Domestic Abuse Act 2021: Polygraph Testing for Offenders

What the Act Achieved

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2021 and represents one of the most significant pieces of domestic abuse legislation in England and Wales [1]Verified Domestic Abuse Act 2021: Explanatory Notes
Confirms Royal Assent on 29 April 2021 and that Section 76 extends polygraph provisions to domestic abuse offenders. Among its many provisions, the Act enables domestic abuse offenders to be subject to polygraph testing as a condition of their licence following release from custody [2]Verified Domestic Abuse Act 2021: Overarching Factsheet
Confirms the Act enables domestic abuse offenders to be subject to polygraph testing as a licence condition[3]Verified Domestic Abuse Act: Factsheet
Confirms the Act was signed into law on 29 April 2021 and includes polygraph testing for domestic abuse offenders. This was a groundbreaking expansion — prior to 2021, mandatory polygraph testing had been reserved exclusively for sexual offenders under the Offender Management Act 2007 [4]Verified Parole and Licence Conditions: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 Factsheet
Confirms polygraph tests used since January 2013 for sex offenders and the extension to domestic abuse and military offenders.

The Act created a statutory definition of domestic abuse for the first time, recognising that abuse is not just physical violence but includes emotional, controlling, coercive, and economic abuse [3]Verified Domestic Abuse Act: Factsheet
Confirms the Act was signed into law on 29 April 2021 and includes polygraph testing for domestic abuse offenders. Children who see, hear, or experience domestic abuse are also explicitly recognised as victims in their own right [3]Verified Domestic Abuse Act: Factsheet
Confirms the Act was signed into law on 29 April 2021 and includes polygraph testing for domestic abuse offenders. A Domestic Abuse Commissioner was appointed to hold government and agencies to account [3]Verified Domestic Abuse Act: Factsheet
Confirms the Act was signed into law on 29 April 2021 and includes polygraph testing for domestic abuse offenders.

The scale of the problem the Act addresses is staggering. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, an estimated 3.8 million people aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2025 [5]Verified Domestic Abuse in England and Wales Overview: November 2025
Confirms 3.8 million people experienced domestic abuse in year ending March 2025; 816,493 police-recorded crimes. This includes approximately 2.2 million females and 1.5 million males [5]Verified Domestic Abuse in England and Wales Overview: November 2025
Confirms 3.8 million people experienced domestic abuse in year ending March 2025; 816,493 police-recorded crimes. Police recorded 816,493 domestic abuse-related crimes in England and Wales in the same period [5]Verified Domestic Abuse in England and Wales Overview: November 2025
Confirms 3.8 million people experienced domestic abuse in year ending March 2025; 816,493 police-recorded crimes. For more on how polygraph evidence is used in UK courts, see our dedicated guide.

Section 76: Polygraph Conditions for Offenders Released on Licence

Section 76 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is the key provision extending polygraph testing to domestic abuse perpetrators [6]Verified Domestic Abuse Act 2021 — Full Legislation
Confirms Section 76 provides for polygraph conditions for offenders released on licence. It amends Section 28 of the Offender Management Act 2007 to include domestic abuse offenders alongside sex offenders as eligible for mandatory polygraph licence conditions [4]Verified Parole and Licence Conditions: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 Factsheet
Confirms polygraph tests used since January 2013 for sex offenders and the extension to domestic abuse and military offenders[7]Verified Offender Management Act 2007 — Section 28 (as amended)
Confirms the amended section includes domestic abuse offences under subsections 3A-3C inserted by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Under the amended legislation, a 'relevant offence involving domestic abuse' includes offences listed in subsection 3C which involved behaviour amounting to domestic abuse, as well as breach of a domestic abuse protection order under Section 39 of the Act [7]Verified Offender Management Act 2007 — Section 28 (as amended)
Confirms the amended section includes domestic abuse offences under subsections 3A-3C inserted by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. A polygraph condition requires the offender, on release, to participate in regular polygraph sessions as instructed by their offender manager [8]Verified Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Explanatory Notes — Polygraph Provisions
Confirms polygraph conditions require offenders to participate in regular sessions and that results cannot be used in criminal proceedings. The purpose is twofold: monitoring compliance with other licence conditions and improving the way the offender is managed during the licence period [8]Verified Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Explanatory Notes — Polygraph Provisions
Confirms polygraph conditions require offenders to participate in regular sessions and that results cannot be used in criminal proceedings.

