Are nationally coordinated criminal history checks Australia-wide?

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Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks have permeated the world of work in Australia. Whether you're seeking employment or a professional licence, you will probably require a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check. Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks are an essential risk mitigation strategy for employers by providing information on an applicant's criminal past. Based on this information, employers can accurately assess candidates' suitability for the role. However, the quality of this decision is based on the comprehensiveness of the check.

With that said, are nationally coordinated criminal history checks Australia-wide? Do nationally coordinated criminal history checks cover all Australian States and Territories? Do you have to worry about overseas convictions when performing an Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check? This post explores these questions to inform you about the extent of Australian nationally coordinated criminal history checks.

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check is an Australia-wide check. Below we explore further details of the check.

But first, what is a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check?

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check reveals an applicant's criminal history per the legislation of the person's state or territory. These criminal offences include criminal convictions and sentences, indictable offences, traffic offences settled in court, finding of guilt, unexpired good behaviour bonds. Criminal histories on a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check are called Disclosable Court Outcomes (DCOs).

On the other hand, details that will not appear on a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check include diversionary programs, police cautions, restriction/court orders, no finding of guilt, convictions by agencies other than a legal Australian Court.

Purpose of nationally coordinated criminal history checks

The purpose of a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check can fall into any of the following:

1. Paid Employment

Most Australian employers now require a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check as part of the background check process. This enables employers to assess an applicant's tendencies for crime and make informed hiring decisions.

2. Probity

Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks are a requirement when working in positions of trust like a school board member to protect vulnerable people and organisational assets.

3. Licencing

Some bodies require a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check before giving you a licence. In many instances, you will also need a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check to obtain a public vehicle driver licence.

Understanding the Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check process

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) coordinates nationally coordinated criminal history checks in Australia. They have access to the police criminal databases across states and territories from which they derive an applicant's criminal history. Hence, it doesn't matter where you applied for a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check. The check will look up your criminal history across Australian States and Territories. This is partly why the Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check is called a nationally coordinated criminal history check (NCCHC).

Hence, to answer the question, nationally coordinated criminal history checks are Australia-wide!

How the ACIC manages Australia-wide nationally coordinated criminal history checks

Do you know that over 5 million nationally coordinated criminal history checks are conducted in Australia yearly? Because each check is national, the process can quickly become cumbersome for ACIC to manage alone. Thankfully, the ACIC works with ACIC-accredited agencies and Australian Police Forces to make the police checking service timely, reliable and accessible for Aussies.

ACIC-accredited agencies are independent agencies - like Australian National Character Check - that have access to the National Police Checking Service database. Once the applicant submits their details and identification documents, their details are used to extract their criminal history from the database. The Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check certificate details the extracted disclosable court outcomes.

Local police stations across all states and territories can also conduct nationally coordinated criminal history checks. Most police stations offer both manual and online checking services. The manual service involves filling out a paper application and submitting the necessary identification documents by mail. The mailing address varies by State or Territory, so do well to check with your territory's police address before you proceed. The online checking service is usually preferred because it is faster.

Do nationally coordinated criminal history checks include overseas convictions?

The NCCHC is only Australia-wide, meaning it does not include overseas convictions.

An overseas criminal record will not affect your Australian Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check result as long as:

• ✔ You were not on parole in the country.
• ✔ You don't have pending bail conditions.
• ✔ The record is not a pending arrest warrant or court order requiring your presence.
• ✔ It is not a standing order by a Commonwealth court hindering you from applying for a passport.

Hence, most people with overseas convictions do not have legal issues in Australia.

However, in cases where the overseas offence is connected to Australia, it may appear on your Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check result. This is particularly true if a Commonwealth court convicted you.

Because of the limitations of the NCCHC, many employers are now also adopting international nationally coordinated criminal history checks. That way, they can assess criminal history across different countries.

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