Subject Access Requests
You have a right to access to the information Police Scotland holds about you, subject to certain restrictions.
Subject Access Requests (SARs) must include proof of identification, comprising photographs/ scans of two official documents which confirm both your date of birth and current address - for example a passport, driving licence, birth certificate, utility bill, etc.
Proof of authority must also be included if you are acting on someone’s behalf - for example for solicitors, a signed mandate from your client.
Once you have those to hand, please click below to apply online:
Provided your SAR is clear, and we are satisfied as to your identity, we have one month to reply to your request.
Most SARs do take around a month and we will let you know if there are any delays, or if we require further information.
We will not respond to any chase up emails/ letters for SARs already submitted.
We would recommend that you use the online application form, but you can submit a request by post if you prefer, by writing to Information Disclosure, Police Scotland, Second Floor, Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen AB16 5GB.
Requests must include your full name and date of birth, your address and a clear description of the specific information sought - as well as photocopies of proof of identification.
SARs can also be submitted to dataprotectionsubjectaccess@scotland.police.uk.
Please note that ACRO deal with SARs for information held on the Police National Computer (PNC).
ACRO also provide Police Certificates for people who want to emigrate; need a visa to live and/or work abroad; or are looking to obtain citizenship or residency in another country.
If you need any further advice or guidance, please call 101 and ask to speak to the Information Disclosure team in your local area.
The Information Commissioner can also advise further in relation to your rights, which are set out at section 45 of the Data Protection Act 2018 and Article 15 of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Disclosure Scotland can advise in relation to employment/ volunteering disclosures.
Tips for applicants
Around half of all subject access requests submitted to Police Scotland are from individuals seeking a copy of their ‘criminal record’.
To request your criminal record (or for confirmation that you do not have one) you should check the ‘Your CHS 'criminal' record’ box on the online form.
For all other requests it is essential that you provide as much information as possible to allow us to locate any information held - we are simply unable to research vague ‘all information’ requests.
Police Scotland covers a vast geographic area and whilst there are of course some high-level national systems, each part of the country as well as various smaller business areas operate a substantial number of disparate systems/ databases etc.
You may be interested in a list of incidents you have reported to the police over a certain period, or crimes where you were the victim or accused.
You may have been detained in Police custody at some point and would like details of that.
All of this information is held in different systems, each of which have to be individually researched.
The more specific you can be, the better chance we have of locating the information of relevance.
You should specify exactly what personal data you wish to be provided with, describing the type of interaction you have had with Police Scotland and the geographic area where that interaction took place.
You should also provide specific dates where you can or at least a period which you wish your request to cover - for example the last year.
You should note that the right of subject access is subject to exemption and that your request, or part of it may have to be refused.
For example, where criminal proceedings or a complaint against the police (or PIRC investigation) are ongoing, exemptions prevent us from disclosing information that may prejudice those proceedings. We also have to ensure that the rights of any third parties are protected.
