National Police Clearance WA for Jobs: What Employers Check
A WA Police National Police Certificate is a point-in-time record of disclosable court outcomes and pending charges from Australian police jurisdictions. It is commonly requested for government jobs in Western Australia, security, care and other positions of trust—but it is not the correct screening product for every job.
Last fact-checked: 27 August 2026. Fees, wage rates and regulatory requirements can change. Follow the linked government source before paying or applying.
Official WA Police figures
| Measure | Official position at review date |
|---|---|
| Standard fee | $66.00 including GST |
| Volunteer program fee | $17.60 through an eligible registered volunteer-involving organisation |
| Identity threshold | 100 points of accepted identification |
| Straight-through online result | Can be delivered within minutes where no further investigation is needed |
| If further investigation is required | May take up to 10 business days; WA Police asks applicants to allow 15 business days before enquiring |
| WA Police expiry period | None—the certificate records information at its issue date |
Source: WA Police pages updated in May and July 2026. An employer or licensing authority may impose its own recency rule.
What does the certificate contain?
The certificate can include disclosable criminal and traffic court outcomes, pending charges and some non-police-prosecuted matters. It does not simply answer “yes” or “no”, and it is not a complete court history. Restricted outcomes, including eligible spent convictions, may not be disclosed.
A WA Police application also includes a request to spend eligible WA convictions. The official fee page lists spending a conviction separately as having no fee. If information appears incorrect, use the WA Police dispute process rather than trying to explain an apparent database error informally to a recruiter.
Does a police clearance expire?
No universal expiry is imposed by WA Police. The certificate is current only as of its issue date, and the employer or organisation decides how recent it must be. Some WA licensing processes explicitly demand a certificate less than three months old. That does not make three months the rule for every job.
Ask the employer before buying a fresh certificate. This avoids paying $66 only to learn that the organisation uses a different nationally coordinated check, conducts screening itself, or requires a particular purpose category.
Police certificate, Working with Children Check or NDIS screening?
| Situation | Likely screening route | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| General employment or licensing | National Police Certificate or employer-nominated check | Confirm the exact product and recency requirement |
| Child-related work | WA Working with Children Check | An ordinary police certificate is not a substitute |
| Risk-assessed NDIS work | NDIS Worker Screening Check | Follow the employer and WA screening unit process |
| WA security licensing | Licensing-specific police and identity checks | Follow the licensing application, not a generic job-ad assumption |
How to apply without being scammed
- Start from the WA Government application page, not a sponsored search result that merely resembles it.
- Confirm with the employer or licensing body that a WA Police NPC is appropriate.
- Prepare accepted documents totalling 100 identity points and ensure names match.
- Complete the application yourself. An employer cannot apply in your place.
- Use the digital certificate or original hard copy as directed. WA Police recommends that employers verify printed electronic certificates.
What employers should actually assess
A disclosed outcome is not a universal finding that someone is unsuitable. A defensible recruitment process considers whether the information is relevant to the inherent duties, its seriousness and recency, and the risk associated with the position. Employers should also limit access to sensitive screening information and explain the process before collecting it.
Roles involving money, vulnerable clients, secure premises, regulated licences or unsupervised access may justify different checks. Candidates can explore current security jobs in Perth, aged-care jobs in Perth and FIFO jobs from Perth, then verify the exact screening line in each advertisement.
Sources
- WA Police: Apply for a National Police Certificate, updated 8 May 2026.
- WA Police information access fees, updated 1 July 2026.
- WA Government: Police checks for licensing, including the three-month licensing example.
- WA Department of Communities: Working with Children Check.
- WA Department of Communities: NDIS Worker Screening Check.