What is the Police National Computer (PNC)?

What Is The Police National Computer?

The PNC is a database that is used by the police and other organisations, such as non-police prosecution agencies, regulatory bodies, and government agencies. The PNC contains all of the UK’s information on criminal offences, committed above the age of criminal responsibility (10 years old).

In this article, we will answer some of the most common questions about the PNC and DBS checks – use the table of contents below to jump to the question you need answering:

What is the Police National Computer used for?

The Police National Computer (PNC) is a collection of databases containing information relevant to policing.

It is used to help investigations by providing real-time checks on individuals, vehicles, crimes, property, and Schengen Information System II Alerts. Examples of these include:

> Persons Wanted for Extradition,
> Missing Persons,
> People or Vehicles Requiring Discreet Checks.

Who can access the Police National Computer?

All police forces and law enforcement agencies across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, The Isle of Man and The Channel Islands have access to the Police National Computer, but it’s not just law enforcement agencies who can access it.

Some other government organisations have access to the PNC (although subject to varying limits), such as The Disclosure and Barring Service, HM Prison Service, HM Revenue & Customs, both Houses of Parliament, The Home Office, and the Royal Mail.

What information is held on the Police National Computer?

The Police National Computer holds information relating to people-of-interest to UK Law Enforcement Agencies because they:

  • Have convictions or cautions for criminal offences (Including youth warnings/reprimands).
  • Possess a firearm certificate.
  • Are wanted by authorities.
  • Have court orders made against them.
  • Are currently, or have at some point been, missing.
  • Have absconded from certain institutions (such as prison).
  • Have been disqualified from driving by a court.
  • Have a driver’s record held at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
  • Are subject to the legal process, such as waiting to appear in court.

A person’s PNC record contains a list of:

  • Full Names.
  • Date of Birth.
  • Gender.
  • Ethnicity.
  • Arrest summons numbers.
  • Whether a DNA sample has been taken.
  • The Arresting Officer.
  • Convictions & Arrests.




What is a PNC check?

We get this question a lot; a PNC check isn’t a type of document or an official check – it simply refers to the process of checking the PNC during a DBS check. This is standard procedure, and occurs for every type of DBS check. If you’ve been asked to provide a PNC check, then they probably meant to say “DBS check”.

This flowchart shows the stages of the DBS check process – the Police National Computer check takes place at stage 2.

What is the Police National Computer (PNC)?
What is the Police National Computer (PNC)?

How does information stored on the PNC affect DBS checks?

As mentioned, the PNC holds all information regarding convictions against an individual, even if they’re spent or filtered. When a DBS Check is submitted, the PNC is checked, regardless of whether it is a Basic, Standard, or Enhanced DBS request.

> Basic DBS checks will disclose unspent convictions and/or conditional cautions.

> Standard and Enhanced DBS Checks will disclose both spent and unspent convictions/cautions.

Can I check the Police National Computer?

Only the police and a selection of official government & security bodies have access to the PNC, so it is not possible for an individual to simply log into the PNC and have a browse.

However, Subject Access Requests (SAR) are a way to see what information the PNC contains about you. This is essentially a freedom-of-information request for any & all PNC information about yourself. Bear in mind that these can’t be used as legal/employment documents, they are purely for curiosity’s sake.

How long are records kept on the PNC?

Since 2006, all police records of arrest have been kept on the PNC indefinitely, unless an individual can show an ‘exceptional case’ for the removal of their record.

Anyone who is arrested, where an offence is recorded, will have a record created on the PNC which will be retained for 100 years from the date of creation.

Can you delete records from the Police National Computer?

It is possible to have items deleted from the PNC if the individual can provide evidence of good grounds for deletion.

This is a very involved process, overseen by ACRO. Their website will let you know what records are eligible for removal, as well as how it’s done. Click here to visit their site.

Summary: The PNC

The Police National Computer is the database used by the UK police forces to store everyone’s criminal records. Naturally, it plays a vital role during the DBS checking process, during which it is searched for information relating to the applicant.

Aaron’s Department offers fast-tracked, affordable, error-proof DBS checks for employers. Sounds too good to be true? Sign up (for free) to find out, or get in touch. Drop us an email at contact@aaronsdepartment.com, or call 0113 877 0171, and we’ll provide any extra info you require.

Further Reading

If you’ve found this post helpful, here are some related ones you might also find handy:

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