Enhanced DBS check
An Enhanced DBS check shows everything a Standard check does plus relevant local police information. A barred-list check is a separate addition, available mainly where the role is regulated activity, so “Enhanced” and “Enhanced with a barred-list check” are not the same thing.
What an Enhanced check shows, and its four variants
An Enhanced check is the same as a Standard check plus any information held by local police that is reasonably considered relevant to the role. [GOV.UK] On top of that, a barred-list check can be added, principally for roles that are regulated activity, plus a small number of other roles specified in law. That gives four variants: Enhanced without a barred-list check; Enhanced with the Children’s Barred List; Enhanced with the Adults’ Barred List; and Enhanced with both. What counts as regulated activity is covered in depth on the regulated activity & barred lists guide. [GOV.UK] [GOV.UK]
What “relevant police information” means
The feature that sets an Enhanced check apart from a Standard one is the local police information. As well as the convictions and cautions a Standard check shows, an Enhanced certificate can include information held by a chief officer of police who reasonably believes it to be relevant to the role and considers that it ought to be disclosed. [GOV.UK] This is a case-by-case judgement made by the police, not an automatic data dump.
Crucially, this can include information that never led to a conviction or caution, for example allegations, intelligence or the circumstances of an acquittal, where the police judge it relevant to the specific role and proportionate to disclose. The conviction and caution part of the certificate is still subject to the same DBS filtering rules that apply to a Standard check, so old or minor protected records are removed from that section in the usual way. [GOV.UK] Because the police element is discretionary and role-specific, two people with identical criminal records can receive different Enhanced certificates for different roles.
Who is eligible, and who requests it
Enhanced checks are for specific eligible roles, higher-responsibility roles, specified places and positions, and regulated activity. An organisation normally requests the check; and, since 21 January 2026, an eligible paid self-employed person or personal employee can apply for their own Enhanced (or Enhanced-with-barred-list) check through a DBS Umbrella Body, provided the role qualifies. [GOV.UK] As always, the role must be eligible in the first place, the application route does not create eligibility.
Fee, volunteers and the Update Service
An Enhanced check costs £49.50 until 4 October 2026, and £41 from 5 October 2026. [GOV.UK] It is free for people who meet the DBS definition of a volunteer. [GOV.UK] An Enhanced certificate can be kept up to date on the DBS Update Service. [GOV.UK]
| DBS check | Price through Complys (all-in) | Includes statutory DBS fee |
|---|---|---|
| Basic DBS check | £32.99 | £20 |
| Standard DBS check | Not available online yet | £20 |
| Enhanced DBS check | £54.99 | £41 |
The price shown is the total you pay through Complys - there is nothing to add, and no VAT is charged (Complys is not VAT registered). It already includes the statutory DBS fee set by the Disclosure and Barring Service, shown in the last column for transparency; the DBS fee is not Complys revenue. Qualifying volunteer checks have no statutory DBS fee - ask us before ordering.
How long an Enhanced check takes
An Enhanced check usually takes longer than a Basic or Standard one because it involves a check with each relevant police force in addition to the national databases. Straightforward cases are often completed within a few weeks, but timescales vary and can extend where several police forces are involved, where the applicant has lived at many addresses, or where the police need to review whether information is relevant and ought to be disclosed. As with every level, the most common avoidable delay is an application that is incomplete or fails identity verification at the outset, so accurate applicant details and ID up front are the best way to keep it moving.
Is an Enhanced check the same as an “Enhanced CRB check”?
Yes, the terminology is just out of date. Before December 2012 the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)issued Enhanced disclosures. The CRB then merged with the Independent Safeguarding Authority to form the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), and today’s Enhanced DBS check is the direct successor. If an employer, a form or a regulator still asks for an “Enhanced CRB check” or an “Enhanced CRB check with a barred-list check”, they mean an Enhanced DBS check, there is no separate CRB process to apply for.
