Don’t let a criminal record prevent you from thinking a career in the security sector is not for you. The SIA do state that having a record will not necessarily mean that you will not get a licence. According to the website they will make their decision based on:
- Whether we consider your offences relevant to our decision;
- How recent the offences were.
In order to save you money on making application that would not be accepted, the SIA have created a criminal record indicator. This handy tool on their website provides a ‘no cost’ way of determining whether or not you will pass the criminality criteria. You can access the criminality indicator here.
What if I have charges awaiting trial?
For any charges you have that may be awaiting trial, the SIA cannot process your licence application until the courts have made a decision. This is understandable, however our advice would be to wait on any outstanding issues such as this before applying for your Licence.
It is important to note that if any charges have not been resolved within a year of making the application, your application will be canceled, with the fees being non refundable.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
The law states that access to a person’s criminal record is restricted under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, as it is in the public interest for the SIA to have full disclosure of a person’s criminal record as a public body, they are exempt from this restriction.
Overseas Criminal Record Checks
Unfortunately if you live overseas or have even spent six continuous months or more outside the UK, the SIA ask that you provide evidence of a criminal record check from the country you have been based in. To find out more about overseas criminal record checks and your application for a SIA licence, you can visit the website here.
If you were enrolled in the military during your time spent overseas, you can submit an extract from your military record. For more information from the SIA website regarding this, head here.