What shows on a South African police clearance?
A SAPS police clearance states whether you have a criminal record on the South African Police Service database, and if so, what convictions it holds. It is a record of convictions — not arrests, charges or suspicions.
What it contains
The certificate confirms your identity (verified by fingerprints) and states one of two things: that no criminal record is registered against you, or that a record exists, in which case it lists the convictions on it. It is issued by the SAPS Criminal Record Centre and reflects the database on the day of issue.
What counts as a criminal record
A South African criminal record is created by a conviction and sentence in a court of law. That is the key point: an arrest that did not lead to a conviction, a charge that was withdrawn, or a matter you were acquitted of does not, in the ordinary course, create a conviction record that appears on the certificate.
Fingerprints, not just names. Because the check is fingerprint-based, it finds records created under a former name — which is exactly why maiden names and previous surnames must be on the application. A record under an old name will still surface.
Do old or minor offences appear?
Yes — a conviction remains on the SAPS database until it is formally removed. There is no automatic "spent after X years" disappearance in the way some countries have. A minor offence from years ago can still show, which is often a surprise to applicants. The route to removing an eligible record is expungement.
Removing an eligible record: expungement
If a minor offence is on your record and enough time has passed — commonly ten years of clean conduct for minor matters, or immediately for certain decriminalised offences — it may qualify for expungement through the Department of Justice. Once expunged, it no longer appears on a fresh police clearance. Not every record qualifies; the eligibility rules are set by law. We offer a free eligibility check before you commit to anything — see criminal record expungement.
If your certificate is not what you expected
If a record appears that you believe is wrong — a matter you were acquitted of, or a duplicate — that is a rectification issue with SAPS rather than something an agent can change on the certificate. Tell us and we will point you to the right process.