Can your fingerprints, DNA or custody image be deleted?

The outcome of your case changes almost everything here, and custody photographs follow a completely different route from fingerprints, DNA and your PNC record — a distinction most people trying to clear their record are never told.

Step 1

What happened at the end of your case?

JavaScript is off, so here is the whole tool laid out as a readable list instead of the step-by-step version — open the answer that matches your situation.

What happened at the end of your case?

I was convicted (found guilty, or pleaded guilty)

Convicted — no statutory deletion route for this

This page will not tell you otherwise: a conviction for a recordable offence puts you in the one category with no default deletion at all.

What you must do, and what you can refuse

Every claim below links to the law it comes from, with the wording quoted so you can check it yourself.

You must

Refusing is a criminal offence.

Allow fingerprints to be taken without consent if you are detained at a police station following arrest for a recordable offence.
This does not require a conviction, or even a charge — arrest and detention for a recordable offence is enough.
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.61(3)(a)
“The fingerprints of a person detained at a police station may be taken without the appropriate consent if— he is detained in consequence of his arrest for a recordable offence”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25
Allow a non-intimate sample (e.g. a mouth swab) to be taken without consent on the same basis.
PACE treats fingerprints and non-intimate samples as two separate powers with matching conditions, not one combined power.
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.63(2A)–(2B)
“A non-intimate sample may be taken from a person without the appropriate consent if two conditions are satisfied.— The first is that the person is in police detention in consequence of his arrest for a recordable offence.”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25

You can refuse

No penalty for saying no.

Withhold consent to being photographed in custody — but the photograph can still be taken without it.
Consent is asked for first as a matter of process, not because refusing prevents the photograph.
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.64A(1)(b)
“if the appropriate consent is withheld or it is not practicable to obtain it, without it.”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25

Lawful to refuse — but it costs you

Not an offence, but it carries a penalty or an inference.

A conviction for a recordable offence means fingerprints and a DNA profile can be retained indefinitely, with no statutory route to deletion described on this page.
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, s.5 (inserting PACE s.63I(1)(a)(i) and (2))
“relates to a person who is convicted of a recordable offence— The material may be retained indefinitely.”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25
Even without a conviction, biometric material taken over an arrest or charge for a qualifying offence can be retained for up to 3 years, and a chief officer can apply to a District Judge to extend that period.
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, s.3 (inserting PACE s.63F(1)(a), (6)(a) and (7))
“relates to a person who is arrested for, or charged with, a qualifying offence but is not convicted of that offence— the period of 3 years beginning with the date on which the fingerprints were taken— The responsible chief officer of police or a specified chief officer of police may apply to a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) for an order extending the retention period.”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25

Fingerprints, DNA and custody photographs: what they can keep →What was taken and on what basis, and exactly what retention turns on.

I accepted a caution

You accepted a caution

A caution is a formal admission of guilt, and is a different question from the "never charged / not convicted" route below. This site has sourced what accepting one means for your record and for DBS checks.

Not fully sourced yet: This site has not sourced a specific rule for how a caution affects eligibility to apply for fingerprint or DNA deletion under the national process — that is a different question from what a caution does to your DBS record, covered below. Ask ACRO or a solicitor about your specific situation rather than assuming either way.

What you must do, and what you can refuse

Every claim below links to the law it comes from, with the wording quoted so you can check it yourself.

You can refuse

No penalty for saying no.

Decline a caution and ask for the allegation to be dealt with in another way if you do not admit the offence.
A caution legally requires an admission — you should not be pressured into one for something you dispute.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, s.8A(2)(b)
“any other caution given to a person in England and Wales in respect of an offence which, at the time the caution is given, that person has admitted”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25

Lawful to refuse — but it costs you

Not an offence, but it carries a penalty or an inference.

A caution can only be given for an offence which, at the time it is given, you have admitted — accepting one is admitting to that offence, not a neutral way of closing the matter.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, s.8A(2)(b)
“any other caution given to a person in England and Wales in respect of an offence which, at the time the caution is given, that person has admitted”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25
A caution given for an offence within the closed list at Police Act 1997 s.113A(6D) is a “relevant matter” that must be included on a standard criminal record certificate.
Police Act 1997, s.113A(3)(a), (6) and (6D)
“gives the prescribed details of every relevant matter relating to the applicant which is recorded in central records— a caution given in respect of an offence within subsection (6D) where the person was aged 18 or over on the date it was given— The offences referred to in paragraphs (a)(i) and (c) of the definition of “relevant matter” in subsection (6), as it has effect in England and Wales, are as follows”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25
Enhanced certificates use the same definition of “relevant matter” as standard certificates, so a caution on that list appears on an enhanced DBS certificate too.
Police Act 1997, s.113B(9), definition cross-reference
““ central records ”, “ exempted question ”, and “ relevant matter ” have the same meaning as in section 113A”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25
A caution that has not yet met the separate DBS-disclosure definition of “spent” can still appear on a certificate, even though it is spent for other legal purposes from the moment it was given.
Police Act 1997, s.113A(6), definition of "relevant matter"
“a caution which is not spent for the purposes of Schedule 2 to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25

Accepting a caution: what it actually means →Why a caution is an admission, and how it can still surface on a DBS check years later.
Deleting your record: the ACRO process, and what it does not cover →How the national deletion process works, and who actually decides.

