How can I get a police clearance certificate in the Philippines?

You can get it through walk-ins to local municipal stations to get the local clearance or you can apply online at PNP website at www pnp clearanceph to get the national police clearance.

Police Clearance Online (PNP-NPCS) Registration & Appointment Guide 2026:

Need a Police Clearance in the Philippines? Whether you’re applying for a job, a business permit, government services, or other legal purposes, you’ll need to complete the Police Clearance Online application through the Philippine National Police (PNP) system.

The National Police Clearance, also known as the PNP Clearance or Police Clearance Certificate, confirms that the applicant has no recorded criminal history based on PNP records at the time of issuance. Applicants must register online, book an appointment, pay the required fee, and visit a police station for biometric verification.

This updated 2026 Police Clearance Guide explains the entire process step by step, including online registration, appointment booking, requirements, fees, and how to obtain your Police Clearance without confusion.

police clearance online registration & appointment

What is a Police Clearance in the Philippines?

A Police Clearance is an official certificate issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirming that an applicant has no recorded criminal history based on PNP records at the time of issuance. It is also commonly known as the National Police Clearance, PNP Clearance, or Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).

The Clearance certificate is commonly required for employment, business and government applications, as well as other personal or legal purposes that require identity or background verification.

Many employers, government agencies, and private organisations require a Police Clearance as part of their background verification process before approving applications or issuing certain services.

The National Police Clearance System (NPCS) allows applicants to register online and provides authorised police stations with access to a centralised database for faster verification and issuance. It also enables quick online verification of issued certificates.

Want to see what it looks like? Check out our guide to the police clearance certificate sample before applying.

📄 Required Documents for Police Clearance Online (2026)

To apply for a National Police Clearance (PNP Clearance), you’ll need to complete the online registration and bring the required documents on your appointment date.

Required Documents:

To apply for a Police Clearance Online, prepare the following before your appointment:

Personal email address and mobile number (for NPCS online registration).
Two original government-issued IDs
Appointment reference number (generated after booking your appointment).
Original payment receipt (proof of successful fee payment).

Accepted Valid IDs:

National ID & Civil IDs:

Philippine National ID (PhilID)
Passport
Birth Certificate (where applicable)

Employment & Government IDs:

UMID (GSIS/SSS)
PAG-IBIG ID
PhilHealth ID
TIN ID
PRC ID

Security & Uniformed Service IDs:

UMID (GSIS/SSS)
PAG-IBIG ID
PhilHealth ID
TIN ID
PRC ID

Other Accepted IDs:

Driver’s License
Postal ID
Voter’s ID
Senior Citizen ID
PWD ID
Alien Certificate of Registration
School ID (with Registration Form)
IBP ID
LTOPF ID
Marina ID

ID Requirements Checklist:

Before your appointment, make sure your IDs:

Are original (not photocopies)
Are not expired
Clearly show your full name
Include your photograph
Contain your signature (where applicable)

Tip: Bring one additional valid ID if available. It can help avoid delays if one of your documents cannot be accepted.

Special Cases:

One valid ID Only: If you have only one valid ID from the list above, you may use your PSA Birth Certificate (with the original official receipt) as your second proof of identity.

PWD Applicants: If you declared that you are a Person with Disability (PWD) during online registration, bring your original PWD ID on your appointment day.

First-Time Job Seekers: Applicants claiming the free Police Clearance must present a valid First-Time Job Seeker Barangay Certificate during their appointment.

Need a Local Police Clearance instead? Read our Local Police Clearance guide.

How to Apply for Police Clearance Online (2026 Guide)

Applying for a Police Clearance Online in the Philippines is simple and can be completed through the PNP National Police Clearance System (NPCS). The process involves online registration, appointment booking, fee payment, and a short visit to your selected police station for biometric verification and certificate issuance.

The Police Clearance application consists of four simple steps:

Register on the NPCS portal.
Book your Police Clearance appointment.
Pay the application fee.
Visit the selected police station for biometric verification and certificate collection.

