National Police Check
A point-in-time national criminal-history check; in Aged Care it must be under three years old to be accepted.
A National Police Check, also called a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (the official name) or a national criminal history check, is accredited by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. The terms refer to the same thing: a check of a person's disclosable criminal history. It is a point-in-time snapshot: it reflects your record on the day it is issued and does not update afterwards, which is why care employers care about how recent it is.
In Aged Care, the worker screening rules from 1 November 2025 accept either a National Police Check that is under three years old or a current NDIS Worker Screening Check. There are only these two options. A police check older than three years is not accepted, so workers may need to renew before starting a new role.
Because police history is already built into both NDIS Worker Screening Checks and Working With Children Checks, you should not list a National Police Check as a separate screening requirement on top of those clearances, although some organisations still obtain one to see the underlying detail a clearance does not expose. Those clearances are also stronger on ongoing assurance: they keep monitoring a worker after issue and can alert the linked employer to new information, whereas a one-off police check stays silent no matter what happens next. Where a standalone check is needed, Koora reviews the certificate against the role's requirements rather than verifying it at the issuing source.
Three years is the maximum age the law allows in Aged Care, not a measure of how current a check is. Because a police check is never updated after it is issued, a fresh check obtained for the role is better evidence than an older one that is still within the limit. See do you need a new police check for a new care job for the difference between valid and current, and the Aged Care worker screening requirements guide for how the two accepted options apply in practice.
This is general information, not compliance advice. Always confirm requirements with the relevant regulator, and remember that providers keep the legal responsibility to sight credentials and decide who can work.
We work hard to keep it accurate, but the rules change and we will not always get every detail right. If you think something here needs updating, email us at resources@koora.care. We would genuinely rather know, because we all do better when we help each other get it right.
Aged Care worker screening requirements in 2026
From 1 November 2025, every Aged Care worker needs a police certificate under three years old or an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. Here is what the rules require.
Read guideDisabilityNDIS Worker Screening Check vs police check: what's the difference?
An NDIS Worker Screening Check and a National Police Check are not the same thing. Here is what each one assesses and which you actually need.
Read guideAll sectorsDo you need a new police check for a new care job?
A National Police Check can be valid for three years, but valid is not the same as current. Why a fresh, purpose-specific check before you start is best practice, and what Koora accepts.
Read guide