Legal issues
What must be notified
Name, address, date of birth and national insurance number within 3 days of conviction or release, and then any changes within 3 days. Also foreign travel, staying at other addresses, bank and card details, passports, and living in a household with a child, in the circumstances set by the regulations. Notification is renewed at least once a year, or weekly for those with no fixed address.
Breach
Failing to comply without reasonable excuse, or giving false information, is an offence with a maximum of 5 years' imprisonment.
Review of indefinite requirements
An application goes first to the police, then can be appealed to the magistrates' court. The question is whether you continue to pose a risk of sexual harm.
Changes coming
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 will add further duties once brought into force, including giving at least 7 days' notice before using a new name, notice before being away from home for 5 days or more, and notice before entering private places where children are likely to be present. These are not yet in force.
Evidence that matters
A review application succeeds on evidence: compliance, treatment and offending-behaviour work, stable circumstances and risk assessments.
Reasonable lines of enquiry
Before sentence
- Check the exact sentence length: it decides the notification period.
- Check whether the offence is one that triggers notification at all, and any thresholds in Schedule 3.
What happens next
The court confirms the requirement at sentence, and the police manage it afterwards, often with home visits. A sexual harm prevention order can be made alongside it.
Immediate steps
- Make the first notification within 3 days.
- Keep a record of every notification.
- Ask before travelling abroad.
What should you send us?
Send the sentence details, the notification start date and any police correspondence.