Police certificate
Also called police clearance certificate · PCC · penal clearance certificate · criminal record certificate · good conduct certificate · certificate of no criminal record
Definition
The generic term immigration authorities use for a document from a national police or records authority evidencing an applicant's criminal history in that country.
Context
Different authorities use different names for the same category — Australia says penal clearance certificate, Canada says police certificate. For the United States, the document meeting the requirement is the FBI Identity History Summary.
Government sources
Where this term comes from.
- Police certificates — United States
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · reviewed 2026-07-31
- Character requirements — penal clearance certificates
Australian Department of Home Affairs · reviewed 2026-08-01
immi.homeaffairs.gov.au rejects automated retrieval; reviewed manually in a browser.
- Criminal records checks for overseas applicants
UK Home Office / GOV.UK · reviewed 2026-08-01
Related terms
- Identity History SummaryThe document the FBI issues to an individual listing the criminal history information maintained about them at the FBI under their fingerprints — or stating that no such information exists.
- Recency requirementA rule set by a receiving authority requiring that a submitted certificate have been issued within a stated period before the application.
Where this term is used
- What Is an FBI Identity History Summary?The Identity History Summary is the FBI's official name for the record of arrest and related fingerprint submissions held on an individual. This article defines the document, explains what it contains, and identifies the legal authority under which a person may obtain their own copy.
- Validity and Recency RequirementsThe FBI does not print an expiry date on an Identity History Summary. Any expiry an applicant encounters is imposed by the authority receiving it. This article explains where recency requirements come from and how to read them.