity check guide for how far back vetting goes.
Spent convictions laws in every state and territory
Each jurisdiction has its own spent convictions scheme. The waiting periods and rules differ, but all of them exclude police recruitment from the non-disclosure protection. Here's each law, with the section that creates the police exception.
NSW
- Act
- Criminal Records Act 1991
- Adult waiting period
- 10 years (s9)
- Juvenile waiting period
- 3 years for Children's Court orders (s10)
- Police exception
- Yes: s15(1) excludes applications to be appointed a police officer
Victoria
- Act
- Spent Convictions Act 2021
- Adult waiting period
- 10 years
- Juvenile waiting period
- 5 years
- Police exception
- Yes: s21 and the s22 table allow disclosure to Victoria Police for employment
Queensland
- Act
- Criminal Law (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act 1986
- Adult waiting period
- 10 years on indictment; 5 years otherwise
- Juvenile waiting period
- 5 years
- Police exception
- Yes: s9A requires police applicants to disclose full criminal history
WA
- Act
- Spent Convictions Act 1988
- Adult waiting period
- 10 years (s11); not automatic
- Juvenile waiting period
- No separate period
- Police exception
- Yes: Schedule 3 covers police officers, auxiliaries, Aboriginal police liaison officers and cadets
SA
- Act
- Spent Convictions Act 2009
- Adult waiting period
- 10 years
- Juvenile waiting period
- 5 years
- Police exception
- Probably: Schedule 1 cl 9 covers police (wording not verified by us)
Tasmania
- Act
- Annulled Convictions Act 2003
- Adult waiting period
- 10 years (s6)
- Juvenile waiting period
- 5 years
- Police exception
- Yes: Schedule 1 Pt 2 item 1 and s9(4) cover police applications
NT
- Act
- Criminal Records (Spent Convictions) Act 1992
- Adult waiting period
- 10 years
- Juvenile waiting period
- 5 years (Youth Justice Court)
- Police exception
- Yes: s15(a) covers applications to be a police officer
ACT
- Act
- Spent Convictions Act 2000
- Adult waiting period
- 10 years (s13)
- Juvenile waiting period
- 5 years
- Police exception
- Yes: s19(1)(a) covers police appointment or employment
Commonwealth
- Act
- Crimes Act 1914, Part VIIC
- Adult waiting period
- 10 years (s85ZL)
- Juvenile waiting period
- 5 years
- Police exception
- Yes: s85ZZH(a) excludes law enforcement agencies assessing prospective staff, including the AFP and state police
| Jurisdiction | Act | Adult waiting period | Juvenile waiting period | Police exception |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Criminal Records Act 1991 | 10 years (s9) | 3 years for Children's Court orders (s10) | Yes: s15(1) excludes applications to be appointed a police officer |
| Victoria | Spent Convictions Act 2021 | 10 years | 5 years | Yes: s21 and the s22 table allow disclosure to Victoria Police for employment |
| Queensland | Criminal Law (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act 1986 | 10 years on indictment; 5 years otherwise | 5 years | Yes: s9A requires police applicants to disclose full criminal history |
| WA | Spent Convictions Act 1988 | 10 years (s11); not automatic | No separate period | Yes: Schedule 3 covers police officers, auxiliaries, Aboriginal police liaison officers and cadets |
| SA | Spent Convictions Act 2009 | 10 years | 5 years | Probably: Schedule 1 cl 9 covers police (wording not verified by us) |
| Tasmania | Annulled Convictions Act 2003 | 10 years (s6) | 5 years | Yes: Schedule 1 Pt 2 item 1 and s9(4) cover police applications |
| NT | Criminal Records (Spent Convictions) Act 1992 | 10 years | 5 years (Youth Justice Court) | Yes: s15(a) covers applications to be a police officer |
| ACT | Spent Convictions Act 2000 | 10 years (s13) | 5 years | Yes: s19(1)(a) covers police appointment or employment |
| Commonwealth | Crimes Act 1914, Part VIIC | 10 years (s85ZL) | 5 years | Yes: s85ZZH(a) excludes law enforcement agencies assessing prospective staff, including the AFP and state police |
We read the Acts through official copies or archived snapshots in October 2026; several legislation sites blocked direct access. SA's Schedule 1 clause 9 wording was not verified. Not legal advice.
