Criminal record checks

Anyone who wishes to apply to hold a permanent airport identification card at more than one airport will need to produce a Criminal Record Certificate (CRC) for each card application.

This can be the document provided it is presented within 26 weeks from the date of issue.

Applications for Criminal Record Certificates (CRCs), returned in the form of a criminal record certificate, can be made by individual employees or on behalf of a group of employees by an employer or agency (provided applicants have given their permission).

There are three disclosure organisations in the UK and applicants should obtain a basic disclosure from the relevant authority for the jurisdiction where they will be working.

• For a person working in England or Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
• For a person working in Scotland, Disclosure Scotland
• For a person working in Northern Ireland, Access NI

Information on applying for overseas checks is available from the Home Office and National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) websites. The Home Office material on gov.uk is updated periodically and should be followed where possible.

This should be checked with the relevant disclosure authority but the fee for a UK Criminal Record Certificate (CRC) at basic disclosure level is between £18 and £25. 

A separate Criminal Record Certificate (CRC) is still required even where a person requires a level of Nation Security Vetting in order to undertake their role, such as an Accreditation Check (AC) or Counter Terrorist Check (CTC).

Criminal Record Certificates (CRCs) are required for all states of residence for the last 5 years where the applicant was continuously resident for 6 months (counted as 26 weeks) or more.

Residency in this context is where the applicant actually lived for a period. It may be a different place from the applicant’s domicile or main residence (where they are registered to vote and where they pay taxes).

If an applicant has spent time overseas working on a cruise ship, a CRC should be obtained from the country of their main residence and a check done with their employer to confirm whether they committed a criminal offence during their time on the ship. 

UK regulation requires copies of all criminal record checks to be retained and made available to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Auditors on request.

As a matter of good practice and in line with the principles of the Rehabilitation of Offenders legislation, once a background check has been repeated and a fresh Criminal Record Certificate (CRC) obtained, consideration should be given to discarding any old CRCs held. This is to ensure that records of convictions that have become spent are not retained longer than necessary.

Criminal Record Certificates (CRCs) are valid for 26 weeks from the date of issue. This period is calculated from the date on which all elements of the Background Check (BC) or Enhanced Background Check (EBC) are complete.
Where the background check is being completed solely to obtain an airport identification card, the certificate must also be valid on the day the airport ID card application is submitted to the airport operator.

The only exception to this rule is where the applicant obtained an overseas CRC while they were still a resident overseas and within 26 weeks of leaving the country. Provided they have not returned to the issuing country since the CRC was issued it can be accepted as valid. An applicant returning to the overseas country for a holiday will not invalidate the CRC.

Criminal Record Certificates (CRCs) are valid for a period of 26 weeks from the date of issue. If a CRC is still less than 26 weeks old at the time of transfer, then it can be used for the new role. If it was issued more than 26 weeks prior to the new role beginning, then a fresh CRC must be obtained.