DBS checks explained: a guide for employers

A DBS check is a criminal-record check used in England and Wales to help employers make safer recruitment decisions. There are four levels, and the level a role can have depends on its actual duties, not the job title.

What “DBS” means

DBS stands for the Disclosure and Barring Service, the public body that processes criminal-record checks and maintains the barred lists for England and Wales. A “DBS check” is a criminal-record check carried out through the DBS. In Scotland these checks are handled by Disclosure Scotland, and in Northern Ireland by AccessNI, different systems with their own rules.

The four levels of DBS check

The eligibility principle

The single most important thing to understand is that eligibility depends on the role’s actual duties and setting, not the job title. There is no eligibility requirement for a Basic check; for Standard, Enhanced and Enhanced-with-barred-list checks the role must be legally eligible, and it is the employer’s responsibility to establish that before requesting the check. [GOV.UK] You cannot simply request a higher level “to be safe”, which DBS check do I need? explains why that is unlawful.

Regulated activity and the barred lists

A barred-list check is only available for roles that are regulated activity with children and/or adults. Regulated activity with children and regulated activity with adults are defined separately, and the barred lists (the Children’s Barred List and the Adults’ Barred List) are separate too. Our Enhanced with barred list & regulated activity guide explains both frameworks in detail.

What changed in 2026?

From 1 September 2026 the “supervision exemption” was removed from the definition of regulated activity with children in England and Wales (with a corresponding change in Northern Ireland), so some supervised roles working with children can now be regulated activity if the frequency or overnight conditions are met. [GOV.UK] The change applies to children, not adults, the full explanation is on the regulated activity guide.

The DBS Update Service

The Update Service lets a Standard or Enhanced certificate be kept up to date so employers can carry out an online status check instead of applying for a brand-new certificate (it does not cover Basic checks). It needs the individual’s consent and the employer’s legal entitlement to that level. Our Update Service employer guide covers exactly how it works.

Paid roles vs volunteers

Volunteers can be eligible for the same levels of check as paid staff where the role qualifies, and there is no DBS application fee for a volunteer who meets the DBS definition of a volunteer. The eligible level still depends on the duties, not on whether the role is paid.

How to apply, and verifying identity

A Basic check can be applied for by the individual directly, or by an employer/organisation on their behalf. Standard and Enhanced checks cannot be applied for by the individual, they are requested by an employer, organisation or an umbrella body for an eligible role. Every application includes identity verification: the applicant confirms their identity and address, usually with documents such as a passport, driving licence and proof of address, and the person verifying the identity confirms they have seen them. Getting the applicant’s details right first time is the single biggest factor in how quickly a check is returned.

How long a DBS check takes

According to current GOV.UK guidance, a Basic check takes up to around 14 days, while Standard and Enhanced checks usually take about eight weeks, though the actual time varies with the type of check, the accuracy of the application and whether local police information is involved. These are official guideline timescales, not a Complys service level: Complys does not process checks, so it cannot promise a turnaround.

How much a DBS check costs

DBS is reducing its statutory application fees from 5 October 2026. [GOV.UK] Until then the current fees apply; from that date the reduced fees take effect. A qualifying volunteer pays no DBS fee, and a Registered Body or umbrella organisation may add its own administration fee on top of the DBS fee.

Is a CRB check the same as a DBS check?

In practice, yes. “CRB check” is the former name: the Criminal Records Bureau merged with the Independent Safeguarding Authority in 2012 to form the Disclosure and Barring Service. The term CRB check is still commonly used, but the checks themselves are now DBS checks. So if you still refer to this as a CRB check, or you are an employer searching for an online CRB check, what you need today is a Basic, Standard or Enhanced DBS check, the levels, eligibility and fees on this page are what now apply. There is no separate “CRB certificate” to renew; a DBS certificate reflects a point in time, and where a role needs ongoing assurance the DBS Update Service (Standard and Enhanced only) is the modern equivalent of re-checking.

