---
title: "Bermuda police clearance: identity and consent"
description: "Prepare Bermuda Police Service form SF39 with certified identity copies, the named recipient and consent when someone acts on your behalf."
canonical: "https://dokus.app/en-bm/bermuda-police-clearance-certificate/"
lang: "en-BM"
category: "Official documents"
reviewed: "2026-10-25"
app_store: "https://apps.apple.com/bm/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709"
translations:
  en-BM: "https://dokus.app/en-bm/bermuda-police-clearance-certificate/"
---

# Bermuda police clearance: identity and consent

Bermuda Police Service uses form SF39 for a criminal-record check and requires the applicant’s signature and certified identity evidence. A nominee needs the applicant’s signed consent; a driving licence alone may not satisfy the published identification instructions.

## Prepare the official request

1. Download the current SF39 and its separate guidance notes from the Bermuda Police Service records-check page. Read the local or overseas instructions that apply to you.
2. Complete your identity, previous names, Bermuda address and intended recipient.
3. Sign the request yourself and provide nominee consent if another person is acting for you.
4. Prepare a certified copy of a valid passport, or the documented alternative of a certified birth certificate with photo identification.
5. Confirm the current fee and submission arrangement with the Police Vetting Office before sending the dossier.

Keep personal copies and application receipts together in Dokus on your iPhone. Keep the originals and official verification route available. 4.8 out of 5 stars [Free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/bm/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709)

## Keep the right evidence

The current downloads are hosted in the Police Service's January 2026 directory. SF39 now includes a separate disclosure-consent section. U.S. visa applicants must read that section carefully and follow the guidance on disclosing spent as well as unspent convictions and supplying their NIV appointment confirmation. Ask the Records Office about the requested certificate if the purpose is unclear.

The guidance identifies authorised certifiers and requires a dated, named and signed certification. Converting an ordinary scan to PDF, adding a watermark or inserting the word certified cannot perform that check. Keep the certificate issued by Police separate from the identification copies used to request it.

If a recipient accepts a personal working copy, you can [label a separately agreed reference copy](https://dokus.app/en-bm/watermark-bermuda-bhb-passport-licence/). A watermark states a purpose; it does not conceal data or certify a document. Exported files are image-based and do not preserve original digital signatures or selectable PDF text. Keep this output separate from any original, certified copy or unchanged official file required for submission.

For an identity record, see [Bermuda birth certificates](https://dokus.app/en-bm/bermuda-certified-birth-certificate/). For a travel dossier, see [Bermuda passport renewal](https://dokus.app/en-bm/bermuda-passport-renewal-documents/).

## Questions

### Can a nominee sign instead of the applicant?

SF39 instructions require the applicant to complete and sign the form. A nominee also needs signed consent identifying them.

### Is my driving licence enough by itself?

The instructions warn that a driving licence alone may be insufficient and describe supporting identity requirements.

### Does a watermark certify an identity copy?

No. Certification follows the required authorised check of the original document.

## Sources

Reviewed on 25 October 2026

- [Bermuda Police Service: records-check service and current downloads](https://www.police.bm/records-check)
- [Bermuda Police Service: current SF39 application](https://www.police.bm/media/attachments/2026/01/20/bps-records-check-sf39-application.pdf)
- [Bermuda Police Service: current SF39 guidance notes](https://www.police.bm/media/attachments/2026/01/20/bps-records-check-application---guidance-notes.pdf)