{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-vetting-regulations-2025/regulation-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-vetting-regulations-2025/regulation-2.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2025/502",
  "legislation_title": "The Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-vetting-regulations-2025",
  "path": "regulation/2",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Interpretation",
  "text": "(1) In these Regulations—\n“the 1996 Act” means the Police Act 1996;\n“the 2002 Act” means the Police Reform Act 2002;\n“the 2011 Act” means the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011;\n“accelerated misconduct hearing” has the meaning given to it in regulation 2(1) of the Conduct Regulations;\n“acting chief officer” means—\n(a)a person exercising or performing functions of a chief officer in accordance with section 41 of the 2011 Act (power of deputy to exercise functions of chief officer),\n(b)a person exercising powers or duties of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in accordance with section 44 (functions of Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis) or section 45(4) (Assistant Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis) of the 2011 Act, or\n(c)a person exercising duties of the Commissioner of Police for the City of London in accordance with section 25 of the City of London Police Act 1839;\n“appeal meeting” means a meeting held in accordance with regulation 29;\n“assessor” means a person appointed under regulation 16;\n“the Conduct Regulations” means the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020;\n“criminal history check” means a check to ascertain, so far as reasonably practicable, whether a person has, or may have, committed a criminal offence, and includes a check of—\n(a)central records, within the meaning of section 112(3) of the Police Act 1997, and\n(b)the Police National Database;\n“criminal proceedings” means—\n(a)any prospective criminal proceedings, or\n(b)all criminal proceedings brought which have not been brought to a conclusion (apart from the bringing and determination of any appeal other than an appeal against conviction to the Crown Court);\n“designated police volunteer” means a person designated as a community support volunteer or a policing support volunteer under section 38(1A) of the 2002 Act;\n“document” means anything in which information of any description is recorded;\n“harm test” has the meaning given to it in regulation 8;\n“HMCIC” means His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary appointed under section 54(1) of the 1996 Act (appointment and functions of inspectors of constabulary);\n“informant” means a person who provides information to a withdrawal assessment on the basis that the person's identity is not disclosed;\n“interested party” means a person whose appointment could reasonably give rise to a concern as to whether the person could act impartially under these Regulations;\n“line manager” means the police officer or the police staff member who has immediate supervisory responsibility for the officer concerned;\n“listed offence” means an offence listed in the Schedule;\n“misconduct” has the meaning given to it in regulation 2(1) of the Conduct Regulations;\n“misconduct proceedings” has the meaning given to it in regulation 2(1) of the Conduct Regulations;\n“officer concerned” means the police officer in relation to whom Parts 3 and 4 of these Regulations apply;\n“panel” means a panel constituted in accordance with regulation 27, subject to any change to the membership of that panel in accordance with regulation 28;\n“the Performance Regulations” means the Police (Performance) Regulations 2020;\n“police candidate” means a person seeking appointment to a police force, but does not include a police officer who is seeking to transfer from one police force to another;\n“police force concerned”, in relation to a police officer, means—\n(a)the police force of which the officer is a member, or\n(b)where the officer is a special constable, the police force maintained for the police area for which the officer is appointed;\n“police friend” means a person chosen by the officer concerned in accordance with regulation 9;\n“Police National Database” means the national information management system known by that name and used to share information between police forces and other persons operating in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland charged with the duty of preventing, detecting, investigating or prosecuting offences;\n“police officer” means a member of a police force or special constable;\n“police staff member” means—\n(a)a member of the civilian staff of a police force, within the meaning of section 102(4) and (6) of the 2011 Act (interpretation of Part 1), or\n(b)an employee of the Common Council of the City of London who is under the direction and control of a chief officer of police;\n“relevant lawyer” has the meaning given to it in section 84(4) of the 1996 Act (representation etc. at disciplinary and other proceedings);\n“renew” is to be construed in accordance with regulation 5(2)(a); and cognate expressions are to be construed accordingly;\n“renewal date”, in relation to a grant of vetting clearance, is the date on or before which the vetting authority which granted the vetting clearance must initiate the renewal process by sending to its holder an application for further vetting clearance;\n“senior officer” means a member of a police force holding a rank above that of chief superintendent;\n“staff association” means—\n(a)in relation to a police officer of the rank of chief inspector or below or a special constable, the Police Federation of England and Wales,\n(b)in relation to a police officer of the rank of superintendent or chief superintendent, the Police Superintendents' Association, and\n(c)in relation to a senior officer or a chief officer, the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association;\n“vetting application assessment” means a comprehensive and in-depth assessment by a vetting authority of a person’s (“P’s”) suitability to hold vetting clearance, following an application by P for vetting clearance, and includes—\n(a)a criminal history check in respect of P,\n(b)a check of the police barred list and the police advisory list in respect of P, and\n(c)such additional checks as will, so far as reasonably practicable—\n(i)provide a full picture of P’s financial history and conduct, as well as information about any close associations of P, and\n(ii)enable the vetting authority to consider any other matter which may reasonably affect P’s suitability to hold vetting clearance;\n...\n“vetting clearance” means—\n(a)in relation to a police candidate or a police officer seeking to transfer from one police force to another, the level of police vetting clearance that the candidate or officer requires to perform the duties of the role for which they are seeking appointment;\n(b)in all other cases, the level of police vetting clearance that the police officer requires to perform the duties of their role;\n“vetting severity assessment” has the meaning given to it in regulation 15;\n“withdrawal assessment” means a withdrawal assessment under Part 4 of these Regulations, including any appeal;\n“working day” means any day other than—\n(a)a Saturday or Sunday,\n(b)Christmas Day or Good Friday, or\n(c)a day which is a bank holiday under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 in England and Wales.\n(2) In these Regulations—\n(a) in Parts 3 and 4, references to “the vetting authority” are references to the vetting authority of the police force concerned;\n(b) the “vetting authority” of a police force is—\n(i) in relation to a police candidate or a police officer, other than a chief officer of police or acting chief officer, the chief officer of police of that police force;\n(ii) in relation to a chief officer of police or acting chief officer, the local policing body for that police force’s area.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (13.7.2026) by The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(1)(a) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (13.7.2026) by The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(1)(b) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (13.7.2026) by The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(1)(c) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (13.7.2026) by The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(1)(d) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (13.7.2026) by The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(1)(e) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (13.7.2026) by The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(1)(f) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (13.7.2026) by The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(1)(g) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) omitted (13.7.2026) by virtue of The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(1)(h) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (13.7.2026) by The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(1)(i) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Reg. 2(2) inserted (13.7.2026) by The Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/653), regs. 1(1), 11(2) (with reg. 28)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 2 in force at 14.5.2025, see reg. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "2002 c. 30."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "2011 c. 13."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "2&3 Vict. C. xciv."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f4",
      "text": "S.I. 2020/4."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f5",
      "text": "Subsection (1A) was inserted by section 38(2) of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f6",
      "text": "S.I. 2020/3."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f7",
      "text": "1971 c. 80."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/502/regulation/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T21:16:55.168113+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."
}