Apply online for a basic check
AccessNI criminal record checks are for people living or working in Northern Ireland. An individual must apply online for a basic check. The applicant must create their own nidirect account to apply online. A basic check application costs £16.00.
This service will be unavailable between 8.00 am and 9.00 am on Monday 1 September due to essential maintenance. Apologies for any inconvenience.
Before you start
You will need your own nidirect account to complete the online basic disclosure application.
If you already have a nidirect account you should use it to log in and complete your application.
To set up a new nidirect account you will need to follow the guidance for creating a nidirect account.
A guide to completing basic check application online is available to applicants.
Proof of identity
You must upload proof of your identity to AccessNI when submitting the Basic online application form. Without this proof, it is not possible to submit your online application to AccessNI.
Disclosure certificate
A digital disclosure certificate will be issued to your nidirect account.
When you log into your nidirect account to view your certificate, you will have the screen option to share your certificate.
To share your certificate, you need to enter the email address of the person you want to send it to. Only one email address can be entered at a time, so if you need to share with more than one employer or individual, each email address should be entered individually.
When you share your certificate, the person you send it to will have a five-day time-limit to look at the certificate and can only view it once.
If the five-day timeframe is missed or the recipient needs to see the certificate again, they will need to ask you to share your certificate again.
If you need an AccessNI basic disclosure certificate to live or work abroad, you need to email AccessNI at ani@accessni.gov.uk and give details of your ten-digit disclosure application number when you submit your application to AccessNI.
Privacy notice
To find out how personal information you send to AccessNI will be handled when using this service, go to:
Additional information
To track your application’s progress, log in to your nidirect account.
Criminal record checks for England, Scotland and Wales
To get a criminal record check for working or volunteering in England and Wales, contact:
To get a criminal record check for working or volunteering in Scotland, contact:
Accessibility statement
To find out how accessible the nidirect AccessNI service is and what is being done to improve accessibility, see accessibility statement for AccessNI.