The provisions in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 enable the Secretary of State for Justice to impose mandatory polygraph examinations on domestic abuse perpetrators who have been released from prison and identified as being at high risk or very high risk of causing serious harm [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. This brought domestic abuse offender management into line with the proven approach already used for sex offenders. To understand what to expect during a UK polygraph test, we have a comprehensive step-by-step guide.

Pilot Launch and Structure

On 4 July 2021, the Ministry of Justice commenced a three-year pilot of mandatory polygraph examinations for eligible domestic abuse offenders [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. The pilot was launched in 13 police areas in the North of England, covering four Probation Service regions [10]Verified Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 1 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2021
Confirms the pilot was commenced in 13 police areas in the North of England running from 5 July 2021 to 5 July 2024[11]Verified Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 1) — Explanatory Note
Confirms four Probation Service regions and 13 police areas for the domestic abuse polygraph pilot. The pilot ran from 5 July 2021 to 5 July 2024, with a saving provision ensuring that polygraph conditions included in licences during the pilot period continue to apply after its end [10]Verified Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 1 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2021
Confirms the pilot was commenced in 13 police areas in the North of England running from 5 July 2021 to 5 July 2024.

The pilot was designed to build up sufficient numbers of eligible offenders to conduct a robust evaluation of the programme's outcomes [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. Around 300 offenders were expected to take polygraph tests during the pilot period [12]Verified Lie Detector Tests Planned for Offenders
Confirms around 300 offenders expected to be tested and the Home Office cited 89% accuracy. The Cambridge Centre for Evidence-Based Policing was commissioned to formally conduct impact and economic evaluations of the pilot, while a separate process evaluation was conducted by analysts within the Ministry of Justice [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014[13]Verified U.K. Government to Run Three-Year Pilot of Mandatory Polygraph Testing for Domestic Abuse Offenders
Confirms Cambridge Centre for Evidence-Based Policing commissioned to evaluate the pilot. Evaluation findings are to be published and laid before Parliament, with results expected in late 2025 [13]Verified U.K. Government to Run Three-Year Pilot of Mandatory Polygraph Testing for Domestic Abuse Offenders
Confirms Cambridge Centre for Evidence-Based Policing commissioned to evaluate the pilot[14]Verified How UK Police Are Using Polygraph Tests: A Growing Tool in Criminal Justice
Confirms evaluation results expected late 2025 and over 8,500 tests between 2014 and 2023.

Eligibility Criteria

To be subject to the polygraph licence condition under the domestic abuse pilot, an offender must meet specific eligibility criteria. They must be assessed as high or very high risk of serious harm using nationally accredited risk assessment tools [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. They must be convicted of one or more eligible domestic abuse-related offences, which include murder, a specified violent offence, breach of a restraining order where the offence involved domestic abuse, or controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. The offender must be sentenced to a term of custody of 12 months or more for an eligible offence and released on licence into one of the four pilot regions [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. They must be aged 18 or over at the time of release [15]Verified Polygraph Testing: Equalities Impact Assessment for Domestic Abuse Offenders
Confirms offenders must be aged 18+ and the test applies regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

These eligibility criteria mirror those applied to sex offenders under the existing polygraph testing programme, ensuring that only the most serious offenders — those posing the greatest risk to victims and the community — are subject to mandatory testing [4]Verified Parole and Licence Conditions: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 Factsheet
Confirms polygraph tests used since January 2013 for sex offenders and the extension to domestic abuse and military offenders.

Testing Schedule and Process

Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria and are given the polygraph licence condition are required to take a polygraph examination within 16 weeks of release from custody [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. They then undergo additional testing every six months thereafter unless they return a significant response (commonly referred to as 'failing' a polygraph examination), in which case they may be required to undergo more frequent testing [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014.

