New Ahpra Criminal History Registration Standard

A revised Criminal History Registration Standard came into effect on 15 July 2026.

The standard applies across Australia’s registered health professions, including dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, oral health therapists and dental prosthetists.

While the changes are expected to have minimal impact on most practitioners, dental practice owners and managers should understand what the standard covers, what registered practitioners must disclose and what practices should do when employing clinicians.

What is the Criminal History Registration Standard?

The standard explains how the Dental Board of Australia and other National Boards consider a person’s criminal history when deciding whether they are suitable to hold registration and practise as a health practitioner.

Its primary purpose is protecting patients and maintaining public confidence in registered health practitioners.

The revised standard applies when:

• someone applies for registration for the first time;
• a registered practitioner renews their registration;
• a practitioner’s criminal history changes while they are registered; or
• a National Board is otherwise required to consider a practitioner’s criminal history.

The standard also applies in certain circumstances to registered students undertaking approved health practitioner training.

What counts as criminal history?

Criminal history is broader than a recorded conviction.

Under the National Law, it includes:

• every conviction for an offence;
• every plea of guilty;
• every finding of guilt, even when a conviction was not recorded; and
• every charge made against the person for an offence.

Applicants and registered practitioners may be required to disclose their entire criminal history from Australia and other countries. This includes spent or aged convictions.

A person should not assume that an old matter, a charge that did not result in a conviction or an offence committed overseas does not need to be disclosed.

What has changed?

Ahpra describes the amendments as relatively minor and expects the revised standard to have minimal impact on most practitioners.

The changes are designed to:

• make the assessment process clearer;
• reduce duplication and unnecessary information;
• align the standard with current evidence and regulatory practice;
• provide more guidance about how different types of criminal history are assessed; and
• address gaps identified during the review.

A new consideration has also been added recognising the effects of racism and systemic inequity on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their disproportionate contact with the criminal justice system. Ahpra states that this does not lower the registration standard but is intended to support fair and equitable decision-making.

Does having a criminal history automatically prevent registration?

No.

Having a criminal history does not automatically mean a person will be refused registration or required to stop practising.

Each matter is assessed individually. The National Board considers factors including:

• the nature of the offence and its relevance to healthcare;
• the seriousness of the offence;
• how much time has passed;
• whether it resulted in a conviction, finding of guilt or pending charge;
• the sentence imposed;
• the practitioner’s age at the time;
• whether the conduct has since been decriminalised;
• the practitioner’s behaviour and rehabilitation since the event;
• whether there is a possible future risk to patients;
• information or mitigating circumstances provided by the practitioner; and
• any other relevant matter.

Public protection and public confidence remain the most important considerations.

Ahpra’s accompanying guide notes that some serious criminal histories, particularly serious sexual or violent offending, may be incompatible with registration regardless of how much time has passed.

What must registered dental practitioners disclose?

When first applying for registration, practitioners must declare criminal history from Australia and overseas.

While holding registration, practitioners must notify their National Board if they are:

• charged with an offence punishable by 12 months’ imprisonment or more; or
• convicted or found guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment in Australia or overseas.

Practitioners must also disclose changes to their criminal history when completing their annual registration renewal.

These obligations sit with the individual practitioner. A dentist should not wait until their employer, insurer or another person discovers the matter before contacting Ahpra.

What can the Dental Board decide?

After considering the circumstances, the Dental Board may:

• take no action;
• approve or renew registration;
• impose conditions on registration;
• require education, mentoring or supervised practice;
• restrict the location or type of practice;
• require an examination or assessment; or
• refuse an application or renewal.

The outcome will depend on the individual circumstances and whether the criminal history is considered inconsistent with safe and suitable practice.

What Dental Practice Owners and Managers Should Do

1. Check every clinician’s Ahpra registration

Check the online Ahpra Register of Practitioners before a clinician commences work.

Confirm:

• their full name and registration number;
• their registration type;
• their current registration status;
• whether conditions or undertakings apply;
• their registered profession; and
• the expiry date shown.

Do not rely solely on a printed certificate or an old screenshot. The online register is the current source of registration information.

2. Recheck registration regularly

Registration should not be checked only during recruitment.