Each step below includes clear instructions and screenshots to help you complete the application without confusion. The infographic below gives a quick overview of the complete Police Clearance application process before we explain each step in detail.

Infographic showing the 4-step Police Clearance Online application process in the Philippines: register on the NPCS portal, book an appointment, pay the fee, and visit the police station for biometric verification and certificate issuance.

Step 1: 🖥️ Create Your NPCS Account:

To apply for a Police Clearance Online, first create an account on the official NPCS portal. Once registered, you’ll be able to book an appointment, pay the fee, and track your application.

Access the NPCS Official Website:

Visit the official NPCS website at pnpclearance.ph and click the REGISTER button to begin your application. Returning applicants can click LOGIN to access their existing account.

NPCS homepage showing the REGISTER button for creating a new Police Clearance Online account.

Register for an Account:

If you’re a first-time applicant, click REGISTER and complete the registration form using your active email address and personal information. Create a strong password, accept the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, then click Register.

It contains new applicant registration form, that applicant need to fill out for the online registration process. you will need to provide your active email, and personal details, a strong password, and tick mark the terms and conditions. At last, click the register button.

If you’ve already created an account, simply click LOGIN and sign in using your registered email address and password.

Tip: Use an active email address because you’ll receive your verification link there.

Online Registration Verification:

After registration, NPCS will send a verification email to your registered email address. Open the email and click the verification link to activate your account. If you don’t see the message, check your Spam or Junk folder.

It includes the verification message from the official website to check the the correctness of the applicant. It includes the applicant name and a clickable text for the verification. when the text is clicked it will direct you to the log in page of the PNP website.

Click on “Click here to verify”, and you will be directed to the login page of the NPCS website.

Log In to Your NPCS Account:

Once your account is verified, return to the NPCS portal and Sign in using your registered email address and password. After logging in successfully, you can continue with your Police Clearance application.

this is a login page. It includes section for email and password. when provided, the applicant will be login to their PNP account.

Your NPCS account is now ready. Next, you’ll complete your profile and schedule your Police Clearance appointment.

Step 2: 🗓️ Police Clearance Online Appointment & Profile Completion:

After the online registration process, the next step is profile completion and schedule police clearance online appointment.

When you login to your account, you will get the following page.

Edit and Complete Your Profile:

Before booking the police clearance online appointment, click the 👤Edit Profile button. You will get an Applicant Information page.

Fill out the applicant profile with correct and updated details. Please take the important data from your original documents at the time of filling out the profile to avoid any issues later. Because if there is an error, spelling mistakes, or outdated information in your profile. You have to revise the application process again to correct it.

Fill out all the sections in your applicant profile. Provide all pieces of information like nationality, birth date, birth certificate registration number, birthplace, full address, educational attainment, mobile number, telephone number, height, weight, and complexion.

Provide family background details(parents’ name, place of birth, etc), and then click the Save Profilebutton. Here, the profile information step is completed.

Important Note for PWD’s applicants:

If you are a PWD(Person with Disabilities) applicant, mark the check box ” Please check if you are a PWD” and write your PWD ID number in the specific section. (You will be entitled to certain discounts and privileges under Republic Act No. 10754. But you need the PWD certificate as proof from the concerned department.

Important Note for applicants who are First-Time Job Seekers:

The PNP clearance is free for applicants who are First-time Job Seekers. Mark the check box “please check if you are a first-time job seeker (RA 11261 First Time Job Seeker Assistant Act)”. You can avail of this offer only once in a lifetime. You will also need a barangay clearance certificate because it is compulsory to avail of this offer.

Now, click on the Clearance Application button.

It includes a Clearance Application Button. which is necessary for the scheduling of the police clearance online appointment for the national police clearance online application process.
It is highlighted in this image for users.

When you click this button, another page will appear. On that page, you need to select your preferred police station, with the name and address shown below.

