How to Clear Your Criminal Record In South Africa

   
Check Online Application Status 2025-2026How to Apply Online 2025-2026Check Admission Requirements 2025-2026
Tvet Colleges Online Application Form

Bursaries Closing in January 2025

Application Forms 2025-2026

How to Clear Your Criminal Record In South Africa

It can be very difficult to live with a criminal record, especially if the offense was unintentional or not even your fault.

What in South Africa is a criminal record? A criminal record is the official record of the offenses you have been found guilty of, whether you pled guilty or not, according to SAPS Captain Thinandavha Lufhugu. It won’t appear on your record if you were found not guilty.

How to clear your Crimal record

The following is a list of the requirements that must be satisfied in order to possibly qualify for a clearance:

Ten years should have passed since the day you were found guilty of the offense before making the application.

Where you were, a sentence was given to you either a community-based sentence or being locked up from Friday at 18:00 until Sunday at 18:00.

During those ten years, you haven’t received a jail sentence without the option of a fine for any other offense.

You received the following punishment:

There were small charges for petty offences.

Crimes with a “political or ideological aim or motivation to cause harm” are those with a political motivation.

Your race was a factor in your conviction.

You were found guilty of a crime that most people would believe to be insignificant or nonexistent.

Follow these steps to have your criminal record expunged:

The Criminal Record Center of the must provide a Police Clearance Certificate demonstrating a 10-year gap between the conviction(s) and sentence(s).

To validate the specifics and times of the offense, contact the South African Police Service.

Fill out the criminal record expungement application and include any required supporting documents. The application must also have the clearance certificate attached.

 

Justice and Constitutional Development: The Director-General must be mailed or personally given the completed application form and any supporting documents.

 

What it costs to get a criminal record expunged

Cost of expunging criminal records The only fee associated with obtaining a police clearance certificate is R114. Applications for expungement are free and processed in the order they are received. Although it will cost you extra, you can choose to have a company or lawyer handle this process on your behalf.

What does it mean To expunge a criminal record

? The criminal history of a convicted offender is expunged from the Criminal Record Centre of the South African Police Service’s database of criminal records. Once they have access to these options, they can apply for visas, get specific work, and more.

Overview of MBA
Choosing Your MBA
MBA Schools in SA
How to Apply

Read rhapsody of realities daily devotional

Rhapsody of Realities is a life guide that brings you a fresh perspective from God’s Word every day. It features the day’s topic, a theme scripture, the day’s message, the daily confession and the Bible reading plan segment. It is God's Love Letter to You!