Sarah's Law: How to Apply and What Police Can Tell You

Sarah’s Law is the common name for the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme in England and Wales. Anyone worried about a person who has contact with a child, such as a parent, grandparent, neighbour or friend, can ask the police whether that person has a record of child sexual offences or poses another known risk. Apply by calling 101, at a police station or through your force’s online form. Checks take up to 28 days, and any information goes to the person best placed to protect the child, which may not be you. Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own schemes.

Updated 3 October 2026 · Sources: GOV.UK and Home Office scheme guidance, Criminal Justice Act 2003 (legislation.gov.uk), Police Scotland, PSNI, NSPCC, Stop It Now · Next review: January 2027

Child in danger now? Call 999

If you think a child is in immediate danger, call 999 now. Don’t wait for a Sarah’s Law check: police act straight away if they find an urgent risk. To talk a worry through first, call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm) or email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children and young people can call Childline on 0800 1111 at any time.

What is Sarah’s Law?

Sarah’s Law is the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme. It lets the police tell a parent, carer or guardian if someone with access to their child has convictions for child sexual offences or poses another known risk. It is named after Sarah Payne, an eight-year-old murdered in 2000 by a convicted sex offender, and was rolled out across England and Wales in 2011.

Who can apply under Sarah’s Law?

Anyone can apply, not just a child’s parent. A grandparent, neighbour, friend or other relative can ask about someone who has enough access to a specific child to pose a real risk. You must give your name and contact details, so you can’t apply anonymously. If you only want to pass on information without being named, Crimestoppers takes anonymous reports instead.

How long does a Sarah’s Law check take?

Up to 28 days from start to finish in England and Wales. Police first check within 24 hours whether the child is at immediate risk, then meet or speak to you within 10 days to confirm your identity. If a child is in danger at any point, they act before the checks are complete.

24 hours

Police check for any sign that the child is at immediate risk, and act at once if so.

10 days

You meet the police, or have a detailed phone or video call, to confirm who you are and your link to the child.

28 days

The longest the whole process should take, from first contact to a decision (GOV.UK).

How do I apply for Sarah’s Law?

Contact your local police force in England or Wales: call 101, go to a police station, or use your force’s online form if it has one. Explain your link to the child and why you’re worried. Bring ID, such as a passport or driving licence, to the follow-up meeting. Start here: GOV.UK: ask the police to check someone involved with a child.

1. Contact the police

Call 101, visit a police station or use your force’s online form. Give details of the child, the person you’re worried about and why.

2. Urgent risk check

Within 24 hours the police look for any sign that the child is in immediate danger. If there is, they act straight away.

3. Confirm who you are

Within 10 days, a face-to-face meeting or detailed phone or video call. Have ID ready (passport, driving licence, utility bill or bank statement) and anything showing your link to the child.

4. Detailed checks

The police check their records and work with partner agencies to assess whether the person poses a risk to the child.

5. Decision

The police decide whether sharing information is necessary and proportionate to protect the child, and who is best placed to receive it.

6. Disclosure in person

Any disclosure is made in person, and the person told signs a confidentiality agreement. If there is nothing to disclose, you are told that.

What can the police tell me under Sarah’s Law?

The police can share convictions for child sexual offences, other convictions relevant to a child’s safety, such as violence, drugs or domestic abuse, and police intelligence suggesting the person may be a risk to children. They share only what is necessary and proportionate, and only with the person best placed to protect the child.

What you can and can’t expect

You can ask about anyone with access to a child

A new partner, a relative, a neighbour, a babysitter or a family friend: what matters is their access to a specific child.

You’ll hear if there’s nothing to disclose

Police guidance says applicants should be told when there is no information to share, and advised to stay alert.

You may not be the one who is told

If you aren’t the parent or carer, information may go to the person best placed to protect the child instead of you.

You can’t pass the information on

The person told signs a confidentiality agreement. Sharing the information further can lead to police action.

Who gets told if there is something to disclose?

The police decide. Information goes to the person best placed to protect the child, usually a parent, guardian or carer, and that may not be the person who applied. Disclosure is always made in person, and the person told must sign a confidentiality agreement. Police guidance says they should not routinely be told who made the application.

Does Sarah’s Law apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Not as such. The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme covers England and Wales. Scotland has the Sex Offender Community Disclosure Scheme, run by Police Scotland, where only a child’s parent, carer or guardian receives information. Northern Ireland has the PSNI Child Protection Disclosure Scheme, which covers sexual and violent offence information when the child lives in Northern Ireland.

Sarah’s Law or Clare’s Law: which one do I need?

Use Sarah’s Law if you’re worried about someone’s contact with a child. Use Clare’s Law if you’re worried that a partner, yours or someone close to you, has a history of domestic abuse. Both are police schemes, both start with 101 or an online form, and you can use both if a new partner will be around your children.

Who else can help if I’m worried about a child?

You don’t need certainty to ask for help. The services below are free, and numbers were checked on 3 October 2026. If you’re not sure which police number fits, read 999 or 101? How to report a crime or see which number should I call?

Alongside any check, everyday conversations help children speak up. See what to teach children about stranger danger today and can my child walk to school alone?

Frequently asked questions

Can I ask about my new partner under Sarah’s Law?

Yes, if your partner has access to your child. Contact the police on 101, at a police station or through your force’s online form. If you’re also worried about your own safety in the relationship, you can ask under Clare’s Law too.

Does “nothing to disclose” mean the person is safe?

No. It means the police have no relevant information to share at that point, and police guidance says applicants should be advised to stay vigilant. Keep watching for warning signs, call 999 if a child is in immediate danger and 101 to report new concerns.

Will the parent be told that I made the application?

Police guidance says that when information goes to someone other than the applicant, they should not routinely be told who applied. If you’re worried about being identified, ask the police how they will handle your application before you go ahead.

Is Sarah’s Law the same as a DBS check?

No. DBS checks are used by employers and organisations for roles involving children. Sarah’s Law is for members of the public who are worried about a specific person with access to a specific child, and the police decide what, if anything, to share.

Sources

General information for the UK, not legal advice. Laws change: check GOV.UK or a solicitor for your situation. If a child is in immediate danger, always call 999.

Keep reading

Clare’s Law: what it is and how to apply (UK guide)

Stranger danger: what to teach children today (UK parents’ guide)

Crimestoppers: how to report a crime anonymously in the UK

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