Rehabilitation periods

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a conviction becomes "spent" after the elapse of a defined period of time, allowing a job applicant to be treated for most purposes as if their conviction had never occurred. The period of time depends on the type and length of sentence imposed.  Certain sentences such as a sentence of life imprisonment or a sentence of preventive detention are excluded from rehabilitation under the Act. The rehabilitation periods that apply in England and Wales are listed in the following table: