LawCriminal Law
Criminal Information and Rehabilitation of Offenders Law, 5779-2019
חוק המידע הפלילי ותקנת השבים, תשע"ט-2019
Published: 2019-01-16Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-08-24 · Last amended 2026-07-26✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-29
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Section C: Restriction on Disclosure of Information from the Criminal Register
Restriction on Disclosure of Information concerning Minors and in respect of Special Orders§
17.
(a)Information from the criminal register as set out below shall not be disclosed except to the bodies and office holders listed in items 2(1), (2), (5) to (10) and (12) to (18), 3(3), 4(1) to (5) and 5(8) to (10) and (12) of the First Schedule, for the purpose of fulfilling their functions:
(1)a conviction of a minor for an offence committed before the age of sixteen years, if no sentence of actual imprisonment was imposed on him;
(2)a determination pursuant to section 24 of the Youth Law that a minor committed an offence and a decision to issue a treatment-methods order as referred to in paragraph (2) of that section or to exempt from such an order as referred to in paragraph (3) of that section;
(3)a probation order issued to a minor, whether by reason of a conviction or without a conviction, and a probation order for an adult issued without a conviction;
(4)an undertaking order to refrain from committing an offence, issued without a conviction;
(5)a community service order, issued without a conviction.
(b)The registration in the criminal register of the conviction, determination, or order as referred to in subsection (a) shall lapse on the day of the rendering of the judgment or the decision in the proceeding.
Lapsing of a Criminal Registration Detail – Principles§
18.
(a)The limitation period of a criminal registration detail shall be counted from the day of the rendering of the judgment or the decision in the proceeding, even if an appeal has been filed against the judgment or the decision.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 19 and 20, a criminal registration detail of a person shall not lapse until he has served the full sentence imposed on him.
(c)Information concerning a registration detail that has lapsed shall not be disclosed except to the bodies or office holders listed in sections 10 and 11.
(d)Where a sentence has been reduced or commuted pursuant to lawful authority, the sentence as reduced or commuted shall be regarded, for the purpose of the limitation period, as the sentence imposed for the offence.
(e)Where a single sentence has been imposed in respect of several convictions, or where a cumulative sentence has been imposed, it shall be regarded, for the purpose of the limitation period, as if it were imposed in respect of each of the convictions.
(f)Where different sentences have been imposed in a single judgment in respect of different convictions, the limitation period of all the said criminal registration details shall end at the expiry of the latest limitation period applicable to those registration details.
(g)Where a person has been convicted of an offence or a decision constituting a criminal registration detail has been given in respect of him, during the limitation period of another criminal registration detail, the limitation period of all his criminal registration details shall end at the expiry of the latest limitation period applicable to those registration details.
(h)The provisions of subsection (g) shall not apply to a sentence of disqualification from holding a driving licence under section 413l of the Penal Law, 5737-1977, or section 43 of the Traffic Ordinance [New Version], or any other sentence that may be imposed permanently by virtue of the court's power under section 35(a) of that Law.
Limitation of a Criminal Registration Detail – Adults§
19.
(a)The limitation period of a criminal registration detail in respect of adults shall be as follows:
(1)a person was convicted or a decision constituting a criminal registration detail was made in respect of him, no sentence of imprisonment was imposed on him and he has no additional criminal registration detail – four years; however, in respect of a conviction for a sexual or violent offence as defined in the Victim Rights Law, 5761-2001, an offence under section 65(c) of the Military Justice Law, or an offence under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance [New Version], 5733-1973 – five years;
(2)a person was convicted or a decision constituting a criminal registration detail was made in respect of him, no sentence of imprisonment was imposed on him and he has an additional criminal registration detail – seven years;
(3)a person was convicted and a sentence of imprisonment of up to five years was imposed on him – seven years plus the period of imprisonment imposed;
(4)a person was convicted and a sentence of imprisonment of more than five years was imposed on him – ten years plus the period of imprisonment imposed.
(b)In this Section –
"imprisonment" – including a suspended sentence of imprisonment that was activated;
"additional criminal registration detail" – excluding an expunged registration detail.
Lapsing of a Criminal Registration Detail – Minors§
20.