Introduce a documented process to check the registration of all registered clinicians:

• before commencement;
• at annual registration renewal;
• at regular intervals throughout employment or engagement; and
• whenever the practice becomes aware of a possible registration concern.

Larger practices can also investigate Ahpra’s employer services, which can help organisations monitor registration status and receive alerts about changes.

3. Update employment and contractor procedures

Employment and contractor agreements should require registered practitioners to:

• maintain current registration;
• comply with all registration standards;
• advise the practice of any restriction, condition, suspension or change affecting their ability to practise;
• notify the practice where a matter may affect patient safety or their role; and
• provide updated registration information when reasonably requested.

These clauses should be reviewed professionally to ensure they comply with employment, contracting and privacy requirements.

4. Do not try to make the registration decision yourself

A practice manager should not decide whether a practitioner’s criminal history makes them suitable for registration. That responsibility rests with the Dental Board.

The practice’s role is to:

• confirm that the practitioner is currently registered;
• understand and comply with any published conditions;
• assess whether the person can safely and lawfully perform the proposed role;
• manage workplace and patient-safety risks; and
• seek advice where concerns arise.

Avoid relying on rumours, informal comments or assumptions about a person’s history.

5. Treat information confidentially

Information about criminal history should be handled carefully and only shared with people who genuinely need it for employment, compliance or patient-safety purposes.

Keep relevant documentation secure and separate from general team records where appropriate.

Practices should avoid discussing the matter with other employees unless disclosure is necessary to manage an identified workplace or patient-safety risk.

6. Seek advice when concerns arise

Where a practice becomes aware of a charge, conviction or registration concern involving a clinician:

1. Check the practitioner’s current Ahpra registration.
2. Record the information received and its source.
3. Avoid making conclusions based only on gossip or incomplete information.
4. Speak privately with the practitioner where appropriate.
5. Consider any immediate risk to patients.
6. Contact the practice’s professional indemnity insurer, HR adviser or lawyer.
7. Contact Ahpra for confidential guidance where necessary.

A criminal charge does not automatically mean that a practitioner must be removed from practice. However, immediate action may be required where there is a credible patient-safety risk, a registration restriction or a legal prohibition on practising.

7. Understand that this is separate from mandatory notifications

The criminal history registration standard deals with how criminal history is disclosed and assessed for registration.

It is separate from an employer’s mandatory notification obligations.

Employers of registered practitioners may be required to notify Ahpra in limited circumstances involving:

• practising while intoxicated;
• sexual misconduct connected with practice;
• an impairment creating a substantial risk of harm; or
• a significant departure from accepted professional standards that places the public at risk.

A criminal charge alone does not necessarily meet the threshold for a mandatory notification. Advice should be obtained where the practice is unsure of its obligations.

Practice Manager Checklist

Dental practices should now:

• review the revised standard and Ahpra guide;
• confirm all registered clinicians appear on the public register;
• check for conditions, undertakings or restrictions;
• schedule regular registration checks;
• update recruitment and onboarding checklists;
• review employment and contractor clauses;
• remind clinicians that they are responsible for meeting disclosure requirements;
• maintain confidential records of registration checks; and
• seek professional advice if a concern arises.

The Key Message

The revised standard does not mean that every practitioner with a past offence will lose their registration.

It provides the Dental Board with a clearer framework for assessing criminal history while keeping public protection and confidence at the centre of its decisions.

For dental practice owners and managers, the priority is not to investigate or judge a practitioner’s criminal history. It is to check registration, monitor changes, manage genuine risks and act appropriately when concerns arise.

Official References

• Ahpra — Criminal history registration standard, effective 15 July 2026.
• Ahpra — Guide to the application of the Criminal History Registration Standard.
• Ahpra — Advance copy of revised Criminal History Registration Standard now available.
• Ahpra — Criminal history registration information.
• Ahpra — Check your employee’s registration.

Disclaimer: This article provides general educational information only and does not constitute legal, employment, regulatory or professional advice. Requirements and appropriate responses may depend on the individual circumstances, the practitioner’s registration status and the applicable state or territory laws. Dental practices should refer to the current Ahpra and Dental Board of Australia guidance and seek advice from Ahpra, their professional indemnity insurer, HR adviser or legal adviser when managing a specific matter.