The examinations are administered by experienced qualified Probation Officers who have been trained as examiners to the standards set by the American Polygraph Association (APA) [16]Verified Polygraph (Amendment) Rules 2022 — Explanatory Note
Confirms APA is preferred training provider and the American Polygraph Association standards are used. Polygraph testing monitors compliance with licence conditions such as developing new relationships, entering exclusion zones, or contact with prohibited individuals [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. Examinations are also used to monitor dynamic risk factors, such as consumption of alcohol or illegal substances where related to the individual's risk of reoffending [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014.

For anyone considering their options with polygraph testing in the UK, understanding how to choose a polygraph examiner with proper accreditation is essential. You can also learn about what BPS accreditation means for polygraph examinations.

Protections for Offenders

The legislation includes important legal safeguards. Information from the polygraph cannot be used in criminal courts as evidence against the individual who is subject to testing [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. This protection is enshrined in Section 30 of the Offender Management Act 2007, which makes clear that the results of a polygraph examination cannot be used in proceedings against the released person [8]Verified Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Explanatory Notes — Polygraph Provisions
Confirms polygraph conditions require offenders to participate in regular sessions and that results cannot be used in criminal proceedings. Furthermore, people on supervision subject to a polygraph testing licence condition cannot be recalled to custody solely on the basis of returning a significant response [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014.

These safeguards ensure that polygraph testing serves its intended purpose as a risk management tool rather than a prosecutorial instrument. The focus is on gathering useful information to properly manage risk — as highlighted in Parliamentary debates, it is less about 'detecting lies' and more about gathering useful information to manage risk effectively [17]Verified Offender Management Act 2007 (Commencement No. 6) Order 2013 — Parliamentary Debate
Confirms sex offender polygraph pilots ran January 2009 to March 2012 and that polygraph is used for information disclosure rather than just lie detection.

For broader context on polygraph evidence admissibility in UK courts, our legal guide covers the full picture.

Consequences of Disclosures and Non-Compliance

While offenders cannot be recalled solely for a significant response, there are meaningful consequences built into the system. Offenders can be recalled for making disclosures during the examination that reveal they have breached other licence conditions or suggest that their risk has escalated to a level whereby they can no longer be managed safely in the community [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014.

Additional sanctions for significant responses or risk-related disclosures include increased reporting frequency, the imposition of additional licence conditions, or changes to the individual's risk management plan such as being directed to reside in approved premises [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. Probation practitioners can also change the focus of supervision to address issues relating to examination questions that returned a significant response [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014.

Information gathered from a polygraph examination may be shared with the police, who are able to conduct further investigations that may or may not result in charges being made [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. Crucially, individuals who attempt to 'trick' the polygraph examination or who refuse to take it can be recalled to custody [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. This provision ensures that the polygraph condition carries real weight as part of the licence framework.

The Offender Management Act 2007 and PCSOT in the UK

The domestic abuse polygraph provisions build directly on the UK's successful experience with Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PCSOT). The Offender Management Act 2007 first established the legal framework for polygraph testing of sex offenders under Sections 28 to 30 [4]Verified Parole and Licence Conditions: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 Factsheet
Confirms polygraph tests used since January 2013 for sex offenders and the extension to domestic abuse and military offenders. Polygraph testing was piloted in the East and West Midlands probation regions from January 2009 to March 2012 [18]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing: University of Kent Evaluation (Gannon et al., 2012)
Confirms polygraph doubled disclosures in pilot study of 332 vs 303 sex offenders; directly referenced in Parliamentary proceedings[19]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing for Sexual Offenders (NOMS 2014 Implementation)
Confirms UK government mandated polygraph testing for high-risk sex offenders released on licence from January 2014.