Some details matter if you're relying on a conviction being spent for other purposes. Not every conviction can be spent: NSW, Tasmania, the NT and the ACT exclude sentences over six months, Victoria excludes "serious convictions" such as jail over 30 months, and SA excludes adult sentences of 12 months or more. In WA and partly in the NT, spending isn't automatic and needs an application.
The Commonwealth scheme applies too
Under Part VIIC of the Crimes Act 1914, the exclusion for law enforcement agencies covers the AFP and state and territory police. So a Commonwealth conviction must also be disclosed when you apply to a state force.
How police forces assess a criminal history
Forces don't just look at the offence name. Tasmania's published guidelines set out the factors most forces consider, and they're a useful guide to how any panel will think about your history.
What forces weigh (Tasmania's five factors)
- ✓ Your age at the time of the offence.
- ✓ How serious the offence was.
- ✓ Whether it was part of a pattern of behaviour.
- ✓ The effect on any victims.
- ✓ The outcome imposed by the court or police.
Waiting periods usually run from the date the matter was finalised, not the date of the offence, although Tasmania counts some from the offence date. Queensland describes its periods as "up to" maximums that are indicative, not mandatory. The AFP's decision-maker can apply discretion to imprisonment, criminal associations and corruption, and its decision is final.
Some situations stop you applying until they're resolved, whatever the offence: outstanding warrants, unpaid fines or orders, a pending charge or investigation, or an undischarged bankruptcy. Sort these out before you start.
Exclusion periods compared: Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the AFP
Four forces publish detailed exclusion tables. Here's how they compare for the most common categories. "Permanent" or "unsuitable" means you can't join that force.
Any jail sentence (incl. suspended or youth detention)
- Victoria
- Permanent
- Queensland (up to)
- Unsuitable
- Tasmania
- Permanent
- AFP
- Decision-maker's discretion
Indictable offence
- Victoria
- 10 years (adult), 5 (juvenile)
- Queensland (up to)
- Up to unsuitable
- Tasmania
- Permanent (incl. cautions, diversion, bonds)
- AFP
- 5 years
Assault, dishonesty or property damage (summary)
- Victoria
- 5 years from conviction
- Queensland (up to)
- Up to 5 years
- Tasmania
- Up to 5 years; some permanent
- AFP
- Violence 5–10 years; dishonesty 5–10 years
Offences against police
- Queensland (up to)
- Up to unsuitable
- Tasmania
- 5 years; sometimes permanent
- AFP
- 5 years
Drug use or possession
- Victoria
- 1–5 years from last use
- Queensland (up to)
- Diversion up to 5 years
- Tasmania
- Up to 3 years
Drug supply or trafficking
- Queensland (up to)
- Up to unsuitable
- Tasmania
- Up to 5 years or permanent
- AFP
- 5–10 years
Breach of an intervention or DV order
- Victoria
- 10 years (adult), 5 (juvenile)
- Queensland (up to)
- Up to unsuitable
- Tasmania
- Permanent
Current order against you
- Victoria
- Can't apply
- Queensland (up to)
- Interim DVO: can't apply
- Tasmania
- Can't apply
- AFP
- 5 years
| Matter | Victoria | Queensland (up to) | Tasmania | AFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any jail sentence (incl. suspended or youth detention) | Permanent | Unsuitable | Permanent | Decision-maker's discretion |
| Indictable offence | 10 years (adult), 5 (juvenile) | Up to unsuitable | Permanent (incl. cautions, diversion, bonds) | 5 years |
| Assault, dishonesty or property damage (summary) | 5 years from conviction | Up to 5 years | Up to 5 years; some permanent | Violence 5–10 years; dishonesty 5–10 years |
| Offences against police | – | Up to unsuitable | 5 years; sometimes permanent | 5 years |
| Drug use or possession | 1–5 years from last use | Diversion up to 5 years | Up to 3 years | – |
| Drug supply or trafficking | – | Up to unsuitable | Up to 5 years or permanent | 5–10 years |
| Breach of an intervention or DV order | 10 years (adult), 5 (juvenile) | Up to unsuitable | Permanent | – |
| Current order against you | Can't apply | Interim DVO: can't apply | Can't apply | 5 years |
Simplified from each force's published guidelines; read the original before relying on it. Queensland's guidelines are dated February 2023 and its periods are indicative maximums. AFP violence periods are for personal violence; domestic and family violence is 10 years and sexual assault 15 years to indefinite.