Common employer mistakes

• Requesting too high a level “to be safe”. Asking for a Standard or Enhanced check where the role is not eligible is unlawful and can mean seeing information you have no legal right to.
• Treating the job title as the eligibility. Eligibility follows the actual duties, setting and frequency, not the title.
• Assuming a barred-list check is always available. It is only for roles that are regulated activity with children and/or adults.
• Believing a certificate “lasts” a fixed period. A DBS certificate has no expiry date; it is a snapshot, and it is for the organisation to decide when to re-check or use the Update Service.
• Not keeping the evidence. You generally record the check’s level, certificate number, date and your recruitment decision, without retaining the certificate itself longer than necessary.

A DBS check is one part of safer recruitment

A DBS check is an important safeguard, but it is not a complete decision about someone’s suitability. Safer recruitment also includes references, interviews, verifying identity and qualifications, right-to-work checks and ongoing management. A certificate reflects a point in time, so many organisations set a policy for when to review or re-check. Keeping that evidence organised is exactly where compliance software helps, see DBS record keeping & compliance.

Explore the DBS guides

• Which DBS check do I need?Basic, Standard, Enhanced or Enhanced with a barred-list check? Eligibility depends on the role's actual duties, setting and regulated-activity status, not the job title. A UK employer guide.
• DBS checks for employersHow UK employers establish eligibility, request the correct level of DBS check through the proper route, check identity, handle certificates lawfully and keep safer-recruitment records.
• Enhanced with barred list & regulated activityWhen a role needs an Enhanced DBS check with a children's or adults' barred-list check, what regulated activity means for each, and the 1 September 2026 change to regulated activity with children.
• DBS Update ServiceHow the DBS Update Service works for employers: it covers Standard and Enhanced certificates only, needs the individual's consent and your legal entitlement, and what a status check does and does not tell you.
• DBS record keeping & complianceOfficial rules mean you must not keep copies of DBS certificates, only limited record-of-check metadata. What to record, how long to keep it, and how compliance software helps you track it.
• DBS eligibility guidance checkerA free guided tool that helps UK employers work out which official DBS eligibility guidance to review for a role. Guidance only, it does not make a legal eligibility determination.
• Basic DBS checkWhat a Basic DBS check shows (unspent convictions and conditional cautions), who can apply, the fee (with the 5 October 2026 change), the volunteer and Update Service position, and why a Basic check is available to anyone rather than a legal default.
• Standard DBS checkWhat a Standard DBS check shows (spent and unspent convictions and cautions), who is eligible, who can request it (an organisation via a Registered Body or umbrella body, not the individual), the fee with the 5 October 2026 change, and how it differs from Enhanced.
• Enhanced DBS checkWhat an Enhanced DBS check shows, the four variants (with or without a children’s or adults’ barred-list check), who is eligible, who can request it (including the 21 January 2026 self-employed route), the fee with the 5 October 2026 change, and why a barred-list check is not automatic.
• DBS for care workersWhich DBS check adult social care roles need, and why: how personal care, health care, social work and conveying become regulated activity with adults, and when a role is eligible for an Enhanced check with the Adults' Barred List.
• DBS in education & schoolsDBS checks for school staff, volunteers and contractors: teaching and other roles as regulated activity with children, the specified-place rule, and how the 1 September 2026 supervision change affects supervised school roles.
• DBS for healthcareHow DBS eligibility works for clinical and non-clinical healthcare roles: when providing health care is regulated activity (as a regulated professional or under their direction or supervision), and why working in a hospital is not eligibility by itself.
• DBS for childcare & early yearsHow DBS and suitability checks work for nurseries, childminders and early-years staff: registered childcare as regulated activity, Ofsted or agency suitability, household checks for childminders, and how the 2026 change affects assistants and volunteers.
• DBS for volunteersDo volunteers need a DBS check, and is it free? Volunteer status sets the fee, not the level, the role’s duties decide eligibility. What is free, what is not, and how the 1 September 2026 change affects volunteers.
• DBS for self-employed & contractorsCan a self-employed person get a DBS check themselves, and which level? Since 21 January 2026 eligible self-employed workers can apply for their own Enhanced check via an umbrella body, but the role must still qualify. The Basic, Standard and Enhanced routes explained.
