FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Please click on any of the headings below to expand the provided information. If the information is already expanded, you are likely using an outdated or incompatible browser.
1. The spelling of the name I have is correct, but the listing shows a slightly different spelling
Our data is taken directly from published official court websites and what is shown here is how it appeared on that site. It's possible the original data could have had a typo, but it's also possible the data is as it was spelt and they are two separate persons.
2. How can I be sure the listing shown is for the same person I am interested in?
No Australian Criminal Court website records a DOB or a person's address, so it is not possible to match any additional data that isn't already shown.
Depending on the information you might already know about the person, you will have to make your own assessment based on how common the name is together with the state and court (city/suburb) location.
3. How can I find additional information about a court attendance other than what is shown here?
The ACCR Database provides information on which type of court the person attended (e.g. in a Magistrates/Local, District or Supreme Court) as well as that court's location and the date of appearance.
You will then need to contact that particular court directly and inquire whether any additional information is available. For example, some courts allow persons to apply for a copy of the Certificate of Conviction - usually there is a fee involved with such an application.
4. I'm certain the person has been before the courts, but the name doesn't come up
Depending on the state being searched, not all court attendance records published daily by some courts contain a full name. For example, some listings in the Brisbane District and Supreme Courts (Qld) only contain a surname (or a surname and initial) and this data is not included in the ACCR database. But, that said, other District and Supreme Courts in Qld, such as Hervey Bay, Rockhampton and Cairns (to name just a few) do include full names.
Please check the "our data" page for a full break-down of which courts in various states contain specific data types.
5. How far back does the online data go?
The online database contains court attendance data from the following dates per state:
• NSW - August 2014 + Searchable PDFs going back to 2012
• QLD - November 2012
• VIC - August 2013
• TAS - February 2015
• SA - March 2013
• WA - March 2013 (District & Supreme Courts)
• WA - Magistrates Courts - August 2016
• NT - July 2014
• ACT Supreme Court - 2012 & 2013, then from September 2016
6. What time are the daily records added?
On most days between 9.00 am and 10.00 am. To quickly check whether the database as been updated on that day, search for the letters CO in the surname field (C and O together are one of the most common two letter combinations for names). If one or more of the records shows that day's date, then they will have been updated.
NSW court listing are collected twice per day - once at around 9.00 am and again at around 4.00 pm. There are usually around an additional 200-300 records from the afternoon update.
7. Why have I been charged twice?
We get this question every now and again. In every case so far, it has come down to a misreading of an online credit card transaction list.
Look closely at what you think are two separate transactions. Does one say "Pending" and the other "Completed"? If so, you haven't been charged twice - it's simply how your credit card provider lists transactions. PayPal and your credit card provider handle each transaction totally separately and this is not something over which we have any control.
However, if you thought a transaction didn't go through properly and repeated the transaction with PayPal and then find both have gone through, please let us know and we'll will be happy to immediately refund the second payment.
8. How do I obtain my own police criminal history?
To obtain an official Police Criminal History Check, you will need to go to a local police station, fill in the applicable form/s and pay the applicable fee. Be sure to take adequate ID. The procedure varies from state to state so it might be a good idea to conduct some searches first for your particular state.
A number of online services are also available. Some examples are provided below:
• www.veritascheck.com.au
• www.epolicecheck.com.au
• www.policecheckexpress.com.au
• www.nationalcrimecheck.com.au
9. The ACCR database -v- an official police criminal history
The ACCR database and an official police criminal history check will both provide information that the other does not provide.
An official police criminal history check ONLY records details of whether someone has been CONVICTED of an offence. It does not show court attendances before an Australian court for a criminal related matter. Therefore, if someone is before the courts and has been charged for say, multiple assault or drug related charges, but has not been convicted of those offences, then this information will not appear on a police criminal history extract.
The ACCR Database on the other hand, WILL show all court attendances. But, it won't show convictions in any of the database records for any Australian state.
You might feel that (ideally) information from both sources will provide better all-round information.
However, it is also important to note, just because someone has been charged by police and has been before the courts (but not necessarily convicted of an offence) this information should not necessarily be seen or viewed as being detrimental towards that person. A person is considered innocence of an offence until they have been convicted of that offence.
10. Can I obtain a police criminal history on someone else?
In most circumstances, you can't and it would be illegal to even try and do so. Note: no private investigator in Australia has legitimate access to a police criminal history check.
The only exceptions would be where, for example, a court order could be sort as part of a litigated matter or where an FOI (Freedom of Information) request would be appropriate - such an example would be researching a now deceased family member.
11. Does the database contain records of businesses or companies that appear before the courts?
Yes, but only for matters listed after 12 November 2017. Prior to this date, only names of people appearing before the various criminal courts were recorded.
A separate Civil Court Records database is also available at no cost for civil court attendance matters. Individuals as well as companies and organisations can be searched. See: www.civil-court-records.com.au
12. I used the free names search, but the paid search didn't provide much additional information
The Free Name Search ONLY provides name matches. Nothing else.
However, a paid-access search always reveals:
• The state
• The date
• The full name of the actual court listing
• The type of court - e.g. Magistrates, District or Supreme
• The location of the court
The above information can often be enough to then apply to the particular court for additional information - note: different courts and states have different requirements.
In addition to the above, the following information is also sometimes available:
• The listing type - e.g. trial, sentence, mention, etc.
• The court room number
• The case file number
• Additional information - such as the relevant offence/s for SA, NT, TAS and WA records (after September 2017), or the magistrate/judge hearing the matter.