The differences are real. Tasmania is the strictest on indictable offences, excluding them permanently even with a caution. The AFP is more lenient there, at 5 years, but stricter on domestic and family violence (10 years) and sexual harassment (10 years). Victoria splits adult and juvenile periods clearly. If you have a borderline history, the force you choose can make a difference.
Compare forces on more than history
Pay, postings, fitness standards and lifestyle differ a lot between forces. Our free quiz matches you with the best fit.
Traffic offences, demerit points and drink driving
Driving history trips up more applicants than criminal history. You'll drive a police car from your first shift, so forces look closely at your licence record. Every force wants your full traffic history, and the AFP asks for records from every licensing authority covering the past 10 years.
Victoria
- Drink driving
- 0.1 or above: 5 years; below 0.1: 2 years
- Other serious traffic matters
- Serious driving 10 years; driving while suspended 5 years; cancelled or disqualified 10 years
Queensland
- Drink driving
- 0.15 or above, drug driving or refusal: up to 5 years; below 0.15: up to 2 years
- Other serious traffic matters
- Disqualified or cancelled up to 5 years; suspended up to 2 years; unpaid-fine suspension or unlicensed up to 1 year
Tasmania
- Drink driving
- 0.10 or above: 5 years; below 0.10: 2 years; two or more: case by case
- Other serious traffic matters
- Dangerous, reckless or drug driving 5 years; disqualified up to 5 years; suspended may still be eligible
AFP
- Drink driving
- Low-range 1 year; mid-range 3 years; high-range 5 years; 3+ DUIs 15 years
- Other serious traffic matters
- Demerit suspension 2 years; serious driving 5 years; 5+ minor offences in 3 years: 1 year
| Force | Drink driving | Other serious traffic matters |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 0.1 or above: 5 years; below 0.1: 2 years | Serious driving 10 years; driving while suspended 5 years; cancelled or disqualified 10 years |
| Queensland | 0.15 or above, drug driving or refusal: up to 5 years; below 0.15: up to 2 years | Disqualified or cancelled up to 5 years; suspended up to 2 years; unpaid-fine suspension or unlicensed up to 1 year |
| Tasmania | 0.10 or above: 5 years; below 0.10: 2 years; two or more: case by case | Dangerous, reckless or drug driving 5 years; disqualified up to 5 years; suspended may still be eligible |
| AFP | Low-range 1 year; mid-range 3 years; high-range 5 years; 3+ DUIs 15 years | Demerit suspension 2 years; serious driving 5 years; 5+ minor offences in 3 years: 1 year |
Demerit points have their own limits. Victoria's eligibility rule is "Full or probationary Australian driver licence (no learner permits), with no more than 7 demerit points at application." Queensland wants 6 or fewer demerit points, and SA wants none if you're on a provisional licence. NSW's eligibility quiz suggests no traffic offences in the last 6 months, with earlier offences also considered. A current licence suspension stops you applying in Queensland.
