ACIC Accreditation Explained: A Guide to National Police Checks in Australia

When Australians search for a National Police Check, they often see references to ACIC accreditation, accredited bodies and the National Police Checking Service. The short answer is that ACIC manages access to the national checking service, while individuals generally apply through an accredited body or an Australian police agency.

This guide explains what ACIC accreditation means, how a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check works and what individuals and organisations should review when choosing a provider. It also explains where AuthNTick fits.

What is the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission?

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, or ACIC, is an Australian Government agency. Among its functions, ACIC works with Australian police agencies and accredited bodies to deliver the National Police Checking Service.

The National Police Checking Service enables people to apply for a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check. ACIC manages the national support system used to lodge and process applications, controls accredited access to the service and sets contractual requirements for accredited bodies. Australian police agencies participate in searching, matching, assessing and releasing relevant police information under the applicable rules.

ACIC is not the provider that most applicants deal with during an ordinary online application. It does not accept applications or submit checks on behalf of individuals. AuthNTick is also not part of ACIC and is not a government agency.

What is ACIC accreditation?

ACIC accreditation authorises an eligible Australian organisation to access the National Police Checking Service and submit police checks on behalf of consenting applicants within its approved scope.

Before access is granted, an organisation is assessed for suitability and enters a legally binding agreement governing controlled access to the service. Applicable obligations include informed consent, identity verification, correct purpose and category information, privacy, information security, appropriate use and disclosure of results, staff practices, record handling, audit and operational compliance.

Accreditation is specific. It shows that the organisation has authorised access to the national service and must meet the requirements governing that access. It should not be described as ACIC endorsing every price, user-interface choice, integration, support claim or other commercial feature offered by that provider.

What is an ACIC-accredited body?

ACIC’s framework includes commercial and non-commercial accredited bodies. Their permitted applicants, customers and check categories can differ according to their operational function and accreditation arrangements. A commercial accredited body may provide checks to individuals and approved customer organisations within the applicable rules. A non-commercial body is generally limited to its own personnel and certain authorised regulatory or administrative functions.

Accredited access also carries responsibility. Police and identity information is sensitive, and providers must protect it, restrict access and use it only for authorised purposes.

Can individuals apply directly to ACIC?

No. ACIC does not accept applications or submit checks on behalf of individuals. Its current public guidance says an individual can obtain a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check by applying through:

• an ACIC-accredited body that offers the required check;
• an Australian police agency that accepts applications for that purpose; or
• an appropriate authorised or statutory pathway where a specialised screening, licensing or regulatory process applies.

The final option matters because an ordinary police check is not interchangeable with every screening clearance. Working with Children Checks, NDIS Worker Screening Checks, some licences and other statutory schemes have their own authorised pathways.

What is a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check?

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) is the official check delivered through the National Police Checking Service. It is a point-in-time result based on identifying information, Australian police information and the applicable release rules for the stated purpose.

Consumers may encounter other descriptions, including “National Police Check”, “criminal history check”, “employment police check” or “volunteer police check”. Those phrases can describe the product or use case in plain language, but the formal service terminology should be stated clearly. A provider should also distinguish the NCCHC from an AFP National Police Certificate, a Working with Children Check or another purpose-specific clearance.

The appropriate check depends on why it is required. An employment National Police Check must carry an accurate employment, licensing or entitlement purpose. An eligible volunteer police check is for unpaid volunteer activity and should not be used for paid work.

How the National Police Checking Service works

The service coordinates a name-based national checking process involving the applicant, the accredited body or police agency, ACIC systems and Australian police agencies. It is not merely a lookup in one provider-owned database.

