Crime and Policing Act 2026: what changes for police officers on 26 October 2026

Key points

• The antisocial behaviour parts of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 come into force on 26 October 2026, under regulation 4 of SI 2026/960.
• Respect orders arrive for adults. The s.1 civil injunction becomes a youth injunction for ages 10 to 17, and a new housing injunction covers adults.
• Closure notices go from a maximum of 24 hours to 48 hours, or from 48 hours to 72 hours where a superintendent issues them.
• Dispersal directions under s.35 can last up to 72 hours, with an inspector review once 48 hours have passed. The s.34 authorisation stays at 48 hours.
• The fixed penalty cap for breaching a community protection notice or a public spaces protection order goes from £100 to £500.
• Injunctions granted, or applied for, before 26 October stay under the old rules.

Where the date comes from

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 is coming into force in stages. The antisocial behaviour provisions are commenced by the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (Commencement No. 3 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/960, made on 2 September 2026. Regulation 4 says:

“The following provisions of the 2026 Act come into force on 26th October 2026”SI 2026/960, reg.4

SI 2026/960 has no saving provision for these antisocial behaviour changes. Its only saving, in regulation 6, is for extradition. The saving for old injunctions is in the Act itself, in s.2(3), covered below.

Respect orders

Section 1 inserts a new Part A1 into the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. A court may make a respect order against a person aged 18 or over if it is satisfied, “on the balance of probabilities, that the respondent has engaged in or threatens to engage in anti-social behaviour”, and considers it “just and convenient” to make the order to prevent it.

Only a “relevant authority” can apply, and the application goes to the High Court or the county court. The list includes a local authority, a housing provider and the chief officer of police for the area. Breach without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence under the new s.I1.

There is more detail, including what officers can and cannot do, in respect orders explained.

Youth injunctions and housing injunctions

Schedule 1 narrows the s.1 injunction. Section 2(1)(a) of the 2026 Act describes the change as confining the power “to the granting of injunctions against persons aged 10 or over but under 18”. From 26 October it is called a youth injunction, and the new s.1(8) says: “An application for a youth injunction must be made to a youth court.”

For adults there is a new s.1A housing injunction. It can be granted against a person aged 18 or over who “has engaged or threatens to engage in housing-related anti-social conduct”. Applications go to the High Court or the county court.

Arrest for breach

Where a power of arrest is attached, s.9 still lets a constable arrest without warrant, and the person must still be brought before the court within the period of 24 hours beginning with the time of the arrest. Schedule 1 replaces the list in s.9(3) of who that is:

• Housing injunction: a judge of the county court or, if the High Court granted it, a judge of the High Court or a judge of the county court.
• Youth injunction: “a justice of the peace”.

Injunctions that already exist

Section 2(3) of the 2026 Act keeps older cases on the old rules. The Schedule 1 amendments do not apply to:

• “injunctions under section 1 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 granted before the commencement day”
• “applications for such an injunction made before the commencement day”
• “injunctions granted on such an application (even if granted after the commencement day)”

The commencement day is the day Schedule 1 comes into force, which is 26 October 2026. So if you arrest an adult for breaching an injunction granted in March 2026, the old s.9(3) still decides which court they go before.

Closure notices

Until 25 October 2026, s.77(1) of the 2014 Act reads: “The maximum period that may be specified in a closure notice is 24 hours unless subsection (2) applies.” Subsection (2) allows 48 hours where the police officer who issues it is “of at least the rank of superintendent”, or where a local authority notice is signed by its chief executive officer or a person they designate.

Section 3(3) of the 2026 Act substitutes “48 hours” for “24 hours” in s.77(1), and “72 hours” for “48 hours” in s.77(2) and (3). Christmas Day is still left out of the count.

The last row matters. A superintendent's notice can now run for 72 hours, but s.80(3) is untouched: “The application must be heard by the magistrates' court not later than 48 hours after service of the closure notice.”