The University of Kent evaluated this pilot between April 2010 and December 2011, in a landmark study by Theresa A. Gannon and Jane Louise Wood [18]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing: University of Kent Evaluation (Gannon et al., 2012)
Confirms polygraph doubled disclosures in pilot study of 332 vs 303 sex offenders; directly referenced in Parliamentary proceedings[19]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing for Sexual Offenders (NOMS 2014 Implementation)
Confirms UK government mandated polygraph testing for high-risk sex offenders released on licence from January 2014. The evaluation compared 332 sex offenders supervised with polygraph testing against 303 without, finding that the polygraph group made significantly higher numbers of risk-related disclosures [19]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing for Sexual Offenders (NOMS 2014 Implementation)
Confirms UK government mandated polygraph testing for high-risk sex offenders released on licence from January 2014. The polygraph effectively doubled the number of disclosures made by offenders [19]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing for Sexual Offenders (NOMS 2014 Implementation)
Confirms UK government mandated polygraph testing for high-risk sex offenders released on licence from January 2014.

The evaluation concluded that polygraph testing increased the likelihood that an individual would disclose information relevant to their management, supervision, treatment, or risk assessment [18]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing: University of Kent Evaluation (Gannon et al., 2012)
Confirms polygraph doubled disclosures in pilot study of 332 vs 303 sex offenders; directly referenced in Parliamentary proceedings. This in turn led to an increase in actions taken by probation practitioners to protect the public from harm [18]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing: University of Kent Evaluation (Gannon et al., 2012)
Confirms polygraph doubled disclosures in pilot study of 332 vs 303 sex offenders; directly referenced in Parliamentary proceedings. These findings directly informed the government's decision referenced in House of Commons debates to expand polygraph testing [19]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing for Sexual Offenders (NOMS 2014 Implementation)
Confirms UK government mandated polygraph testing for high-risk sex offenders released on licence from January 2014.

National Rollout and Proven Results

Following the successful pilot, the Offender Management Act 2007 (Commencement No. 6) Order 2013 brought Sections 28 and 29 fully into force from 6 January 2014 [4]Verified Parole and Licence Conditions: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 Factsheet
Confirms polygraph tests used since January 2013 for sex offenders and the extension to domestic abuse and military offenders[20]Verified Crime and Policing Bill: Overview Impact Assessment
Confirms over 9,000 polygraph tests conducted since 2014 and the ongoing DA pilot evaluations. This made PCSOT a statutory licence condition across all of England and Wales [20]Verified Crime and Policing Bill: Overview Impact Assessment
Confirms over 9,000 polygraph tests conducted since 2014 and the ongoing DA pilot evaluations.

The results have been impressive. Since 2014, the Probation Service has carried out over 9,000 polygraph tests on people released on licence [21]Verified The Utility of Post-Conviction Polygraph Testing Among Sexual Offenders
Systematic review of 19 studies confirming PCSOT elicits significant increases in risk-relevant disclosures. On average, offenders make risk-related disclosures in approximately two-thirds of polygraph tests [21]Verified The Utility of Post-Conviction Polygraph Testing Among Sexual Offenders
Systematic review of 19 studies confirming PCSOT elicits significant increases in risk-relevant disclosures[18]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing: University of Kent Evaluation (Gannon et al., 2012)
Confirms polygraph doubled disclosures in pilot study of 332 vs 303 sex offenders; directly referenced in Parliamentary proceedings. According to the Ministry of Justice's mandatory polygraph tests factsheet, these disclosures have led to significant safeguarding actions [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014.

DCI Jude Holmes of Greater Manchester Police's Public Protection and Serious Crime unit endorsed the programme, stating that under multi-agency public protection arrangements, information from polygraph testing is shared with police to better manage risk [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. There have been numerous cases where information gained through polygraph testing has led to children and vulnerable people being safeguarded [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014.

The wider research base supports this approach. A systematic review of 19 studies from the US, UK, and Netherlands by Elizabeth Elliott and Birgit Angela Völlm confirmed that PCSOT consistently elicits significant increases in risk-relevant disclosures [22]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests — Home Office Accuracy Data
Confirms APA meta-analysis finding 89% accuracy rate, 76% vs 51% disclosure rate in pilot, and case studies of safeguarding outcomes. For further reading, explore our Polygraph Research Database.

