Stop and search
Stop and Search — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
This section outlines the principles of a fair and effective stop and search encounter. It emphasizes that encounters should be fair, legal, professional, and transparent. The Authorized Professional Practice (APP) incorporates the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) Code A, and the Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme (BUSSS), alongside other recommendations from relevant bodies. This guidance aims to improve the practice of stop and search by providing clear, legally binding mandatory content, as well as informative resources for both officers and the public. The APP includes quick reference guides to aid decision-making and enhance professional interactions during stop and search encounters.
Key principles
- 1Fairness in stop and search encounters
- 2Legal adherence to PACE Code A
- 3Maintaining professionalism
- 4Ensuring transparency in processes
- 5Utilizing quick reference guides for decision-making
Defined terms
- Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) Code A
- A legal code that outlines procedures and powers related to stop and search.
- Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme (BUSSS)
- A scheme aimed at improving the use and oversight of stop and search practices.
Full guidance
Definition of a fair and effective stop and search encounter, how and why stop and search encounters should be fair, legal, professional and transparent
This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
A draft version of the authorised professional practice (APP) on stop and search was subject to full public consultation from 31 March-15 May 2016. All of the feedback was considered and has been incorporated into the final content. As a result of the feedback, it was decided to add two brief explanatory notes.
This APP is based largely on the provisions of Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) Code A(opens an external website in the same tab) , alongside the Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme (opens an external website in the same tab) (BUSSS) and recommendations from reviews of stop and search carried out in recent years by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children. Mandatory (‘must’) content in the APP that is based on Code A is legally binding. Where mandatory content in the APP is not based on Code A, the source of the obligation is expressly stated.
Although written primarily for the police, the APP also serves a public information function for a wider audience which requires it to be comprehensive. The frontline tools have been revised and restructured in response to feedback, to make them easier to find from the main menu and the content of the tools easier to navigate.
As with other APP, external hyperlinks are used so that a reader who is not familiar with a piece of legislation, policy document or other material can choose to find out more about it. Internal hyperlinks are used to avoid duplication by cross-referencing to material that is already explained elsewhere. The APP can be read without following any hyperlinks, especially if the reader is familiar with the material. Following a hyperlink is the reader’s personal choice.
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APP is the authoritative source for UK policing practice and is updated over time. For the current, official version — including any operational detail not reproduced here — go direct.
Read the full APP guidanceSource: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.