Registered social housing providers

Schedule 2 adds registered social housing providers to the list of who can issue a closure notice, alongside an inspector and the local authority. The new s.76(1A) limits it: “An RSH provider may only issue a closure notice in respect of premises owned or managed by that provider.” A provider's notice can run to the longer maximum if it is signed by someone in the provider's senior management.

Dispersal directions

Section 3(2) changes the exclusion period in s.35(4) from 48 hours to 72 hours, and the cap on varying a direction in s.35(8) from 48 hours to 72 hours. It also inserts a new s.35(7A):

“A police officer of at least the rank of inspector must review each direction given under this section that specifies an exclusion period exceeding 48 hours as soon as reasonably practicable after the expiry of the 48 hours.”ASBCPA 2014 s.35(7A), inserted by CPA 2026 s.3(2)(b)

The authorisation does not change. Section 34(1) still allows an inspector to authorise the powers “during a specified period of not more than 48 hours”. A direction can already outlast the authorisation, because s.35(4) says: “The period may expire after (as long as it begins during) the period specified in the authorisation under section 34.”

So from 26 October a direction given late in a 48 hour authorisation can run for up to 72 hours from when it was given. If you give one for more than 48 hours, make sure an inspector knows it needs reviewing.

Fixed penalties for CPN and PSPO breaches

Today, s.52(7) (failure to comply with a community protection notice) and s.68(6) (public spaces protection order offences) both say the amount “must not be more than £100”. Section 4 of the 2026 Act substitutes “£500” in each.

Section 4(1) also adds both fixed penalty powers to Schedule 5 to the Police Reform Act 2002, the list of powers that can be given to accredited persons.

The Police Reform Act 2002 s.50 change

Under s.50(1), a constable in uniform who “has reason to believe that a person has engaged, or is engaging, in anti-social behaviour” can require their name and address. Failing to give it, or giving a false or inaccurate one, is a summary offence with a fine up to level 3.

Until 25 October, s.50(1A) defines antisocial behaviour by pointing to s.2 of the 2014 Act. The words are that it “has the meaning given by section 2 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (ignoring subsection (2) of that section)”.

From 26 October, Schedule 1 rewrites s.2 of the 2014 Act as the definition of housing related conduct only, and removes the harassment, alarm or distress limb from it. So paragraph 26 of Schedule 1 substitutes a new s.50(1A), which spells both parts out. Antisocial behaviour will mean:

• (a) “conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person”, or
• (b) “housing-related anti-social conduct, as defined by section 2 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (ignoring subsection (2) of that section)”.

Read together, the new wording covers the same conduct as before. The change keeps s.50 working once s.2 is rewritten. The penalty does not change.

Antisocial behaviour case reviews

Section 6 adds a new s.104A to the 2014 Act. The local policing body for the area must carry out its own review, called an “LPB case review”, if the applicant for an ASB case review asks for one and the body considers that the threshold for an ASB case review was met. Each local policing body has to publish its procedures, including a point of contact for applications.

What does not change

• s.34 dispersal authorisation: still a maximum of 48 hours.
• s.80(3) closure order hearing: still within 48 hours of service of the closure notice.
• s.77(4) extension: still up to 24 hours.
• s.76(1): an inspector, or the local authority, can still issue a closure notice.
• s.80(6) closure orders: the order still may not exceed 3 months.
• s.50 Police Reform Act 2002: the power and the penalty stay the same. Only the definition is reworded.

Before and from 26 October

Other dates already set

These later commencement dates for the 2026 Act are already on legislation.gov.uk:

Sections 113 to 115 (other sexual offences) have been in force since 29 September 2026, under regulation 3 of SI 2026/960. Section 113 rewrites the exposure offence in s.66 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

New Home Office statutory guidance on the antisocial behaviour powers also takes effect on 26 October 2026. GOV.UK says that until then, frontline professionals should keep using the guidance published in July 2025.

More from the blog

Last checked 21 October 2026 against legislation.gov.uk. General information for officers, not legal advice: check the current law and your force policy.