Criminal record spending periods have changed under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act
Big news! The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act has changed the length of time that many convictions show on basic criminal record checks. This means that your conviction may be spent sooner than you thought, even if you received a prison sentence of over four years.
Parliament passed the Act in April 2022. The criminal record changes came into effect at the end of October 2023. So they are already in effect!
Shorter spending periods for most convictions
Spent convictions for prison sentences over four years
For the first time ever, many prison sentences of over four years can also eventually become spent. However, the new legislation considers the nature of the offence when determining whether it can become spent. Disclosure for serious violent, sexual and terrorist offences will not change. A list of these offences can be found here.