Before you apply
- ✓ Order your full traffic history from every state you've held a licence in.
- ✓ Pay any outstanding fines; unpaid-fine suspensions count in Queensland and Tasmania.
- ✓ Check your demerit points against your force's limit.
- ✓ Note the finalisation date of any drink-driving matter and count forward.
Juvenile records, cautions and diversion
Matters from when you were young are treated more leniently, but you still have to declare them. Every force asks for juvenile history, and several say so in their eligibility rules: Tasmania requires all offences "including juvenile" to be disclosed, and the NT lists juvenile offences including cautions.
Works in your favour
- ✓Victoria's juvenile exclusion periods are half the adult ones for indictable matters (5 years vs 10).
- ✓Tasmania assesses youth offences case by case.
- ✓Queensland assesses cautions, diversion and 'no conviction recorded' outcomes case by case.
- ✓Age at the time is one of the main factors every force weighs.
Watch out for
- ✕Victoria treats cautions, diversions and good behaviour bonds as findings of guilt.
- ✕Tasmania permanently excludes indictable offences, including cautions for them.
- ✕Youth detention counts as a jail sentence: a permanent bar in Vic, QLD and Tas.
- ✕The AFP asks specifically for cautions and convictions from before 18.
Under spent convictions laws, juvenile matters usually become spent faster: 5 years in most jurisdictions and 3 years for NSW Children's Court orders. But as above, those protections don't apply to police applications.
AVOs, DVOs and intervention orders
Family violence and intervention orders are taken very seriously, because police enforce them every day. If you're the respondent to a current order, you can't apply to Victoria or Tasmania, and in Queensland you can't apply while an interim DVO is in force.
NSW
- Rule on orders against you
- An AVO against you in the past 10 years may make you ineligible; interim or revoked AVOs don't count (eligibility quiz, search summary)
Victoria
- Rule on orders against you
- Can't apply with a current intervention order; a breach means 10 years (adult) or 5 years (juvenile)
Queensland
- Rule on orders against you
- Can't apply with a current interim DVO; being a respondent to a current or past DVO, or a breach, can make you unsuitable
Tasmania
- Rule on orders against you
- Can't apply while an order is current; eligible 5 years after it expires; a breach is a permanent bar; protected persons case by case
AFP
- Rule on orders against you
- Current AVO: 5 years; expired AVO: 2 to 5 years
NT
- Rule on orders against you
- DVO history must be disclosed and may go to the Integrity Committee
| Force | Rule on orders against you |
|---|---|
| NSW | An AVO against you in the past 10 years may make you ineligible; interim or revoked AVOs don't count (eligibility quiz, search summary) |
| Victoria | Can't apply with a current intervention order; a breach means 10 years (adult) or 5 years (juvenile) |
| Queensland | Can't apply with a current interim DVO; being a respondent to a current or past DVO, or a breach, can make you unsuitable |
| Tasmania | Can't apply while an order is current; eligible 5 years after it expires; a breach is a permanent bar; protected persons case by case |
| AFP | Current AVO: 5 years; expired AVO: 2 to 5 years |
| NT | DVO history must be disclosed and may go to the Integrity Committee |
Being the protected person under an order is different. Tasmania assesses that case by case, and it's unlikely to count against you in itself, but declare it if asked.
NSW, WA, SA and the NT: what they publish
Four forces don't publish an offence-by-offence table, so you'll need to rely on their general statements and ask recruiting about your situation.
NSW Police Force
NSW's eligibility quiz (seen through search summaries) says any past criminal charge may affect suitability and points unsure applicants to Police Recruitment on 1800 222 122. NSW runs background and reference checks and takes fingerprints after the Professional Suitability Application. See the NSW joining guide.
WA Police Force
WA says you can apply with a criminal record or traffic offence, but some convictions may affect suitability. You must disclose all legal proceedings ever brought against you, whatever the outcome, and its page says the Spent Convictions Act doesn't apply. Final checks include fingerprints, DNA and a bankruptcy check. See the WA joining guide.
