Volunteer National Police Certificate Program

Volunteer involving organisations must register with the Department of Communities to be eligible for subsidised WA Volunteer National Police Certificates. To register for the program, organisations must:

• be incorporated, or have relevant legal status if a non-government group
• utilise volunteers in Western Australia for the benefit of the community and use checks for volunteers only
• comply with the National Privacy Principles (Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988)

If a volunteer group is part of an organisation branches or subgroups, then only the central office should register. Organisation can only register once and cannot duplicate an existing organisation name.

If a national organisation has volunteers within Western Australia, it may register for the program and undertake checks for individuals residing in Western Australia only.

1. Complete the WA Volunteer National Police Certificate Program online registration.
2. Eligibility is assessed and linked with the WA Police Force.
3. WA Police Force provide the registered contact person with an instructional guide and access to the portal to begin submitting applications.

Allow up to five days for the registration to be processed.

Certificates cost $17.00 and the cost is reviewed annually. (2023/24)

Registered volunteer involving organisations are billed monthly by the WA Police Force.

The WA Volunteer National Police Certificate contains personal information and is property of the volunteer applicant. 

The volunteer involving organisation cannot retain copies of the certificate or the criminal record information disclosed.

A digital copy of the WA Volunteer National Police Certificate is emailed to both the volunteer involving organisation and the volunteer.

Most applications will be processed within six business days, though if further investigation is required may take up to 15 days.

Further investigation commonly occurs if an applicant shares similar details such as name or address with others in the police system.

It is up to individual organisations to decide the currency of police checks they are willing to accept.

A volunteer national police certificate is valid as of the date of the application and there is no expiry date.

Please refer to WA Police Force website Volunteer National Police Certificate Frequently Asked Questions for a full list of acceptable identification documents and requirements for a WA Volunteer National Police Certificate.

Yes, however the application cannot currently be processed through the online portal.

For detailed information about obtaining checks for people under the age of 18 please contact the WA Police Force.

No, all applications for the Volunteer National Police Certificate Program must be submitted through a registered organisation. Registered organisations will issue individual volunteer applicants with a portal link to complete the application.

Please refer to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission for a full list of accredited bodies which provide volunteer police checks for individuals.

Registered organisations are required to keep their details up to date, to ensure they are contactable and receive relevant updates about the program. 

To update your details please contact the Department of Communities directly at volunteering@communities.wa.gov.au.

How it works:

1. Sign into the online portal using the organisation name and organisation number.
2. Invite the prospective volunteer. This includes providing basic information such as name, email, and phone number of the applicant and the details of the organisation’s contact person. 
3. An invitation is emailed to the volunteer candidate.
4. The volunteer candidate completes the online application. The organisation can view the application status (i.e., invite sent, application processing, etc.).
5. The organisation and applicant are notified when the check is complete and can be accessed through secure document delivery service.