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The Partner Sex Offender Lie Detector Test
Booked directly with Lie Detector UK, and conducted by an examiner on the BPS and APA registers.
Contact the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency, or your local authority children’s services. Do not book an examination instead.
A polygraph is not a safeguarding measure. It takes time to arrange and it produces an examiner’s opinion, not a protective outcome.
Starting a relationship, or introducing a new partner to your children, involves taking a certain amount on trust. For most people that is fine. For some, something does not sit right — an account of the past that keeps changing, an allegation described as a rumour.
This examination addresses one thing: whether a partner has a history of sexual offending they have not disclosed. £495, about two hours, written report in 24 to 48 hours.
A result showing no deception is not a clearance.
Use the official routes first
In England and Wales, the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme — commonly called Sarah’s Law — lets you ask the police whether someone with access to your children has a record of child sexual offences. It is free, it is the correct first step, and anyone considering this examination should use it before booking anything.
There is also the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare’s Law), which covers a partner’s history of abusive offending.
| Route | What it covers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah’s Law | Recorded child sexual offences, where someone has access to your children | Free |
| Clare’s Law | A partner’s recorded history of domestic abuse | Free |
| Polygraph examination | What a person says about their own history, including matters never charged | £495 |
The gap this addresses, and only this gap
The disclosure schemes have limits. They apply in defined circumstances, they concern recorded offences, and they can only tell you what is on record. Someone who was never charged or convicted does not appear.
That gap is the only reason this examination exists. It is not a better version of Sarah’s Law — it is a different thing, addressing what a person says rather than what the state has recorded.
What it can and cannot establish
It can examine
- Whether a person has been arrested for or charged with a named category of offence
- Whether a described event took place
- Whether an account they gave you is accurate
- Whether they have withheld something specific you have asked about
It cannot
- Establish that someone is safe
- Predict future behaviour
- Substitute for a police disclosure
- Address anything the examinee does not themselves know
It means the charts showed no significant reaction to the specific questions asked, on that day. It is not a certificate, it is not a background check, and it must not be treated as one when making decisions about children.
The questions
Up to three relevant questions, agreed in the pre-test consultation and seen by the person being examined before the day. They must be specific and factual.
| Not testable | Testable |
|---|---|
| “Are you safe around children?” | “Have you ever been arrested for a sexual offence?” |
| “Is there anything I should know?” | “Have you ever been accused of sexual contact with anyone under 16?” |
| “Would you ever hurt my child?” | “Was the allegation you told me about in 2019 made by a former partner?” |
Your examiner will tell you during the consultation which of your concerns can be examined and which cannot. On this subject in particular, that conversation matters more than the appointment.
Consent
Your partner must consent in writing on the day, and can stop at any point. Nobody can be examined without knowing what is happening, and an examination arranged under pressure is worth nothing.
A refusal is not a result. It is also not nothing — but what you do with it is a decision for you, and it is not one an examiner can make on your behalf.
What happens on the day
- Arrival A first name at reception. Identification checked privately, consent signed. An ordinary private room.
- Pre-test interview The longest part. Questions reviewed a final time, medical and medication history taken, normal responses established.
- The examination Three channels record continuously. Only the person being examined and the examiner are in the room — you are welcome to wait in reception. Video and sound recorded for analysis.
- Scoring Scored across all three channels against the examinee’s own baseline. Result before leaving, written report within 24 to 48 hours.
The three possible results
| Result | Meaning |
|---|---|
| No deception indicated | No significant reaction to the questions asked. Not a clearance |
| Deception indicated | Significant, consistent reactions across channels |
| Inconclusive | The data does not support a call either way |
Where the report stands
Polygraph evidence is not admissible as proof in a UK criminal court, and a report is not a disclosure from any official scheme. It is an independent record of what a named person said under examination, and nothing more than that.
What you receive
The result at the end of the appointment, and the written report within 24 to 48 hours: the questions asked, the responses recorded and the examiner’s stated opinion. It goes to the person who made the booking and to nobody else without written consent.
Preparing
The person being examined should sleep normally, avoid caffeine, abstain from alcohol and recreational drugs for 24 hours, and take any prescribed medication at its normal dose — disclosed at booking rather than stopped.
Source: APA Model Policy for Examinee Suitability, 9 September 2021.
Booking
£495 all inclusive for one person. A £150 deposit reserves the appointment and comes off the total, with the balance due 48 hours beforehand.
Call 020 8058 6848, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm. There is no obligation, and if an examination is not the right answer for your situation — or if what you have described belongs with the police rather than with us — we will tell you. Find your nearest office.
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The questions people actually ask us
How accurate is a lie detector test?
A validated technique, run properly by an accredited examiner, sits at 95–98%. Anyone quoting 100% is selling you something else.
Does being nervous affect the result?
No. Nervousness is expected and shows up on every chart. The analysis compares your responses against each other, not against a calm stranger.
What questions will be asked?
Up to three relevant questions, agreed with you in the pre-test consultation. Nothing is asked on the day that you have not already seen.
Can I refuse to take the test?
Yes, at any point, including once you are in the room. An examination in the UK cannot proceed without your written consent.
How long does the test take?
Around two hours in total. Most of that is the consultation and question review; the instrument phase is the shortest part.
Can I attend someone else’s test?
No — a third party in the room invalidates the examination. You are welcome to wait in reception and to see the written report if the examinee consents.
Do you offer home or on-site tests?
Tests are normally conducted at our private office in the UK, where the environment can be controlled. Alternative locations may be possible subject to pre-approval.
Do you test under 18s?
Only in limited circumstances, with the written consent of a parent or guardian, and at the examiner’s discretion. Please call to discuss before booking.
Do medications affect the results?
Tell your examiner what you take. Most prescriptions are fine; a few are not, and your examiner will say so before you pay the balance.
Can the test be cheated?
Countermeasures are what examiners are trained to spot. Attempting them typically produces an inconclusive result, not a pass.
How much does a lie detector test cost in the UK?
£495 all inclusive for one person and £695 for a couple, covering the consultation, the examination and a written report. A £150 deposit reserves the appointment.