South Australia Police
SAPOL says a criminal or serious traffic history may make you ineligible, without publishing periods. If you're on a P licence, you need no demerit points and must not be on a Safer Driver Agreement. See the SA joining guide.
NT Police
The NT requires full disclosure of criminal and civil proceedings, spent convictions, traffic offences including tickets, juvenile matters, DVOs and bankruptcy. Declared matters may go to an Integrity Committee, you can respond in writing, and there's no automatic bar. Its guidelines aren't published. See the NT joining guide.
How to disclose your history well
The way you disclose matters almost as much as what you disclose. A clear, complete and honest account shows the judgement and integrity forces are looking for.
- 1
Get your records
Order a national police check and your traffic history from every licensing authority, so you're working from the official record, not memory.
- 2
Check the guidelines
Read your force's published prior history rules and work out whether any waiting period has passed.
- 3
Ask early if unsure
Use Victoria's Voluntary Disclosure Form (an answer in 1 to 4 weeks) or call recruiting in other forces before investing time.
- 4
Declare everything
Include cautions, diversions, juvenile matters, fines and anything you're unsure about. If in doubt, declare it.
- 5
Prepare to explain
Be ready to talk calmly about what happened, what you learned and what's changed. Don't minimise or blame others.
Rehearse the hardest question
Panels may ask about anything you've declared. Practise a calm, honest answer with the AI mock interview and get scored feedback on structure and tone. Two free answers a day; full access A$34.99.
Your history is only one part of suitability. Make sure you meet the other eligibility requirements, and check related worries in our guides to tattoos and the psychological assessment.
What we couldn't confirm (and who can)
We read the legislation and force guidelines directly where we could, but some pages blocked access and some guidelines aren't public.
The exact wording of SA's police exception (Spent Convictions Act 2009, Schedule 1 cl 9)
- Who can confirm
- SA legislation website, or Legal Services Commission of SA
Whether QPS has replaced its February 2023 integrity guidelines
- Who can confirm
- QPS Recruiting
NSW's full prior history rules (we saw only search summaries of its eligibility quiz)
- Who can confirm
- NSW Police Recruitment, 1800 222 122
WA's and SA's exclusion periods (not published)
- Who can confirm
- WA Police Force and SAPOL recruiting teams
The NT Integrity Committee's internal guidelines
- Who can confirm
- NT Police recruiting
| Open question | Who can confirm |
|---|---|
| The exact wording of SA's police exception (Spent Convictions Act 2009, Schedule 1 cl 9) | SA legislation website, or Legal Services Commission of SA |
| Whether QPS has replaced its February 2023 integrity guidelines | QPS Recruiting |
| NSW's full prior history rules (we saw only search summaries of its eligibility quiz) | NSW Police Recruitment, 1800 222 122 |
| WA's and SA's exclusion periods (not published) | WA Police Force and SAPOL recruiting teams |
| The NT Integrity Committee's internal guidelines | NT Police recruiting |
Free email alerts
Get told when a force changes its prior history rules
Forces revise their integrity guidelines and exclusion periods from time to time. We'll email you when one changes, so you know when a waiting period might be shorter, plus new intake dates.
- ✓Prior history and integrity rule changes
- ✓New intakes in all 8 forces
Frequently asked questions
Can you become a police officer with a criminal record in Australia?
Sometimes. No force says every offence rules you out. Forces weigh the seriousness of the offence, how long ago it was, your age at the time and your behaviour since. Minor or old matters often only mean a waiting period. Any jail sentence, including a suspended one, permanently rules you out in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.
Do I need to disclose spent convictions when applying to the police?
Yes. Every Australian spent convictions law, including the Commonwealth's, makes an exception for applications to be a police officer. Forces also ask you to declare juvenile matters, cautions, diversions and traffic history. Failing to disclose is treated far more seriously than most old offences: the NT says it is likely to mean permanent exclusion.