The limitation period of a criminal registration detail in respect of minors shall be as follows:
(1)a minor has been convicted of an offence committed after the age of sixteen years and no sentence of imprisonment was imposed on him, or a determination as referred to in section 8(3) has been given in respect of him – three years;
(2)a minor has been convicted and a sentence of imprisonment of up to three years was imposed on him – five years plus the period of imprisonment imposed;
(3)a minor has been convicted and a sentence of imprisonment of more than three years was imposed on him – seven years plus the period of imprisonment imposed.
Expungement of a Criminal Registration Detail – Principles§
21.
(a)The expungement period of a criminal registration detail shall be counted from the expiry of the limitation period.
(b)Information concerning a registration detail that has been expunged shall not be disclosed except to the following:
(1)bodies listed in section 10, in accordance with the rules prescribed by virtue of section 10(b);
(2)the office holders listed in item 5(12)(b) to (g) of the First Schedule, and the person responsible for foster care licensing under the Foster Care for Children Law, 5776-2016, for special reasons that shall be recorded;
(3)the Attorney General, the persons listed in item 4(1) to (5) of the First Schedule, and also – for special reasons that shall be recorded – counsel on behalf of the Attorney General and a court or tribunal in a legal proceeding that is not a criminal proceeding, if the disclosure of the expunged registration detail is material to the deliberation in the judicial proceeding.
(c)Where a person has been convicted of an offence or a decision constituting a criminal registration detail has been given in respect of him, during the expungement period of another criminal registration detail, the expungement period of all his criminal registration details shall end at the expiry of the latest expungement period applicable to those registration details.
(d)A conviction or decision constituting a criminal registration detail in respect of which the President of the State has ordered expungement shall have the same status as an expunged registration detail.
Expungement of a Criminal Registration Detail – Adults§
22.
The expungement period of a criminal registration detail in respect of adults shall be as follows:
(1)a person has been convicted or a decision constituting a criminal registration detail has been given in respect of him, no sentence of imprisonment was imposed on him, and he has no additional criminal registration detail – four years; however, in respect of a conviction for a sexual or violent offence as defined in the Victims of Crime Rights Law, 5761-2001, for an offence under section 65(g) of the Military Justice Law, or for an offence under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance [New Version], 5733-1973 – five years;
(2)a person has been convicted or a decision constituting a criminal registration detail has been given in respect of him, no sentence of imprisonment was imposed on him, and he has an additional criminal registration detail – seven years;
(3)a person has been convicted and a sentence of imprisonment of up to five years was imposed on him – seven years;
(4)a person has been convicted and a sentence of imprisonment of more than five years was imposed on him – ten years;
(5)a person has not been convicted and one of the following has been given in respect of him, the expungement period shall be five years: an undertaking to refrain from committing an offence, a community service order, a probation order.
Expungement of a Criminal Registration Detail – Minors§
23.
The expungement period of a criminal registration detail in respect of minors shall be as follows:
(1)a minor has been convicted of a felony offence committed before the age of sixteen years and no sentence of imprisonment was imposed on him – five years; in the case of a misdemeanour offence – three years;
(2)a minor has been convicted of an offence committed after the age of sixteen years and no sentence of imprisonment was imposed on him – five years;
(3)a minor has been convicted of an offence and a sentence of imprisonment was imposed on him – seven years;
(4)a minor has not been convicted and a determination has been given in respect of him pursuant to section 24 of the Youth Law that he committed an offence and a decision was made to impose a treatment-methods order as referred to in paragraph (2) of that section, or to exempt the minor without such an order as referred to in paragraph (3) of that section – five years;
(5)a probation order has been given in respect of the minor, whether by reason of a conviction or without a conviction – five years.
Information not Subject to Lapsing§
24.
(a)There shall be no lapsing pursuant to sections 18 to 20 or expungement pursuant to sections 21 to 23 in respect of a conviction or a decision constituting a criminal registration detail for the following offences:
(1)offences the penalty for which is death;
(2)offences not subject to a limitation period with respect to prosecution pursuant to section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Law;
(3)offences the penalty for which is life imprisonment or twenty years' imprisonment and in respect of which actual imprisonment of ten years or more was imposed;
(4)offences under the following enactments if their penalty is ten years' imprisonment or more and actual imprisonment of five years or more was imposed:
(a)Chapter VII of the Penal Law, 5737-1977;
(b)offences under sections 345, 348(b) and 351 of the Penal Law, 5737-1977;
(c)the Prevention of Infiltration (Offences and Jurisdiction) Law, 5714-1954;
(d)the Defence (Emergency) Regulations, 1945;
(e)sections 43, 44 and 46 in fine of the Military Justice Law;
(f)the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance, 5708-1948;
(g)section 8 of the Prohibition of Financing Terrorism Law, 5765-2005;
(h)the Counter-Terrorism Law, 5776-2016, and also offences under another enactment that constitute an act of terrorism as defined in that Law; however, in respect of offences under the Counter-Terrorism Law, 5776-2016 – offences the penalty for which is seven years' imprisonment or more and actual imprisonment of five years or more was imposed;
(i)the Third Schedule to the Security Provisions Order [Consolidated Version] (Judea and Samaria) (No. 1651), 5770-2009.