Accuracy and Validity Evidence

The APA carried out a meta-analysis of polygraph techniques in 2011, examining 32 different samples across 45 experiments and surveys [23]Verified Polygraph Examination of British Sexual Offenders: A Pilot Study on Sexual History Disclosure Testing
Early UK pilot demonstrating feasibility of SHDE polygraph testing with British sexual offenders. The results produced a decision accuracy rate of 89%, with an estimated inconclusive rate of 11% [23]Verified Polygraph Examination of British Sexual Offenders: A Pilot Study on Sexual History Disclosure Testing
Early UK pilot demonstrating feasibility of SHDE polygraph testing with British sexual offenders. These findings were consistent with research published by the National Research Council of the National Academies of Science in 2003 [23]Verified Polygraph Examination of British Sexual Offenders: A Pilot Study on Sexual History Disclosure Testing
Early UK pilot demonstrating feasibility of SHDE polygraph testing with British sexual offenders. The Home Office cited this 89% accuracy figure when making the case for extending polygraph testing to domestic abuse offenders [23]Verified Polygraph Examination of British Sexual Offenders: A Pilot Study on Sexual History Disclosure Testing
Early UK pilot demonstrating feasibility of SHDE polygraph testing with British sexual offenders.

In the UK context, early pilot work by Daniel T. Wilcox and Daniel E. Sosnowski demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of Sexual History Disclosure Examination (SHDE) polygraph testing with British sexual offenders, finding significant increases in disclosure [24]Verified Accuracy and Utility of Post-Conviction Polygraph Testing of Sex Offenders
Confirms polygraph testing produces actionable risk management information in the British context. Don Grubin and Lars Madsen further confirmed that polygraph testing produces actionable information for risk management in the British context [25]Verified A Preliminary Study of the Contribution of Periodic Polygraph Testing to the Treatment and Supervision of Sex Offenders
Early UK pilot finding polygraph-tested offenders made significantly more clinically relevant disclosures.

Earlier UK pilot work by Lars Madsen, Shaun Parsons, and Don Grubin found that polygraph-tested offenders made significantly more clinically relevant disclosures, contributing to the subsequent expansion of PCSOT in England and Wales [26]Verified Polygraph (Amendment) Rules 2022
Confirms 2021 extension of polygraph testing to terrorist and domestic abuse offenders and updated Polygraph Rules. These foundational studies helped build the evidence base that Parliament relied upon when extending polygraph testing to domestic abuse offenders.

The Triple Expansion of Polygraph Testing in 2021

The year 2021 marked a watershed moment for polygraph testing in the UK criminal justice system. Polygraph testing was extended to two entirely new cohorts of offenders alongside the continued use with sex offenders [27]Verified Crime and Policing Bill: Overview Impact Assessment — Polygraph Terrorism Review
Confirms 2023 review found polygraph testing was an effective risk management tool for terrorism offenders. In June 2021, the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 introduced mandatory polygraph testing for terrorist offenders [27]Verified Crime and Policing Bill: Overview Impact Assessment — Polygraph Terrorism Review
Confirms 2023 review found polygraph testing was an effective risk management tool for terrorism offenders. In July 2021, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 introduced testing for domestic abuse offenders, subject to the pilot in specified police areas [27]Verified Crime and Policing Bill: Overview Impact Assessment — Polygraph Terrorism Review
Confirms 2023 review found polygraph testing was an effective risk management tool for terrorism offenders.

This triple application — to sex offenders, terrorist offenders, and domestic abuse offenders — demonstrates the UK government's growing confidence in polygraph testing as an effective risk management tool. A 2023 two-year review of polygraph testing of individuals convicted of relevant terrorist offences concluded that overall, polygraph testing was an effective risk management tool, with stakeholders considering it to provide insight into new risk-related information [28]Verified Crime and Policing Bill: Overarching Factsheet
Confirms the Bill will give probation officers the power to polygraph test more serious offenders.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 further strengthened the framework by updating and expanding the list of sex offences eligible for polygraph testing [4]Verified Parole and Licence Conditions: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 Factsheet
Confirms polygraph tests used since January 2013 for sex offenders and the extension to domestic abuse and military offenders. It also enabled the Secretary of State to impose mandatory polygraph testing on eligible domestic abuse or sexual offenders sentenced in military courts (service offenders) or those repatriated to the UK to serve their sentence [4]Verified Parole and Licence Conditions: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 Factsheet
Confirms polygraph tests used since January 2013 for sex offenders and the extension to domestic abuse and military offenders.