Enhanced route → barred-list eligibility → who applies
| Enhanced route | Barred-list check | Who applies / requests |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible role / specified place, but not regulated activity | None (Enhanced without a barred-list check) | Organisation (or eligible self-employed via an umbrella body) |
| Regulated activity with children | Children’s Barred List | Organisation (or eligible self-employed via an umbrella body) |
| Regulated activity with adults | Adults’ Barred List | Organisation (or eligible self-employed via an umbrella body) |
| Regulated activity with both; or taxi/PHV licensing | Both barred lists | Organisation; for taxi/PHV, via the licensing authority |
Enhanced vs Enhanced with a barred-list check
| Enhanced (no barred list) | Enhanced + barred list | |
|---|---|---|
| When it applies | Eligible role or specified place, but not regulated activity | The role is regulated activity |
| Shows | Standard + relevant local police information | The above + whether the person is barred from that workforce |
| Barred list | None | Children’s and/or Adults’ |
| Typical example | Some specified-place roles / infrequent contact | Teacher, or a care worker providing personal care |
Worked examples
| The role | Likely direction (confirm) |
|---|---|
| Teacher | Regulated activity with children → Enhanced + Children’s Barred List |
| Care worker providing personal care to adults | Regulated activity with adults → Enhanced + Adults’ Barred List |
| Hospital cleaner with patient contact | Standard, or Enhanced without a barred-list check if contact is frequent, further review |
| Taxi / private-hire driver (licensing) | Licensing authority should require Enhanced + both barred lists (DfT standards) |
| Self-employed tutor teaching children | Enhanced + Children’s Barred List → self-apply via an umbrella body |
| Contractor working in a school | Not automatic, depends on contact/frequency at the specified place, further review |
| Role eligible for Enhanced but not regulated activity | Enhanced without a barred-list check |
Not sure which level applies?
Our free DBS eligibility guidance checker walks you through the official criteria and points you to the guidance to confirm against. It is guidance, not a legal determination.
Open the DBS eligibility checker →Where Complys fits
Complys does not carry out DBS checks. It helps you keep the record that a check was done, its level and date, and review/renewal reminders against each worker, within the official handling rules (see DBS record keeping & compliance).
FAQs
Does an Enhanced check always include a barred-list check?
No. A barred-list check is a separate addition, available principally where the role is regulated activity with children and/or adults (and for a small number of other roles specified in law). Plenty of roles are eligible for an Enhanced check without any barred-list check, and being eligible for Enhanced does not by itself make a role eligible for a barred-list check.
Can a self-employed person get an Enhanced check?
Since 21 January 2026, an eligible paid self-employed person or personal employee can apply for their own Enhanced (or Enhanced-with-barred-list) check through a DBS Umbrella Body, but only where the role qualifies. Otherwise an Enhanced check is requested by an organisation.
How is an Enhanced check different from a Standard check?
An Enhanced check shows everything a Standard check does, spent and unspent convictions and cautions, subject to filtering, plus any information held by local police that a chief officer reasonably believes to be relevant to the role and considers ought to be disclosed. A barred-list check can be added on top, but only where the role is regulated activity (or another role specified in law).
Can an Enhanced check show information that did not lead to a conviction?
Yes. The local police information on an Enhanced certificate can include intelligence, allegations or the circumstances of an acquittal where the police judge it relevant to the specific role and proportionate to disclose. This 'soft' information is unique to the Enhanced level, it does not appear on Basic or Standard checks.
Is an 'Enhanced CRB check' the same as an Enhanced DBS check?
Yes. The Criminal Records Bureau issued Enhanced disclosures until it merged into the Disclosure and Barring Service in December 2012. A request for an 'Enhanced CRB check' today means an Enhanced DBS check, there is no separate CRB process.
How long does an Enhanced check take?
It usually takes longer than a Basic or Standard check because it includes a check with each relevant police force. Straightforward cases are often done within a few weeks, but it can take longer where multiple forces are involved or the police need to review whether information should be disclosed. An incomplete application or failed identity check is the most common avoidable delay.
Related DBS guides
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Official sources and further guidance
- Check someone's criminal record, types of check you can make, GOV.UK
- Eligibility for an Enhanced with Adults' Barred List DBS check, GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Regulated activity with children (DBS guidance leaflet), GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- DBS checks for self-employed people and personal employees, GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Filtering rules for Standard and Enhanced DBS certificates, GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Regulated activity: removal of the supervision exemption (in force 1 September 2026), GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards, GOV.UK / Department for Transport
- DBS Update Service, GOV.UK
- DBS check application process for volunteers, GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- DBS reduces fees for checks and Update Service from 5 October 2026, GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- DBS eligibility guidance, GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
This guidance is maintained by the Complys team and reviewed against the primary DBS and GOV.UK sources listed above, and it was last reviewed on 24 September 2026. It is general information, not legal advice, and DBS rules can change, so always confirm against the official sources.