Spent conviction

A conviction or caution that, after a set rehabilitation period, you usually no longer have to tell employers, insurers or others about.

A spent conviction or caution is one whose rehabilitation period under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 has ended. After that, for most jobs, insurance, housing and other purposes, you do not have to disclose it and it is treated as if it never happened. Current periods for adults include: simple cautions spent immediately; conditional cautions after three months; fines one year after conviction; community orders when the order ends; prison sentences of 12 months or less one year after the whole sentence, including licence, ends; over one year and up to four years, four years after; over four years, seven years after. Periods are roughly halved for people convicted when under 18. Some sentences are never spent, such as over four years for serious violent, sexual or terrorism offences. Spent records can still appear on standard and enhanced DBS checks unless filtered.

Checked as at 25 September 2026. General information only, not legal advice.