England and Wales

PACE detention clock

For representatives and firms. Enter the times from your own note. This page does not read or connect to police custody records, and it does not say that someone will be released at the time shown.

What this calculates

Ordinary pre-charge detention under PACE Part IV.
The relevant time under section 41, which is not the same as the arrest, the arrival, or the time detention was authorised.
The 24-hour limit, a superintendent extension to 36 hours, and a magistrates’ warrant up to 96 hours.
Section 40 reviews: the first no later than 6 hours after detention was first authorised, then every 9 hours. A late review does not move the next deadline.

Terrorism detention, post-charge detention and immigration detention are refused. Times are Europe/London. The missing hour in March and the repeated hour in October are refused rather than guessed. Sources checked 5 October 2026.

Detention regime

How the relevant time is fixed

Time of arrest

Required for voluntary arrest at the station, and for a cross-area arrest. Not the relevant time in the ordinary case.

Arrival at the first police station

Ordinary relevant time under s.41(2)(d), and arrival for s.30A bail or a cross-area arrest.

Detention first authorised

The custody officer’s authorisation under s.37(3). This starts the review clock. It is not the relevant time.

Hospital minutes to exclude

Whole minutes in hospital, or travelling there or back, while not being questioned for evidence (s.41(6)). Leave blank if none.

A superintendent has authorised continued detention under s.42 (indictable offence, up to 36 hours). This box does not decide whether that authorisation was lawful.

Magistrates’ warrant runs until

Optional. Sections 43 and 44. Leave blank if there is no warrant. Cannot pass 96 hours after the relevant time.

First review actually carried out

Optional. If this is after the deadline, later deadlines do not move.

The first review was postponed under s.40(4)

Second review actually carried out

Optional.

Sources checked 5 October 2026: PACE 1984 sections 37 and 40 to 44 on legislation.gov.uk, and PACE Code C 2023 section 15 on gov.uk. The clock is a calculation from times you type. It is not a custody record and it is not legal advice on whether a particular detention is lawful.

Sources & further reading

Links are to official publishers (legislation, gov.uk, CPS, LAA, Sentencing Council). Case law on this site is limited to entries in our verified case-law registry. Always confirm the current version before relying on it in live advice.