Police Verification Letter Format
Requests a verification or clearance letter.
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Dear Sir / Madam,
I, [your name], aged [age], son / daughter of [parent name], reside at [your address].
I have been residing at this address [how long]. I request a verification / clearance report, which is required for [purpose].
I enclose self-attested copies of my identity and address proof, and photographs as required. I will attend the station in person on any date convenient to you.
What is a Police Verification Request Letter?
A police verification request is a written application asking a police station or force to issue a verification, character or clearance letter about a named person or address. It matters because the party demanding it — an employer, a landlord, a consulate, a licensing body — will usually accept only a letter issued through the force's own process. A request that omits the details the station needs is returned, and the wait starts again.
Individuals apply for themselves when a job, a professional licence, an overseas application or a tenancy asks for one. Employers and recruitment agencies apply as part of pre-employment screening. Landlords, residents' associations and housing societies request tenant and domestic staff verification. Schools, care providers and transport operators request checks on staff working with children or vulnerable adults. The same form is often used for address verification when a passport, a firearms licence or a registration needs a residence confirmed by the local station.
What the document is called, and who issues it, varies. India issues police verification and police clearance certificates through the local station or the state police portal, with a separate route for passport verification. The United Kingdom separates the ACRO police certificate from criminal record checks run by the Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI. Canada runs record checks through local police and the RCMP; Australia issues national police checks through the AFP, state police or accredited bodies; the United States uses state agencies and the FBI. Check the issuer's current published route, fee and eligibility.
The letter requests; it does not certify. Only the issuing authority can produce a verification, and it does so under its own eligibility rules — many forces will not issue a certificate about a third party to a private requester at all, and most require the subject's signed consent. A certificate speaks only as at its issue date, and only for the records that authority holds. If the check is for immigration purposes, or if a record exists that you want reviewed, take it to a qualified adviser rather than handling it by letter.
What to put in a Police Verification Request Letter
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Issuing organisation | For example: Maple Grove Homeowners Association |
| Organisation address | For example: 1420 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Age | For example: 34 |
| Father's / mother's name | For example: K. Subba Rao |
| Their address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Required for | Free text |
| How long at this address | For example: for the past six years |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
How to write a Police Verification Request Letter
Confirm the issuer and route first
Before writing anything, check the police service's published page for the certificate you actually need — its name, who may apply, the online or in-person route, the fee and the current processing time. Many forces have moved to an online portal and will not accept a walk-in letter. Writing to the wrong office is the commonest reason a request disappears rather than being formally refused.
Identify the subject precisely
Give the subject's full name as it appears on photo identity, any former names, date and place of birth, parent's name where the form asks for it, the current address with its police station area, and the identity document number the force accepts. A mismatch of a single initial against the identity document is enough for a station to return the file unprocessed.
State the purpose and who requires it
Say what the certificate is for and who is asking for it — an employer named in full, a licensing authority, a consulate, a tenancy. Authorities issue different certificates for different purposes, and the wrong one may be rejected by whoever demanded it. If the requester has specified a format, a covering reference, or a limit on how old the certificate may be, quote it.
List addresses for the required period
List every address the subject has lived at for the period the authority asks about, with dates from and to and the police station or district for each. Gaps in an address history get queried, so account for periods abroad or in temporary accommodation. Attach the proof of current address the force accepts — a tenancy agreement, a utility bill or a registered document.
Attach consent, identity and the fee
Enclose the subject's signed consent where the check is requested by someone else, copies of the photo identity the force lists, photographs to its specification, and the fee paid by the method it states, with the receipt number quoted. Number the enclosures. Keep a copy of everything together with the acknowledgment slip or online reference, and follow up against that reference.
Common mistakes
- Applying at the wrong office or ignoring an online-only route, which leaves a request sitting unrecorded rather than formally refused.
- Requesting a certificate about another person without their signed consent, which most forces refuse outright and which may breach data protection rules.
- Spelling the name differently from the identity document, so the record search fails and the file comes back after weeks in the queue.
- Leaving a gap in the address history, which stalls the verification because each station has to confirm its own period separately.
- Asking for the wrong certificate type for the purpose, so the applicant pays and waits twice before producing something the requester will accept.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a letter for police verification?
Address it to the officer or unit the force names, give the subject's full name, date of birth, current and previous addresses with dates, identity document number and contact details, state the purpose and who requires the certificate, and list the enclosures — consent, identity copies, photographs and the fee receipt. Keep the acknowledgment or reference number.
How long does police verification take?
It depends on the force, the route and how many addresses have to be checked, and the authority's published processing times are the only reliable guide. Applications covering several districts or countries take longer because each area is verified separately. Ask for a reference number when you apply and follow up against the authority's stated timeline rather than an assumed one.
Can an employer request police verification about an employee?
Usually only with the individual's written consent, and often only through a designated scheme rather than a direct request to a station. What an employer may ask about, and what it may do with the result, is limited by employment and data protection law in that country. Confirm both the permitted route and the permitted use before starting.
What is the difference between police verification and a clearance certificate?
Broadly, a verification confirms identity, address and antecedents for a specific purpose such as a tenancy, employment or a licence, while a clearance certificate is a formal statement issued for use by another authority, often abroad. The exact naming and scope are set by the issuing force, so use the term the requesting body uses when you apply.
What if something shows up on the check?
Do not try to resolve it by letter. Every jurisdiction has its own rules on what may be disclosed, for how long, and how an inaccurate record is challenged or a spent matter treated. Take the certificate and the underlying facts to a qualified adviser in that country before responding to whoever requested the check.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.