Select a Police Station for the Appointment:

Scheduling of an online appointment means selecting the police station(name and address of the preferred police station) and time(select from the working days and specific time, either AM or PM) for the police clearance online appointment process to go to the police station for the biometrics and to collect the clearance certificate.

First select a police station of your choice. When you select it, the name and address of the police station will be displayed for your confirmation.

It contains the option for the selection of the police station for scheduling of the police clearance online appointment. Selection of one of the police station from the given list is must.
Here in this image, a police station is selected and highlighted along with the address of the police station. When an applicant select a police station, its address also displayed next to it to confirm that the applicant selects a correct police station.
This is highlighted for the applicant's convenience, to avoid wrong selection of the station.

Choose Date and Time for the Appointment:

Then select a day and time (either AM or PM). Every day has a specific number of slots. Choose a specific day, and then click a time slot from the available time slots with AM or PM. Then click the Next button.

The purpose of this image is that the applicant successfully select a day and specific time for the clearance appointment at the selected station.
It includes timing slots. The green slots a selected day mean that they are available for selection. The applicants select the time slot at which he/she will visit the police station at the specific day, and time.

Save Appointment:

After selecting the police station, day, and time, the next step is to save the clearance appointment. Click on the LandBank of the Phils button, and then click the Next button.

It contains payment options. There is a button "LandBank of the Phils". It also display the total fee that the applicant will need to pay as a processing fee. it is PHP 150.
The applicant will select it and then click the next button to go to the next page for the fee payment.

On the next page, click the Save Appointment button. Here, your appointment is scheduled for the police clearance ID.

After saving the appointment for the national police clearance, a page will be displayed on the screen. It will contain the transaction summary, including your selected police station, appointment date, a reference number, payment and fee amount.

It contains the reference number, online appointment details, police station name and address, fee of the police clearance, appointment date and Click here to pay button to process the procedure for the online payment of the police clearance.
the click here to pay button is marked in this image. So, that the applicant can pick it quickly.

Note down or save the generated reference number of the fee payment slip as you will need it for fee payment and at the police station to secure the clearance certificate. Review all the details and then click the Click here to pay button.

Step 3: 💳₱ Police Clearance Online Fee Payment:

You have the reference number. Now you can proceed with the fee payment process. Click on the Click here to pay button, and you will be taken to the LBP ePayment portal page, where you can pay the police clearance fee through Land Bank, G-cash, BancNet cards, or the 7-Eleven payment option.

On the homepage of the LBP ePayment portal:

Select your preferred payment option.
Complete the captcha challenge(if any).
Click Continue
selected your preferred payment method(Over-the-Counter or Mobile)
Follow the onscreen instructions to pay the clearance fee.
Save the fee receipt with yourself.

If you want to pay the clearance fee online, you can use GCash for a quick and hassle-free transaction. We’ve explained the process step by step in simple language and included screenshots for every stage to guide you. Check our full guide on how to pay the police clearance fee via GCash.

If you prefer paying in cash instead of online, you can settle your fee through over-the-counter (OTC) payment methods like 7-Eleven, Bayad Centre, Landbank, and more. For details, see our guide on OTC police clearance payment methods.

Note: Always pay the fee two days before the appointed date to avoid the cancellation of the police clearance appointment.

Step 4. 🛡️Police Station Visit for Biometrics and Final Processing:

On your scheduled date and time, go to your chosen police station. You must have the following three requirements:

Your reference number(proof of police clearance online appointment),
Two valid IDs(proof of identity),
Original fee receipt(proof of clearance fee payment).

Photo and Fingerprint Capture for the National Police Clearance:

The biometrics process, including photo capture and fingerprinting, will be performed at the police station. After this, your application will go through a verification process.

Release of National Police Clearance Certificate:

During verification, a police officer will check your biometrics against the NPCS database. If no derogatory records are found, your clearance certificate will be issued immediately. If there are flagged results, further verification may be required, but issues are usually resolved quickly unless you have an active arrest warrant.