Never charged, or charged but not convicted (dropped, acquitted, no further action)

What are you trying to get deleted?

Fingerprints, a DNA profile, or my PNC record

Never charged or not convicted — fingerprints, DNA and your PNC record

The default here runs the other way from a conviction: destruction, unless a specific retention power applies.

What you must do, and what you can refuse

Every claim below links to the law it comes from, with the wording quoted so you can check it yourself.

Lawful to refuse — but it costs you

Not an offence, but it carries a penalty or an inference.

A court conviction cannot be removed through the Record Deletion Process, whatever the circumstances.
NPCC/ACRO Record Deletion Process guidance (gov.uk), para 1.5.6
“Court convictions are not eligible for record deletion from the PNC under this process.”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25
Without a successful application, a PNC record is otherwise retained until you would be treated as 100 years old — deletion earlier than that needs a chief officer to exercise discretion after your grounds have been examined and agreed.
NPCC/ACRO Record Deletion Process guidance (gov.uk), para 1.5.5
“Under this Guidance, PNC records are required to be retained until a person is deemed to have reached 100 years of age.— However, Chief Officers can exercise their discretion, in exceptional circumstances, to delete records for which they are responsible”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25

In any other case, this material must be destroyed unless it is retained under a specific power.
This is the default position once you were not convicted — the exceptions are the 3-year qualifying-offence window and any extension a District Judge grants.
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, s.1 (inserting PACE s.63D(3))
“In any other case, section 63D material must be destroyed unless it is retained under any power conferred by sections 63E to 63O”
Read it at the sourcequote checked 2026-08-25
ACRO manages record deletion requests as a service to members of the public, acting as the conduit between applicants and the individual force that actually holds the record.
NPCC/ACRO Record Deletion Process guidance (gov.uk), para 4.1.3
“manages record deletion requests as a service to members of the public, and they act as the conduit between applicants and individual police forces.”
Read it at the sourcequote checked 2026-08-25

Deleting your record: the ACRO process, and what it does not cover →How to apply, and the one thing this specific process cannot remove.
Fingerprints, DNA and custody photographs: what they can keep →The 3-year qualifying-offence window and the extension route, in full.

A custody photograph specifically

A custody photograph — held and handled separately

This is the single most-missed distinction people trying to clear their record run into: a custody photograph is not covered by the national deletion process at all.

Applications solely in respect of a custody photograph will not be accepted under the national Record Deletion Process — you need to contact the force directly.
NPCC/ACRO Record Deletion Process guidance (gov.uk), para 1.3.4
“applications which are solely in respect of a custody photograph will not be accepted under this process and if an applicant is seeking the removal of this one element, they will need to contact the force directly.”
Read it at the sourcequote checked 2026-08-25
A Home Office review has proposed giving people who have not been convicted the ability to apply to the chief officer of the relevant force to have their custody image deleted.
Home Office, Custody images: review of their use and retention (gov.uk)
“The review proposes giving individuals the facility (if they have not been convicted) to apply to chief officers of police forces to have their custody image deleted.”
Read it at the sourcequote checked 2026-08-25

Fingerprints, DNA and custody photographs: what they can keep →How custody photographs are taken, and the consent position around them.
Deleting your record: the ACRO process, and what it does not cover →What the national process does cover, for contrast.

Both

Fingerprints/DNA/PNC and a custody photograph — two different routes

Handle these as two separate applications; one process does not cover both.

What you must do, and what you can refuse

Every claim below links to the law it comes from, with the wording quoted so you can check it yourself.

Lawful to refuse — but it costs you

Not an offence, but it carries a penalty or an inference.

A court conviction cannot be removed through the Record Deletion Process, whatever the circumstances.
NPCC/ACRO Record Deletion Process guidance (gov.uk), para 1.5.6
“Court convictions are not eligible for record deletion from the PNC under this process.”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25
Without a successful application, a PNC record is otherwise retained until you would be treated as 100 years old — deletion earlier than that needs a chief officer to exercise discretion after your grounds have been examined and agreed.
NPCC/ACRO Record Deletion Process guidance (gov.uk), para 1.5.5
“Under this Guidance, PNC records are required to be retained until a person is deemed to have reached 100 years of age.— However, Chief Officers can exercise their discretion, in exceptional circumstances, to delete records for which they are responsible”
Read it at legislation.gov.ukquote checked 2026-08-25

In any other case, this material must be destroyed unless it is retained under a specific power.
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, s.1 (inserting PACE s.63D(3))
“In any other case, section 63D material must be destroyed unless it is retained under any power conferred by sections 63E to 63O”
Read it at the sourcequote checked 2026-08-25
Applications solely in respect of a custody photograph will not be accepted under the national Record Deletion Process — you need to contact the force directly for that part.
NPCC/ACRO Record Deletion Process guidance (gov.uk), para 1.3.4
“applications which are solely in respect of a custody photograph will not be accepted under this process and if an applicant is seeking the removal of this one element, they will need to contact the force directly.”
Read it at the sourcequote checked 2026-08-25

Deleting your record: the ACRO process, and what it does not cover →The national process for fingerprints, DNA and PNC entries.
Fingerprints, DNA and custody photographs: what they can keep →The separate, local route for a custody photograph.