On 28 October 2023 reforms under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 amended the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 to shorten the length of time some criminal convictions must be declared to employers.
The changes reduce the rehabilitation period for less serious offences, provided no further offence is committed in that time and introduce a rehabilitation period for custodial sentences of over four years, which were previously unable to become “spent”.
The new criminal record disclosure timescales are set out below:
| Sentence | Adults | Under 18’s |
|---|---|---|
| (Adult) Community Order/Youth Rehabilitation Order | The last day on which the order has effect | The last day on which the order has effect |
| Custody of 1 year or less | 1 year | 6 months |
| Custody of more than 1 year and up to 4 years | 4 years | 2 years |
| Custody of more than 4 years* | 7 years | 3.5 years |