(b)Where a person has been convicted of an offence listed in subsection (a), other criminal registration details of his that were recorded after the commission of that offence shall be regarded as registration details that have not lapsed, and there shall be no lapsing in respect of them pursuant to sections 18 to 20 or expungement pursuant to sections 21 to 23.
Power of the President of the State§
25.
The President of the State may –
(1)shorten or cancel the limitation period and the expungement period of a criminal registration detail of a person;
(2)determine that an offence as referred to in section 24 committed by a person shall lapse or be expunged, and prescribe dates for such lapsing or expungement.
Lapse of disqualification due to lapsing or expungement of a criminal registration detail§
26.
(a)Where a person has been disqualified pursuant to a statutory provision by reason of a criminal registration detail, the disqualification shall lapse at the time set out below, even if the disqualification period prescribed in that statutory provision has not yet expired:
(1)if the body or office holder authorised pursuant to that statutory provision to consider the information from the criminal register for the purpose of the disqualification decision is one of the bodies or office holders referred to in sections 12 to 15 – the disqualification shall lapse at the time the registration detail lapses;
(2)if the body or office holder authorised pursuant to that statutory provision to consider the information from the criminal register for the purpose of the disqualification decision is one of the bodies or office holders referred to in section 11 – the disqualification shall lapse at the time the registration detail is expunged.
(b)Notwithstanding subsection (a), if the body or office holder authorised to consider the information from the criminal register for the purpose of the disqualification decision pursuant to a statutory provision as referred to in that subsection is one of the bodies or office holders listed in section 10, in items 4(1) to (5) of the First Schedule, the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset pursuant to section 15 of the Knesset Elections Law [Consolidated Version], 5729-1969, or an elections administrator pursuant to section 29 of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law, 5725-1965, the disqualification shall not lapse by reason of the lapsing or expungement of the criminal registration detail.
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Contact Us →Chapter IV: The Police Register
Section A: Contents of the Police Register
Police registration details in the police register§
27.
(a)The police register shall include the details enumerated below in respect of felony and misdemeanour offences, as well as accompanying data:
(1)information concerning pending criminal proceedings and a pending criminal investigation, including information concerning the suspension of such proceedings as referred to in section 94a of the Criminal Procedure Law (hereinafter – information on a pending file);
(2)information concerning a file closed for one of the following reasons (hereinafter – closed file):
(a)a decision not to investigate pursuant to section 59 of the Criminal Procedure Law;
(b)a decision not to prosecute as referred to in section 62 of the Criminal Procedure Law, unless the decision was given on grounds of absence of guilt;
(c)closure by arrangement pursuant to section 67f of the Criminal Procedure Law;
(d)a charge cancelled pursuant to section 94(a) or (b) of the Criminal Procedure Law or pursuant to section 388(a) of the Military Justice Law;
(e)a charge cancelled on account of a preliminary plea pursuant to section 149(10) of the Criminal Procedure Law or pursuant to section 351(b)(6) of the Military Justice Law;
(3)information concerning a trial in which proceedings were stayed (hereinafter – file in which proceedings were stayed) pursuant to section 231 of the Criminal Procedure Law;
(4)information concerning a trial that ended in the acquittal of the accused.
(b)Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Police may refrain from including in the police register information as referred to in subsection (a)(2)(a), in accordance with provisions to be prescribed for that purpose in Police Orders; the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Public Security, with the approval of the Constitution Committee, may prescribe cases and circumstances in which a decision not to investigate as aforesaid shall not be included in the register.
Police registration details from the Area§
28.
In addition to the registration details enumerated in section 27, the Police may include in the police register registration details as aforesaid, with the necessary modifications, in respect of offences under the law applicable in the Area.
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