Polygraph examination in the private market is not a statutorily regulated activity in the United Kingdom. Anyone can set up as a “polygraph examiner” without training, insurance, or accountability to any regulator. This page explains the UK landscape, what credible practice looks like, and where to turn if you believe you have been mistreated.
The UK polygraph landscape
In the UK, polygraph examination is used in two quite different contexts:
- The statutory regime — mandatory polygraph testing of some sex offenders on licence under sections 28-30 of the Offender Management Act 2007, and of some domestic-abuse perpetrators on licence under section 76 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This regime is administered by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). It uses its own trained staff and has nothing to do with the private market.
- The private market — consensual polygraph examinations requested by individuals, couples, employers, solicitors, or other organisations. There is no statutory regulator of this market. There is no licensing requirement. There is no “official” registration body. Anyone can advertise the service and charge for it.
The British Polygraph Society is a voluntary professional body: our members undertake to be bound by our Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, hold current APA certification, carry professional indemnity insurance, and may be disciplined by the Society for breaches of those rules. But the Society is not a regulator. We have no power over polygraph examiners who are not our members — which is most of the people offering the service in the UK.
What credible practice looks like
A polygraph examination conducted to a recognised professional standard will normally involve all of the following:
- Written consent. A clear consent form explaining what the test is, what the data will be used for, that you can withdraw at any time, and what happens if you decline.
- An in-person examination of at least 90 minutes. Remote or “online polygraph” tests are not an accepted technique.
- A validated technique. The examiner should be able to name the technique they used (for example, Comparison Question Test, Concealed Information Test) and the published research that supports it.
- Identifiable training. The examiner should be able to tell you which polygraph school they trained at, when, and whether their certification is current. APA (American Polygraph Association) certification is the most widely recognised international benchmark.
- Professional indemnity insurance. Active PII covering polygraph practice — not generic business liability.
- A written report. Results in writing, with the examiner’s name, qualifications, the technique used, and a reasoned conclusion. No credible examiner gives results only verbally.
- A fixed fee. Quoted in writing, not tied to the outcome of the test.
Warning signs
The following should make you pause and ask harder questions before paying or proceeding:
- “Guaranteed” results or accuracy claims above 95%. No polygraph technique has credible published accuracy figures in that range for the general case. Anyone claiming otherwise is either uninformed or dishonest.
- Contingent or results-linked fees. A fee that depends on whether the subject is judged truthful or deceptive creates an obvious conflict of interest. All recognised codes of ethics prohibit this.
- No written consent form. If you are not asked to sign a consent document, the examiner is operating below the minimum professional standard.
- No written report. Verbal-only results leave you with no evidence, no recourse, and no way to verify what you were told.
- Refusal or inability to state training. A legitimate examiner will tell you where and when they trained and will point you to an external body (APA or equivalent) that can confirm it.
- No insurance. A practitioner without professional indemnity insurance has nothing to cover you if something goes wrong.
- Pressure to proceed. Credible examiners decline work they cannot conduct properly. Pressure to go ahead despite your concerns is a red flag.
- Price far above or below the market. UK private polygraph examinations typically cost in the hundreds of pounds. Very low fees often signal very low standards; very high fees without a clear specialist reason often signal opportunism.
- “Remote” or “online” polygraph testing. Polygraph requires physiological sensors attached to the subject in person. Anything marketed as a remote, webcam, or voice-only test is not a polygraph examination.
- Breach of confidentiality. Sharing of your results with anyone you did not authorise.
- Misleading advertising. Claims of being “official”, “approved”, “certified by government”, or “NHS-recommended” are extremely unlikely to be true. The UK private polygraph market has no such approvals to give.
If you are worried — where to go
The British Polygraph Society is not a UK regulator. We cannot investigate non-members, we cannot issue sanctions, and we cannot make anyone give you your money back. If you have been mistreated, the bodies below exist specifically to help:
- Police / Action Fraud — if you believe the conduct was criminal (fraud, threats, intimidation, blackmail), report it to the police. Dial 999 in an emergency, 101 otherwise, or report online at police.uk. Fraud specifically: actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.
- Trading Standards / Citizens Advice — for unfair commercial practices, misleading pricing, or consumer rights issues. Call the Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or go to citizensadvice.org.uk.
- Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) — for data-protection or confidentiality breaches (e.g. the examiner disclosed your results to someone you did not authorise). ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.
- Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) — for misleading advertising. asa.org.uk.
- Solicitor — for your own civil claims (refund, damages, injunction). A local Citizens Advice can help you find one.
- Your bank or card provider — for chargeback if you paid by card and did not receive the service as described.
Tell the Society
We cannot investigate non-members, but we do keep a private log of concerns raised by the public — so the Society has a picture of what is happening in the UK private polygraph market. If you want to add your experience to that log, please use our report form. We will not publish your report, we will not share it, and we will not forward it to any authority unless you separately instruct us to.
Finding a credible examiner
If you need a polygraph examination conducted to published professional standards, the BPS examiner directory lists members in good standing: each holds current APA certification, carries professional indemnity insurance, and is bound by our Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. A directory listing does not guarantee outcomes in any individual case, but it does mean the practitioner can be held to an external standard — and removed from the directory by the Society if they are not.