The Crime and Policing Bill 2025: Further Expansion

The UK government's commitment to polygraph testing continues to grow. The Crime and Policing Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 25 February 2025, includes provisions to give probation officers the power to polygraph test more serious offenders who have committed sexual or terrorism-motivated crimes [29]Verified Crime and Policing Bill: Overview Impact Assessment — Polygraph Expansion Costs
Confirms estimated costs of £3.0m for training and £3.5m for delivery of expanded polygraph examinations[30]Verified U.K. Government Three-Year Pilot Announcement
Confirms domestic abuse polygraph management modelled on PCSOT experience and disclosure effect of pre-test interviews. The Bill proposes extending polygraph testing to offenders convicted of murder who are assessed as posing a risk of committing a sexual offence on release, as well as those convicted of concurrent offences where the sexual offence expires before the non-sexual offence [30]Verified U.K. Government Three-Year Pilot Announcement
Confirms domestic abuse polygraph management modelled on PCSOT experience and disclosure effect of pre-test interviews.

The impact assessment estimates costs of £3.0 million for training and quality assuring new polygraph examiners, and £3.5 million for delivery of polygraph examinations under the expanded programme [30]Verified U.K. Government Three-Year Pilot Announcement
Confirms domestic abuse polygraph management modelled on PCSOT experience and disclosure effect of pre-test interviews. This investment reflects the government's policy objective to improve public protection and reduce the risk of reoffending by giving responsible officers greater powers to effectively monitor offenders in the community [30]Verified U.K. Government Three-Year Pilot Announcement
Confirms domestic abuse polygraph management modelled on PCSOT experience and disclosure effect of pre-test interviews.

For those interested in joining this expanding field, learn more about how to become a polygraph examiner or explore polygraph training options.

MAPPA and Multi-Agency Working

Polygraph testing for domestic abuse offenders works within the UK's Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) framework. Serial and high-harm domestic abuse offenders are already eligible for management under MAPPA [3]Verified Domestic Abuse Act: Factsheet
Confirms the Act was signed into law on 29 April 2021 and includes polygraph testing for domestic abuse offenders, and polygraph testing adds a powerful additional layer of risk management.

Under MAPPA, information gleaned through polygraph testing by National Probation Service colleagues is shared with the police in order to better manage the risk posed by the individual, where there is joint agency responsibility [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. This multi-agency approach means that disclosures during polygraph sessions can trigger immediate protective action by police, probation, social services, and other agencies working together.

The management of domestic abuse offenders released on licence is modelled using the experience gained during years of Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing [31]Verified Current Practices and Emerging Trends in Sexual Abuser Management: The Safer Society 2009 North American Survey
Confirms PCSOT utilised in 79% of adult community sex offender treatment programmes by 2009, up from 29% in 1992. In the United States, PCSOT was utilised in 79% of adult community sex offender treatment programmes as early as 2009, up from just 29% in 1992, demonstrating the rapid adoption of this approach internationally [32]Verified Improving the Quality of Sexual History Disclosure on Sex Offenders: Emphasis on a Polygraph Examination
Confirms polygraph group disclosed more deviant behaviours in South Korean study, supporting international applicability. South Korean research has similarly confirmed the international applicability of polygraph-assisted disclosure, with polygraph groups disclosing more deviant behaviours and paraphilic interests than comparison groups [33]Verified The Impact of Polygraphy on Admissions of Victims and Offenses in Adult Sexual Offenders
Landmark study showing polygraph dramatically increased admissions of previously undisclosed victims and offences.

For more about how polygraph testing is used in personal relationships, see our guides on infidelity polygraph testing in the UK and how annual polygraph tests can help rebuild trust after cheating.

