[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"stats-overview":3,"kb-article-pace-code-c-how-long-can-police-detain-you":10},{"officers":4,"forces":5,"courts":6,"prisons":7,"hearings":8,"legals":9},769,50,224,120,41,11437,{"id":11,"slug":12,"name":13,"content":14,"category_id":15,"source":16,"source_url":17,"source_ref":18,"licence":19,"sort_order":20,"published":21,"created_at":22,"updated_at":22,"category":23,"category_icon":24,"category_slug":25,"excerpt":26,"word_count":27,"reading_time":28,"is_official":21,"related":29,"previous":66,"next":67},"34","pace-code-c-how-long-can-police-detain-you","How long can the police hold you without charge?","There are limits on how long the police can hold you before they must either charge you or release you. As a general rule, the police can detain you for up to 24 hours without charge.\n\nA senior officer (at least the rank of superintendent) can extend this to 36 hours for a serious offence. Beyond that, the police must apply to a magistrates' court, which can authorise detention up to a maximum of 96 hours (four days) in total. Detention under the Terrorism Act 2000 follows separate, longer rules (covered by PACE Code H).\n\nWhile you are held, your detention has to be reviewed regularly by a review officer — the first review within the first six hours, and then at least every nine hours after that — to check whether keeping you there is still justified. If it is not, you must be released.\n\nThe clock and the reasons for your continued detention must be recorded in the custody record, which you (or your solicitor) can ask to see.\n\nThis is a plain-English summary. For the exact rules, read the official PACE Code C and PACE 1984.","13","PACE Code C (2019) \u002F PACE 1984","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fpublications\u002Fpace-code-c-2019","Code C, section 15; PACE ss.41–44","OGL v3.0",20,true,"2026-06-22T11:50:16.000Z","PACE Code C – Detention & Questioning","mdi:handcuffs","pace-code-c-detention-and-questioning","There are limits on how long the police can hold you before they must either charge you or release you. As a general rule, the police can detain you for up…",189,1,[30,43,51,59],{"id":31,"slug":32,"name":33,"source":34,"source_url":34,"sort_order":35,"category":36,"category_icon":37,"category_slug":38,"excerpt":39,"word_count":40,"reading_time":41,"is_official":42},"23","can-my-password-be-bypassed","Can the police get into my phone without my password?",null,0,"CyberCrime","mdi:shield-lock","cybercrime","Often, yes. Police digital forensics units use commercial tools (the best known are made by Cellebrite, Magnet Forensics and Grayshift) that can extract data…",531,3,false,{"id":44,"slug":45,"name":46,"source":34,"source_url":34,"sort_order":35,"category":47,"category_icon":24,"category_slug":48,"excerpt":49,"word_count":50,"reading_time":41,"is_official":42},"6","how-long-you-can-be-held-in-custody","How long you can be held in custody","Custody","custody","Police detention without charge is time-limited by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), and must be reviewed regularly by an officer not…",401,{"id":52,"slug":53,"name":54,"source":55,"source_url":17,"sort_order":56,"category":23,"category_icon":24,"category_slug":25,"excerpt":57,"word_count":58,"reading_time":28,"is_official":21},"33","pace-code-c-your-rights-in-police-custody","Your rights when held in police custody","PACE Code C (2019)",10,"When you are brought into a police station under arrest, the custody officer must tell you about three key rights, both out loud and in writing, and these…",199,{"id":60,"slug":61,"name":62,"source":55,"source_url":17,"sort_order":63,"category":23,"category_icon":24,"category_slug":25,"excerpt":64,"word_count":65,"reading_time":28,"is_official":21},"35","pace-code-c-conditions-of-detention-rest-food-and-breaks","Rest, food and breaks: how you must be treated in custody",30,"The Codes set minimum standards for how you must be treated while detained. A cell should be adequately heated, lit, cleaned and ventilated, and you must be…",166,{"slug":53,"name":54},{"slug":61,"name":62}]