Note: To know about the reasons for a HIT status and their solution, go to the following article, https://phclearance.com/police-clearance-hit-status/. In this article, we have explained the common reasons of getting a HIT status and the possible solutions.

Police Clearance Validity (2026):

A PNP clearance is valid for only six months. After this period, it automatically expires and cannot be accepted. To continue using it, you need to apply for renewal of the national police clearance online. We’ve explained the online renewal process (with and without personal appearance) step-by-step in a separate guide. Read the full renewal guide here.

₱Clearance Certificate Cost (2026):

Do you want to know how much the certificate costs? Here is the answer: it costs ₱150. It’s the standard fee for the PNP clearance processing. Besides, you will also need to pay about ₱10 to ₱30 as a transaction fee to the company. To sum up, it will cost you ₱180.

Police Clearance Processing Time Duration:

Securing a police clearance certificate online consists of two steps: online application and visiting the police station.

The online process is fast and secure. You can apply anytime and from anywhere. All you need is a mobile or laptop with a good internet connection. This process can take upto 10 minutes.

The second step, which is to visit the police station for biometric verification and collection of a clearance certificate, can take time. But you will get the certificate on the same day if your application doesn’t get a HIT.

Types of Police Clearance Certificates in the Philippines:

There are two types of Police Clearance certificates in the Philippines: Local Police Clearance(LPC) and National Police Clearance(NPC) or PNP clearance.

Local Police Clearance:

Local clearance is issued by the local municipality or police station. You can visit the nearest police station in your area to apply for it to secure it.

National Police Clearance:

The National Police Clearance (NPC) is an official certificate issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) through the National Police Clearance System (NPCS). It serves as proof that the holder has no criminal record or pending case nationwide. Unlike a local police clearance, the NPC integrates records from all cities and municipalities, making it more reliable for employment, business, government transactions, and other legal purposes

Difference Between them:

Comparison	Local Police Clearance	National Police Clearance

Scope	Limited scope, limited to only area where it is issued	Nationwide in the Philippines
Issuing Authority	PNP(Philippine National Police)	Local Police Station or Municipal Hall
Mode of Application	Walk-in to the local police station or municipal hall(Manual application)	Online Application for registration, appointment, and fee payment. Go to the selected police station for photo capture and biometrics.
Purpose	For local domestic needs	Official purposes
Validity	6 months	6 months

Who Needs a Police Clearance Certificate in the Philippines?

It is an essential requirement for the people of the Philippines, students, and foreigners residing in the Philippines. There is no eligibility criterion for it. They can apply for it whenever they need it. Here is why they need to secure the PNP clearance:

Why do Filipino Citizens Need it?

Filipinos need it for the following purposes:

Job application(Job applicants are often asked for a PNP clearance).
International travel
Visa applications
Business transactions
Licensing purposes
Renting a house/shop

Why do Students Need it?

They need to get it in the Philippines for the following purposes:

Admission
Scholarship
Hostel accommodation

Why do Foreigners Residing in the Philippines Need it?

They need to secure a police clearance certificate for the following purposes:

To stay in the Philippines for study, work, or business
For visa renewal to continue their stay in the Philippines.

Application Process for Police Clearance Certificates in the Philippines (2026):

There are two ways to apply for police clearance certificates in the Philippines, depending on their types: apply online at the PNP website to get the national police clearance, or walk in to get the local police clearance from the local municipal hall or police station.

1. How to Get a Local Police Clearance(LPC)?

Gather all the required documents.
Visit a local police station in your area.
Request an application form and fill it out completely.
Pay the fee in the local treasury office. Put your thumb impression and sign on the payslip.
Make sure that the payslip is stamped and signed by the treasury officer.
Submit the application form, original fee receipt, and other required documents to the station.
Wait for the verification of your application.
You will get your certificate after the successful verification of your application.

2. How to Get a PNP/National Police Clearance Online:

It is issued by the PNP’s National Police Clearance System(NPCS) which provides a fast, efficient, and convenient system for Filipinos to get the certificate in about 10 minutes. It was launched in 2018.

