Recorded Police Warning (RPW)

A Recorded Police Warning is a formal warning given by police, instead of a report to the fiscal, for some minor offences by adults.

A Recorded Police Warning (RPW) is a police direct measure. Officers can offer one to a person aged 18 or over for certain less serious offences listed in guidelines issued by the Lord Advocate, instead of reporting the case to the Procurator Fiscal. You do not have to admit the offence, but you must be given the choice to accept or refuse. If you refuse, the police can report the case to the fiscal and must note that you refused. An RPW is not a conviction. It is recorded by the police, and under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 a police warning is spent immediately, so it does not appear on a Level 1 disclosure. It may still be taken into account if you come to police attention again.

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