The Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was instituted under Royal Warrant by King George VI in June 1951 and is awarded as a mark of the Sovereign's appreciation of long and meritorious service rendered by members of the Police Forces of the United Kingdom.

[5] The initial award criterion was 22 years' service as a full-time regular police officer within any Constabulary.

[7][4] On 19 January 2010, Queen Elizabeth II amended the medal's royal warrant to make the qualifying period of service 20 years.

[1] In March 2022, the Royal Warrant was updated by Queen Elizabeth II to grant clasps to officers who completed a further 10 and 20 years of long service post award of the medal.

[9] The two clasps are in cupronickel, and bear the inscription below: The medal is circular, 1.4 inches (36 mm) in diameter and initially issued in cupro-nickel, with modern strikings being rhodium plated.