Freeze Timeline Guide

Why there is no single answer

No one countdown fits every frozen account. How long yours lasts depends mainly on the type of order behind it. So the first step is not to guess a number but to find out which order applies.

Match your situation to one of the main types below to get a realistic picture, not a false promise.

Step one: find the order behind the freeze

Start by working out who froze the account, using our why account frozen page. Ask your bank for the reason and the authority. The answer can point to an AMLA order, a police freeze or a bank compliance hold.

Each follows a different pattern. Once you know which applies, the rest of this page tells you what to expect.

An AMLA order: a clear limit

An AMLA order has the clearest limit. A freeze by an enforcement agency under section 44 ends after 90 days unless you have been charged. The Public Prosecutor can then order the money held under section 50(1), if it is suspected to be linked to proceeds of unlawful activity ^[f3].

Under section 52A, that order lapses after 18 months if you are not charged in that time ^[f1]. So if yours is an AMLA order and you are not charged, 18 months is the outer limit, and it can end sooner if the investigation closes.

A police freeze: the same 18 months, a different route

Under CPC section 116D, added in 2024, a police officer of Sergeant rank or above can freeze an account without a court order ^[f2]. It lapses after 18 months if no one is prosecuted, and you can apply to a Sessions Court to vary or cancel it earlier.

Here, clear replies and complete documents may help the matter move.

A bank compliance hold: no fixed clock

A hold the bank places for its own compliance checks has no fixed end date. It may lift once the bank finishes its review, or the bank may pass the matter to the police. Ask the bank plainly whether the hold is its own or comes from an outside authority.

What shortens or lengthens the wait

You have some influence on timing. Clear source of funds documents and prompt replies help. You can also ask for funds to be released: under section 44A of AMLA, you can apply in writing to the enforcement agency to vary a freeze for reasonable living or business expenses ^[f4].

Delays, missing records and unanswered questions lengthen the wait. No one can promise a date, but preparing helps. A lawyer can give you a realistic sense of timing, and can prepare the section 44A request for you.

Sources

1. Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001, Section 52A
2. Criminal Procedure Code, Section 116D
3. Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001, Section 50(1)
4. Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001, Section 44A