{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-act-1997/section-120",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-act-1997/section-120.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1997/50",
  "legislation_title": "Police Act 1997",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-act-1997",
  "path": "section/120",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "120",
  "heading": "Registered persons.",
  "text": "(1) For the purposes of this Part a registered person is a person who is listed in a register to be maintained by DBS for the purposes of this Part.\n(2) DBS shall include in the register any person who—\n(a) applies to it in writing to be registered, and\n(b) satisfies the conditions in subsections (4) to (6), ...\n(c) ...\n(2A) Subsection (2) is subject to—\n(a) regulations under section 120ZA,\n(b) section 120A, and\n(c) section 120AA and regulations made under that section.\n(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(4) A person applying for registration under this section must be—\n(a) a body corporate or unincorporate,\n(b) a person who is appointed to an office by virtue of any enactment and who, in the case of an individual, is aged 18 or over, or\n(c) an individual aged 18 or over who employs others in the course of a business.\n(5) A body applying for registration under this section must satisfy DBS that it—\n(a) is likely to ask exempted questions, or\n(b) is likely to act as the registered person in relation to applications under section 113A or 113B at the request of bodies or individuals asking exempted questions.\n(6) A person, other than a body, applying for registration under this section must satisfy DBS that he is likely to ask exempted questions.\n(7) In this section “exempted question” has the same meaning as in section 113A.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 5 repealed (S.) (1.4.2025) by Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (asp 13), s. 97, sch. 5 para. 3 (with s. 96); S.S.I. 2025/27, reg. 3(1)(2), sch. (with regs. 4, 5, 7-10)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 120(1) substituted (E.W.) (1.12.2012) by The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Disclosure and Barring Service Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/3006), arts. 1(1), 37(m) (with Pt. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 120(2) substituted (6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), s. 336(3)(4), Sch. 35 para. 6(2); S.I. 2006/751, art. 2(c)(ii); S.I. 2007/3340, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 120(2) substituted (E.W.) (1.12.2012) by The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Disclosure and Barring Service Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/3006), arts. 1(1), 37(m) (with Pt. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Word in s. 120(2)(a) substituted (E.W.) (1.12.2012) by The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Disclosure and Barring Service Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/3006), arts. 1(1), 43 (with Pt. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Word in s. 120(2)(a) inserted (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 112(2)(b) (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(x)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "S. 120(2)(c) and word repealed (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 112(2)(c), Sch. 10 Pt. 6 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(cc)(x)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 120(2A) inserted (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 112(3) (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(x)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 120(3) repealed (29.1.2004 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), s. 336(3)(4), Sch. 35 para. 6(3), Sch. 37 Pt. 11; S.I. 2004/81, art. 4(1)(2)(p); S.I. 2007/3340, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 120(4)(b) inserted (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), ss. 80(2)(a)(i), 120 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(s) (with art. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in s. 120(4)(b) inserted (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), ss. 80(2)(a)(ii), 120 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(s) (with art. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in s. 120(4)(c) inserted (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), ss. 80(2)(b), 120 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(s) (with art. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in s. 120(5) substituted (E.W.) (1.12.2012) by The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Disclosure and Barring Service Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/3006), arts. 1(1), 37(m) (with Pt. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "Words in s. 120(5)(b) substituted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 5"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Words in s. 120(5)(b) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 6(b); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "Words in s. 120(6) substituted (E.W.) (1.12.2012) by The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Disclosure and Barring Service Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/3006), arts. 1(1), 37(m) (with Pt. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "Word in s. 120(7) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 6(c); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 120(3) in force for E.W. at 19.3.2001 and s. 120(1)(2)(4)-(7) in force for E.W. at 1.5.2001 by S.I. 2001/1097, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "E",
      "label": "E1",
      "text": "This version of this provision extends to England and Wales and Scotland only; a separate version has been created for Northern Ireland only"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/50/section/120",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:24:18.907526+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}