Can you join the police with a drink driving charge?
Usually, after a waiting period. Victoria excludes you for 5 years for a reading of 0.1 or above and 2 years below that. Tasmania uses the same thresholds. Queensland sets up to 5 years for 0.15 or above and up to 2 years below. The AFP sets 1, 3 or 5 years for low, mid and high-range readings.
Does a police caution count as a criminal record?
For police recruitment, it counts as history you must disclose. Victoria treats cautions, diversions and good behaviour bonds as findings of guilt. Tasmania includes cautions for indictable offences. Queensland assesses cautions and diversion case by case. Under most spent convictions laws a caution isn't a conviction, but police applications are excluded from that protection.
Can you join the police with a juvenile record?
Often, yes, but you must disclose it. Victoria applies shorter exclusion periods to juvenile offences (5 years for indictable matters instead of 10). Tasmania assesses youth offences case by case. Every force asks for juvenile history, and the AFP specifically asks for cautions and convictions from before age 18.
Can you join the police if you've had an AVO taken out against you?
It depends on the timing. You can't apply in Victoria or Tasmania while an order against you is current, or in Queensland while an interim DVO is in force. Tasmania lets you apply 5 years after an order expires, but a breach is a permanent bar there. NSW's quiz suggests an AVO in the past 10 years may make you ineligible.
Can you join the police with a drug offence or past drug use?
Past personal use is usually a waiting-period issue. Victoria applies 1 to 5 years from last use, Tasmania up to 3 years for use or possession, and Queensland up to 5 years after completed diversion. Supply and trafficking are much more serious: up to permanent in Queensland and Tasmania, and 5 to 10 years for the AFP. Every force tests for drugs.
Can I find out if I'm eligible before applying to the police?
In Victoria, yes. Its Voluntary Disclosure Form gets you an eligibility answer in 1 to 4 weeks. NSW suggests calling Police Recruitment on 1800 222 122 if you're unsure about a past charge. Other forces generally assess your history after you apply, so read their published guidelines first.
Evidence
Sources and how we checked them
Every figure on this page comes from the sources below, read on 9 October 2026. Pay rates and rules change when new agreements are made, so check the source for the date you're reading this. Where we couldn't confirm something from an official source, the page says so instead of guessing. Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy.
- Victoria Police: Prior history guidelines
- QPS Recruitment Integrity Guidelines: General Assessment Factors (February 2023)
- Tasmania Police: Applicant Prior History Offence Guidelines (PDF)
- AFP: Employment Suitability Questionnaire
- AFP: Traffic history
- NTPFES: Integrity and disclosure for applicants
- NSW Police Force recruitment: Eligibility quiz — Search summary only; the page blocked direct reading.
- Let's Join Forces (WA Police Force): Am I eligible? — Search summary only.
- SAPOL: Eligibility
- NSW legislation: Criminal Records Act 1991 — Search the site for the Act; s15 holds the police exception.
- Victorian legislation: Spent Convictions Act 2021
- Queensland legislation: Criminal Law (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act 1986 — Search the site for the Act; s9A covers police applicants.
- WA legislation: Spent Convictions Act 1988 — Search the site for the Act; Schedule 3 lists police appointments.
- SA legislation: Spent Convictions Act 2009 — Search the site for the Act; Schedule 1 cl 9 covers police (not verified by us).
- Tasmanian legislation: Annulled Convictions Act 2003
- NT legislation: Criminal Records (Spent Convictions) Act 1992
- ACT legislation: Spent Convictions Act 2000
- Federal Register of Legislation: Crimes Act 1914 (Part VIIC)
Related guides
Joining the police
More in this series
General information, not advice. This guide explains published rules and rates. It doesn't consider your personal circumstances and isn't financial, legal, tax or credit advice. Confirm anything you rely on with your force, your police association, the ATO or a licensed professional.