How to track your SAPS police clearance

SAPS gives every police clearance application an enquiry (reference) number, and you can check its status yourself on the SAPS website. Here is exactly how, what the results mean, and what to do if your application does not show up.

How to check your status online

1. Open the SAPS online enquiry pageGo to saps.gov.za/services/certificate.php — the official "Police Clearance Certificates: Online Enquiry" page.
2. Enter your enquiry numberType the reference number without the backslash — for example 2019123456, not 2019/123456.
3. Add your ID number or date of birthSouth African citizens enter their SA ID number. Non-citizens enter their date of birth as ccyymmdd (for example 19850130), with no spaces.
4. No reference number?You can search with your surname and date of birth instead.

SAPS refreshes this data daily — the page shows the date it was last updated — and it lists both finalised and outstanding applications for the past year.

Where your reference number comes from

If you gave a South African cellphone number on the application, SAPS sends an SMS when it receives your application, with your reference number, and another SMS when it is finished. It also sends an SMS if the application is incomplete. SMS notices currently only go to South African numbers — if you applied from abroad with a foreign number, you will need the online enquiry. When we handle your application, we track it for you and send you the reference number.

How long it should take

SAPS states that applications take approximately 15 working days from the date all required documents reach the Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management (CR&CSM) office in Pretoria, excluding postal time. SAPS has also published a notice that it is currently experiencing a backlog, which has extended waiting times. In practice, budget two to four weeks or more once the application is in Pretoria, plus courier time either side.

If your application does not show up

• It may not have arrived yet. Applications posted or couriered from abroad only appear once CR&CSM has captured them.
• Try the surname and date-of-birth search in case the reference number was mistyped.
• Contact SAPS directly: the enquiry page lists the CR&CSM line, +27 12 393 3928.
• Incomplete applications are not processed. Missing proof of payment, an uncertified ID copy or unusable fingerprints will stall it. SAPS will not process copies or scans of fingerprints.

Once it is finalised

SAPS hands the certificate only to you, the person you nominated, or the courier named on your application. It is not scanned or emailed. If it is going abroad, check whether it needs an apostille or embassy attestation — and note that DIRCO will not apostille a police clearance that is more than six months old, so do not let it sit.

Sources: SAPS, Applying for a Police Clearance Certificate and Online Enquiry; DIRCO legalisation information sheet on police clearance certificates. Checked 23 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions