What Happens After a Police Caution Is Deleted?

By Matt Elkins, Solicitor Advocate and Director of Legisia Legal Services – published in the Criminal Law Review and author of the Westlaw UK Insight on Police Cautions.
Last updated: July 2026

The short answer: when a caution is deleted from the Police National Computer, the record is gone for DBS purposes – it cannot appear on any DBS certificate, your fingerprints, DNA profile and custody images are deleted with it, and an ACRO Police Certificate will state “No Trace”. But deletion from the PNC is not always the end of the story: the police may still hold local records of the underlying allegation, and in limited circumstances that information can still surface.

A successful application under the Record Deletion Process removes the caution from the Police National Computer. The associated biometric records – fingerprints, DNA profile and custody images – are deleted with it. From that point:

• The caution cannot appear on a basic, standard or enhanced DBS certificate – there is no record on the PNC for the DBS to disclose.
• An ACRO Police Certificate (used for visa and emigration applications) will state “No Trace”.
• You will not be flagged on PNC checks carried out by employers’ vetting or by the police themselves.

Deletion from the PNC does not automatically erase every trace of the matter. The recording force may still hold local records – the original crime report, intelligence entries, custody logs and case papers – on its own systems. These are retained under the management of police information (MoPI) principles rather than the PNC retention rules.

Local records can be challenged separately. A local record deletion application is made to the force, arguing that continued retention is not necessary for a policing purpose and is disproportionate – particularly where the PNC record has already been deleted. We routinely make these applications alongside, or following, PNC deletion, including for arrest records.

In limited circumstances, yes. On an Enhanced DBS check (but not basic or standard), a chief officer can disclose locally held information as “other relevant information” under section 113B(4) of the Police Act 1997 – if they reasonably believe it is relevant to the role applied for and ought to be disclosed. So where local records of the allegation survive, there remains a residual risk of disclosure in roles involving children or vulnerable adults, even after PNC deletion. That is why completing the job with local records deletion matters.

If information has already been disclosed on an enhanced certificate, the disclosure itself can be challenged – by representations to the force and through the Independent Monitor. We handle enhanced DBS disclosure disputes and barring matters through our main site, legisia.co.uk.

Deletion transforms the position for travel. For countries that require an ACRO Police Certificate as part of a visa application – including the USA, Canada and Australia – a certificate stating “No Trace” means there is no UK police record to disclose. We cover the American position in detail in our guide to USA immigration and criminal records and the Saudi position in this article: Navigating Immigration to Saudi Arabia with a Police Caution

After records have been deleted from the PNC, we will advise you on what remains on local systems, pursue local record deletion where needed, and advise on your DBS and travel position.

If you are worried about local records or records held on the PNC – call 020 8099 9051 or email info@policecautions.uk.