On 1 March 2026, the act on expanded criminal record checks for municipal employment entered into force (govt. bill 2025/26:61). Municipalities may now request that a person offered employment presents an extract from the criminal record – and, for certain positions, information from the suspicion register.
The purpose is to prevent people with criminal intent from taking employment in municipal operations – reducing the risk of infiltration by organized crime, undue influence and welfare crime.
The check is an option for the municipality, not an obligation. For several operations – such as schools and preschools – mandatory record checks already applied before this act.
Roles that may be checked
Leading positions: people offered a leading position or another position of significant importance for the municipality's ability to carry out its tasks.
Work in the homes of elderly people and people with disabilities: for example home care staff or LSS services in the homes of adults.
Work with children: staff in operations directed at children – in addition to the mandatory checks that already apply in schools and preschools.
The suspicion register in certain cases: for particularly sensitive positions the municipality may also request information from the suspicion register.
The rules in brief
- The extract is ordered from the Swedish Police Authority by the person offered employment and presented to the employer.
- The extract must not be older than six months.
- The check is made before employment – the act does not permit continuous checks of existing employees.
- Mandatory record checks already apply in, among others, preschools and schools, HVB homes and LSS operations for children.
The municipality can also be a critical operator
- Municipal operations in, for example, drinking water, wastewater, energy, healthcare and public administration can be designated as critical under the CER Directive.
- The Swedish CER act – the Act on Resilience of Critical Operators (LOM) – is proposed to enter into force on 1 January 2027 and requires recurring background checks (at least every two years) of positions assessed, through a documented position analysis, as potentially causing more than minor disruption – employees, consultants and suppliers in such roles.
- The employment record check and the CER checks complement each other: one at recruitment, the other continuously during employment and in the supply chain.
How the check is carried out with Sistec
The individual orders the extract
The person offered employment orders their own criminal record extract from the Swedish Police Authority.
Presented at a physical meeting
The extract is presented in original and examined by trained staff – authenticity features such as security paper, guilloché patterns and UV fibers are checked.
A note – never a copy
Sistec never stores the extract. Only a note is made that it has been presented and reviewed, in accordance with applicable law.
Reminder before the next check
The Compliance Platform reminds you when the next check is due, for example a renewed check no later than two years after the previous one, as proposed in LOM.
Frequently asked questions about municipal record checks
Yes. Since 1 March 2026, municipalities may request that a person offered employment presents a criminal record extract for more roles than before, including leading positions and work in the homes of elderly people or people with disabilities.
Leading positions and other positions of significant importance for the municipality's operations, work in the homes of elderly people or adults with disabilities, and work with children. For certain positions the suspicion register may also be checked.
An extract that is presented must not be older than six months.
The new act gives the municipality an option, not an obligation. For certain operations – such as preschools, schools, HVB homes and LSS operations for children – mandatory record check requirements already apply.
The extract is presented and must be handled according to the act's data protection requirements. When Sistec performs the review, the extract is never stored – only a note that it has been presented and reviewed.
The record check act applies to employment. For consultants and suppliers the municipality can instead impose control requirements in contracts and procurement – and for operations classified as critical under the proposed LOM, people in positions that a position analysis identifies as sensitive are to be background-checked, including external staff.
Does your municipality need support with record checks?
Sistec reviews criminal record extracts at physical meetings at service centers across Sweden, verifies identity and the right to work – and the Compliance Platform handles follow-up automatically.