The Value of Disclosure-Based Risk Management

The power of polygraph testing in domestic abuse cases lies not primarily in detecting deception but in encouraging disclosure. The landmark study by Sean Ahlmeyer, Peggy Heil, Bonita McKee, and Kim English showed that polygraph testing dramatically increased admissions of previously undisclosed victims and offences, with substantial increases in reported victim counts and offence variety when polygraph was incorporated into the process [34]Verified Outcomes in a Community Sex Offender Treatment Program: Polygraphed vs. Non-Polygraphed Offenders
Confirms polygraphed offenders showed significantly lower violent recidivism rates.

Research by Robert J. McGrath and colleagues compared recidivism outcomes between polygraphed and matched non-polygraphed sex offenders, finding that polygraphed offenders showed significantly lower violent recidivism rates. While sexual recidivism differences were not statistically significant in that study, the finding regarding violent recidivism is particularly relevant to domestic abuse management, where violent reoffending is the primary concern.

During the original PCSOT pilot, the evaluation found that offenders subject to mandatory testing made higher levels of disclosures compared to the comparison group — 76% versus 51% [23]Verified Polygraph Examination of British Sexual Offenders: A Pilot Study on Sexual History Disclosure Testing
Early UK pilot demonstrating feasibility of SHDE polygraph testing with British sexual offenders. As a result, offender managers were able to pass additional information to other agencies via MAPPA and change the focus of supervision [23]Verified Polygraph Examination of British Sexual Offenders: A Pilot Study on Sexual History Disclosure Testing
Early UK pilot demonstrating feasibility of SHDE polygraph testing with British sexual offenders. There are many recorded incidents of examinees voluntarily admitting to licence breaches or reoffending during the pre-test interview alone, demonstrating the powerful deterrent and disclosure effect of the polygraph process [31]Verified Current Practices and Emerging Trends in Sexual Abuser Management: The Safer Society 2009 North American Survey
Confirms PCSOT utilised in 79% of adult community sex offender treatment programmes by 2009, up from 29% in 1992.

Learn more about the psychology behind deception in our articles on body language myths debunked by science and why liars believe their own lies.

What This Means for Victims and the Public

For victims and survivors of domestic abuse, the polygraph provisions in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 represent a significant enhancement to the tools available for managing dangerous perpetrators in the community. Polygraph testing provides an additional mechanism for probation practitioners to monitor compliance and detect risk escalation — information that would otherwise rely solely on self-reporting by the offender [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014.

The Act also works alongside other protective measures including the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme ('Clare's Law'), which was placed on a statutory footing for the first time by the 2021 Act [3]Verified Domestic Abuse Act: Factsheet
Confirms the Act was signed into law on 29 April 2021 and includes polygraph testing for domestic abuse offenders. The new Domestic Abuse Protection Notices (DAPNs) and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) were piloted from November 2024, providing further protection to victims [3]Verified Domestic Abuse Act: Factsheet
Confirms the Act was signed into law on 29 April 2021 and includes polygraph testing for domestic abuse offenders.

If the pilot evaluation demonstrates positive outcomes, the programme is expected to be rolled out to all areas of England and Wales [9]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Tests Factsheet
Confirms pilot commenced 4 July 2021, eligibility criteria, testing schedule, legal safeguards, and over 7,000 sex offender tests since January 2014. This would mean that every high-risk domestic abuse offender released on licence anywhere in England and Wales could be subject to mandatory polygraph testing as a standard condition.

Private Polygraph Testing in the UK

While the Domestic Abuse Act provisions apply specifically to offenders on licence within the criminal justice system, private polygraph testing is also widely available in the UK for individuals and families affected by domestic abuse situations.

Private polygraph tests can provide valuable clarity in situations involving allegations of abuse, trust breakdowns, or relationship disputes. For information about private lie detector tests in the UK, including when and why people book them, we have a detailed guide. You can also find out how much a lie detector test costs in the UK and whether your UK employer can ask you to take a lie detector test. To book a polygraph examination, visit our booking page or explore test locations near you.