• DBS for drivers & transportThere is no single “DBS check for drivers”. What a driver needs depends on who they carry and why: ordinary drivers, taxi and private-hire licensing, dedicated school transport, and adult-care transport each follow a different route.
• Regulated activity explainedRegulated activity is the legal test that decides when a role is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check with a barred-list check. What it means, why it is defined separately for children and for adults, and how activity, frequency and setting, not job titles, decide it.
• Regulated activity with childrenWhen work with children is regulated activity: the activities that always count, the frequency test (more than three days in a 30-day period, or overnight), and the removal of the supervision exemption on 1 September 2026, which brings some previously-exempt supervised roles into regulated activity.
• Regulated activity with adultsWhen work with adults is regulated activity: the six categories (providing health care, personal care, social work, assistance with cash/bills or affairs, conveying) that can qualify from a single occurrence, and why 'working with vulnerable adults' is not a test by itself.
• Children's Barred ListThe Children's Barred List records people barred by the DBS from working in regulated activity with children. What being barred means, how the barred-list check works, when it applies, and the employer duty to refer, in plain English.
• Adults' Barred ListThe Adults' Barred List records people barred by the DBS from working in regulated activity with adults. What being barred means, how the barred-list check works, when it applies, and the employer duty to refer, in plain English.
• DBS check cost & feesDBS check fees and who pays: the Basic, Standard and Enhanced fees (reduced from 5 October 2026), the Update Service subscription, why volunteer checks are free, and the administration fee that Registered and umbrella bodies may add on top of the DBS fee.
• How long a DBS lasts / renewalA DBS certificate has no official expiry date, it is a snapshot from the day it was issued. How organisations decide when to recheck, the role of the Update Service, and why 'renewal' is a matter of policy and sector rules rather than a fixed legal deadline.
• Using an existing DBS / portabilityWhether an existing DBS certificate can be reused for a new job, transferred between employers, or accepted from a previous role, and how the Update Service makes a Standard or Enhanced certificate portable with the individual's consent.
• How long a DBS takesThere is no guaranteed DBS turnaround. What affects processing time by level, why Basic checks are usually quickest, the most common avoidable delays (identity and application errors), and how to track a check in progress.
• What a DBS check showsWhat each level of DBS check actually discloses, and the filtering rules that keep some old or minor cautions and convictions off Standard and Enhanced certificates, including the specified offences and custodial sentences that are always disclosed.
• How to apply for a DBS checkThere is no single way to apply for a DBS check, the route depends on the level and who you are. How an individual gets a Basic check, why Standard and Enhanced checks must be requested through an organisation, and the umbrella-body route for the self-employed.
• Disputing a DBS certificateIf a DBS certificate contains wrong or incomplete information, there is an official dispute process with a 3-month time limit. How disputes about personal details differ from disputes about the record itself, the role of the police and the Independent Monitor, and what an employer should do while a dispute is open.
• DBS compliance softwareSoftware to help organisations get DBS compliance right and keep it right, establish the correct check level for each role, record that checks were completed, keep review reminders, and hold an audit-ready safer-recruitment record within the official handling rules.
• Overseas criminal-record checksAn England and Wales employer guide to DBS overseas record gaps, country-specific certificates, identity, translation and recruitment decisions.
• DBS for charitiesWork out which charity roles may qualify for DBS checks, how trustee and volunteer rules differ, and how to keep a clear safeguarding decision record.
• DBS for sports clubsA role-based guide for clubs assessing DBS checks for coaches, volunteers, officials and adult sports, including the September 2026 child supervision change.
• Agency workers and DBSA practical DBS workflow for agencies and hiring organisations, covering role eligibility, written confirmation, identity, certificate reuse and placement changes.
• When to make a barring referralA careful guide to the DBS referral duty for regulated activity providers and personnel suppliers, including the two conditions, investigation and evidence.
• Criminal record checks (UK)Which criminal record check applies for work in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and how DBS, Disclosure Scotland/PVG and AccessNI differ.