1. The applicant provides details and informed consent. The application identifies the person, the check category and the specific purpose for which the result is required.
2. Identity is verified. Required identity documents and any name-linkage evidence are checked through the provider’s approved workflow.
3. The accredited body submits the application. Eligible application data is lodged in the National Police Checking Service Support System.
4. The national service coordinates the search. Applicant details are compared with police information across participating Australian jurisdictions.
5. Potential matches may be reviewed. Some applications clear quickly; others require manual matching, record collection or assessment by one or more police agencies.
6. Police information is assessed for release. The purpose, check category, spent-conviction legislation and information-release policies affect what may be disclosed.
7. The result returns through the submitting body. The accredited body or police agency provides the result through its approved delivery process.

The requesting organisation remains responsible for deciding what the result means for employment, licensing, access or suitability. Accreditation does not transfer that decision to ACIC or the provider.

Do all accredited providers access the same system?

Yes, accredited bodies submit eligible checks through the National Police Checking Service. ACIC states that accredited bodies have equal access to the system; one provider does not maintain a separate, superior national criminal-history database or receive preferential police searching.

That does not mean every application can be described as producing an identical result in every circumstance. Outcomes depend on accurate identifying information, the selected purpose and check category, applicable release policy, information available to police agencies and any manual matching or review requirements. Submitting a different purpose or incomplete details is not a like-for-like comparison.

Providers can legitimately differ in the parts of the service they control:

Why ACIC accreditation matters

Accreditation matters because it establishes controlled, accountable access to the national checking service. An accredited body operates under requirements designed to protect applicants and the integrity of police checking.

• Authorised access: eligible applications can be submitted through the National Police Checking Service within the body’s approved scope.
• Informed consent: the applicant must understand and agree to the check and relevant handling of their information.
• Identity requirements: the provider must establish and link the applicant’s identity using the required process.
• Privacy and security: personal and police information must be collected, accessed, stored, disclosed and disposed of appropriately.
• Purpose and result use: applications and results must relate to a valid purpose and cannot be treated as general, unrestricted information.
• Audit and compliance: accredited bodies are subject to contractual oversight, audit and consequences if obligations are not met.

These controls do not guarantee a completely error-free result, a particular suitability decision or instant turnaround. Police checking is partially manual, and some applications need further review.

How can I confirm whether a provider is accredited?

Check the official ACIC source, then match the provider’s legal or trading name. ACIC publishes an official directory of commercial and non-commercial accredited bodies.

1. Open the ACIC directory rather than relying on a search snippet or provider comparison page.
2. Search for the provider’s legal entity and any listed trading name.
3. Confirm the provider offers the check category and customer pathway appropriate to your purpose.
4. Review the provider’s privacy information, consent process and published service terms.
5. If the name or offering is unclear, ask the provider for its legal accreditation details before supplying identity documents.

As at 14 July 2026, the ACIC directory lists DPI Consulting Pty Limited (trading as authntick identity services) among commercial accredited bodies. Because accreditation status can change, readers should verify the live directory rather than treating any dated article as the final authority.

How to choose an ACIC-accredited provider

Start with accreditation, then assess whether the provider’s workflow suits your purpose, privacy expectations and operational needs. Price alone does not describe the quality or suitability of the service.

About AuthNTick

AuthNTick provides eligible Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks through its ACIC-accredited service, subject to applicable terms, informed consent, identity requirements, purpose requirements and service eligibility. Its current accreditation entry can be checked in ACIC’s official directory under DPI Consulting Pty Limited.

Individuals can use AuthNTick’s online workflow for eligible employment National Police Checks and volunteer police checks. The appropriate option depends on the intended purpose; an eligible volunteer category must not be used for paid employment.

For organisations, the AuthNTick workforce screening platform supports applicant invitations, status tracking, authorised organisation access and broader screening workflows. Supported services include AFP Police Checks, VEVO work-right checks, DVS-informed identity verification, education and qualification checks, work-history verification, reference checks and social-media checks.

AuthNTick also publishes information about its privacy and data-handling approach and screening service terms. Australian-based support and API, invitation-link and bulk workflow options are available where applicable, subject to product availability, technical scoping, account configuration and agreement.

Common misconceptions about ACIC accreditation

Frequently asked questions