A criminal record or a job check in England and Wales: when is a conviction spent?
In England and Wales most convictions and cautions become 'spent' after a rehabilitation period under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, as shortened from 28 October 2023. For adults, a simple caution is spent straight away and a conditional caution after three months; a fine after one year; a community order when it ends; and a prison sentence one, four or seven years after the sentence ends, depending on its length. Prison sentences of over four years for serious violent, sexual or terrorist offences are never spent. Periods are shorter for under-18s. Once a conviction is spent you do not usually have to declare it and a basic DBS check will not show it, but standard and enhanced checks can still show some spent records.
Law checked as at 25 September 2026. Legal information only, not legal advice. See how we check and recent changes.
Use the free Be Crime Wise app for the tools on this page and to ask LawBot questions.
Open in the app →Common questions
When is a conviction spent?: 6 questions answered
- When does a conviction become spent?
- How long are the rehabilitation periods for adults?
- How long are the rehabilitation periods for under-18s?
- Are cautions spent straight away?
- Do I have to tell an employer about my criminal record?
- What is the difference between basic, standard and enhanced DBS checks?
Criminal records, spent convictions and DBS: 12 questions answered
- When does a conviction become spent?
- How long are the rehabilitation periods for adults?
- How long are the rehabilitation periods for under-18s?
- Are cautions spent straight away?
- Do I have to tell an employer about my criminal record?
- What is the difference between basic, standard and enhanced DBS checks?
- What is DBS filtering and when will an old offence stop showing?
- Will a youth caution show up on a DBS check?
- Can I get my record deleted from the Police National Computer?
- Do motoring offences and penalty points go on my criminal record?
- Do I have to declare a spent conviction when travelling abroad?
- Where can I get help with a criminal record?
Free tools
Read more
Have a question about your situation? Ask LawBot, the free AI assistant for general questions about criminal law in England and Wales.
Ask LawBotIn Scotland? The law there is different: read the Scotland version of this page.
← All guides and FAQs