The process includes creating an account, scheduling an online appointment, paying the fee, and visiting the police station for biometrics and verification. For a complete step-by-step guide with screenshots, see our detailed section on how to apply for a national police clearance online.

Can Police Clearance be Used as a Valid ID?

No, aNational Police clearance certificate is not considered a valid ID. However, it is considered one of the important requirements in fulfilling multiple tasks in the Philippines. It helps you in your personal, professional, and legal matters. It is also useful in your identity verification and acts as proof that you don’t have a shady or derogatory past. It’s a Philippine police background check certificate.

Verify Police Clearance Status:

You can quickly verify the status of your PNP clearance online through the official PNP website. This ensures your clearance certificate is authentic and valid. For step-by-step instructions, see our detailed guide on how to verify police clearance online.

You may also explore other online resources and digital communities at https://getclashofclans.com/.

⚖️Police Clearance vs Other Official Clearances in the Philippines?

There are three types of clearances in the Philippines:

PNP clearance or police clearance
Barangay clearance,
and NBI clearance.

Everyone has their requirements, purpose, scope, and mode of application. There is a comparison table to get an overview of them.

Comparison	Barangay Clearance	Police Clearance	NBI clearance
Scope	Limited to the respective barangay, where issued.	Accepted nationwide in the Philippines	Accepted nationwide and abroad in the Philippines and abroad for the overseas Filipinos.
Issuing Authority	Barangay Administrative Units	Philippine National Police(PNP)	National Bureau of Investigation(NBI)
Mode of Application	In-person	Online	Online
Purpose	Job application, travel, apply for police clearance, NBI clearance, etc.	Local domestic needs and official purposes.	Official purposes, high security clearances, passport, and visa applications, etc.
Validity	Six months to one year	Six months	One year

FAQs:

Ans. You can get it through walk-ins to local municipal stations to get the local clearance, or you can apply online at the PNP website at www.pnpclearanceph to get the national police clearance.

Ans. To book a police clearance online appointment in the Philippines, log in to the National Police Clearance System (NPCS) website, complete your profile, select your preferred police station, and choose your appointment date and time. Once saved, your police clearance online appointment will be confirmed in your account.

Ans. You can get it online by applying at the pnp clearance.ph portal and then visit to your selected police station for biometrics, photo capture, and collection of the national police clearance certificate.

Ans. Yes, you can get a police clearance certificate while abroad. You can apply for it through Philippines embassy or consulate in the residing country or apply online and download it from the PNP website.

Ans. You need two valid IDs, the reference number of the transaction, and the original fee receipt.

Ans. If you are applying for a PNP police clearance, you need ₱160 (₱150 standard fee for police clearance plus ₱10 for transaction service fee). However, first-time job seekers can get it free under the First Time Jobseekers Assistant Act.

Ans. The validity period of a police clearance is six months.

Ans. You can get your clearance immediately if you don’t have any hit.

Ans. In case you missed the appointed date and time you can still claim your clearance within 15 days. However, after 15 days of the appointment, you will forfeit your clearance fee and online application. You will need to re-apply and re-submit the fee for police clearance.

Ans. Yes, personal appearance is necessary for police clearance whether you are applying for a local police clearance or a PNP clearance.

Ans. Yes, you can get it if you are applying for local police clearance. But, you cannot get a national clearance without an online application.

Ans. Yes, you can get it free if you are a first-time job seeker. This facility is only available for fresh graduates under The First Time Job Seeker Assistant Act. But you need to present a barangay certificate stating that you are a first time job seeker.

Conclusion

Getting a national police clearance certificate in the Philippines is now faster and more convenient with the online system. From online registration and appointment scheduling to fee payment and biometrics, the process can be completed in just a few simple steps. As long as you follow the procedure, you can secure your PNP police clearance quickly and use it for job applications, valid IDs, and other official transactions.