The ACCR website has extensive information about what is and isn't available in all courts and in all states. There are also links to the "What information is available" webpage on the Home page as well as a link to "our data" in the top menu bar.
There is a highlighted section on the Home page that clearly identifies the ACCR Database is NOT a police criminal history search and also provides additional information on the difference between the two data sources.
Information and additional resources are also supplied, including information on such things as how Qld court room numbers in certain magistrates courts can assist in identifying the type of matter being heard in that court room on that day.
The ACCR website and database is very transparent and detailed as to the information that can be expected. But, unfortunately we can't make people read it.
13. Where would I be able to obtain information on court matters that are say, 10 years or older?
Older matters are likely to be stored in State Archives, or perhaps might even be available from the State Library. You will need to check with both in the relevant state.
14. Do you have a refund policy?
Yes, we do. It is mentioned in the 'paid access' page and states: "Refunds are only issued if the data provided in the ACCR database differs at all from that described in this website."
Question 23 (below) might also be relevant.
15. Is there a way to find out if someone is going to appear before a particular court?
Yes, there is. In the main menu, go to 'more > additional resources > daily court lists' and click on a relevant state/court.
Some of the courts only list information for that particular day, but others provide details of upcoming court appearances for the next day or even the upcoming week.
16. Can I have my name removed from the database?
No. This would compromise the integrity of the database. Please keep in mind the data shown in the database is already public information as our data is obtained from published daily court lists. Further, the database only shows court attendance records. It does not show convictions or court outcomes.
17. The only search available is via a person's name. Can any additional cross-matching using other criteria be done?
Yes, we can manually search the raw data in the database to cross-reference or match any of the 'heading' information shown in the results - e.g. via date, court, location, case number, etc. The fee for doing a manual search is $55. Please use the Contact Us page to send through details of what you require.
18. What is the "CSV" in the "Download CSV" button?
CSV stands for 'Comma Separated Value' and is a Microsoft Excel file type. It is perfectly safe to download and view in Excel. It also provides a very quick and easy way of seeing all the records for that particular name. It is an option best used when accessing the database via a PC.
19. I’m having problems logging in. Can you help?
Firstly, make sure you are using the exact same email address and password you used when you first registered. The password is case sensitive so any capitalised words, spaces, symbols, etc., must be a total match. If there is any doubt about your password, click on the “Forgotten your password?” link and submit your email address so a new password can be set up. You will receive an email with a link so you can then reset your password.
Once logged in, please log out. If you do, you can log in again straight away on a different device; for example from using your phone to then using a PC.
If you don’t log out, then trying to log in again from a different device within 5 minutes will block all access. This is to prevent the sharing of login credentials. IP addresses (that define online devices) are monitored.
If you are still having issues, please follow these steps:
1. Wait at least 5 minutes.
2. Go to > https://auccr.com/login
3. Click on the “Forgotten your password?” link.
4. Enter your email address and click on the ‘Recover’ button.
5. Check your email account for an email from the database.
6. Click on the verification link.
7. Reset your password (please use something you will remember).
8. Login to the database as usual.
If all of the above fails, please send us an email.
mail@auccr.com
20. I registered for access, but nothing has happened.
Please check your spam folder for the verification email from the database.
Another possible problem is you might have made a small mistake in your email address. We get quite a few bounced emails advising the particular email address used is not valid. If unsure, please just re-register at: https://auccr.com/register
We also get a lot (around 80%) of problems coming from people using a Hotmail email address. Hotmail seems to be extremely heavy handed in their spam settings – that’s a good thing security-wise, but not so good for gaining access to the database. Please check your spam folder.
If the ACCR database verification email is not in your spam folder, please send us an email (mail@auccr.com) from the email address you used to register and we will manually verify your email address.
21. Qld Magistrate Records have multiple 'Matter Types' in brackets. What does this mean?
Matter Types are not listed on the daily court lists for Qld Magistrate matters, which is where our data is obtained. However, we do cross-reference the data with Magistrate Court Calendars that show matter types depending on the court room number, the day of the matter and the time. On occasion, several different matter types might be heard in the one court room at the nominated time.
22. Will the person I'm searching know I have searched their name?
No. The database is designed so that not even someone with admin access can see the names of persons a registered user has searched. Admin can see that a search was conducted by a registered user and when, but not on what name.
23. I assumed (XYZ) would be available in the database. Can I get a refund?
The ACCR website has extensive information about what is and isn't available in all courts and in all states. There are also links to the "What information is available" webpage on the Home page as well as a link to "our data" in the top menu bar.
Screenshots from court records in every state are also provided in the 'our data' page.
The ACCR website and database is very transparent and detailed as to the information that can be expected. But, unfortunately we can't make people read it. We also have no control over what people might or might not assume it contains unless they do read that information.
Our refund policy is provided in the 'paid access' page and states: "Refunds are only issued if the data provided in the ACCR database differs at all from that described in this website."
24. How can I get a transcript of a court matter?
A list of transcription services for all states can be accessed via the 'more' link in the top menu, then 'additional resources' > 'court transcripts'.
Note: courts in different states often have different procedures/requirements/fees.
25. How can I find out if someone is in jail?
You will need to contact the corrective services department in the relevant state to which your inquiry relates.
26. Will names be removed or archived from the database after say ten years?
All information on the ACCR database is already public information, which is released each day from every court in Australia. See: https://www.criminal-court-records.com.au/daily-court-lists.html
We therefore have no plans to remove or archive any of the records at this time