How do I get a DBS check?

For people who need a criminal record check for a job or volunteering role.

Applies to: England, Wales Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

A DBS check shows your criminal record for jobs or volunteering in England and Wales. You can get a basic check yourself online.

A basic check costs £20 and you must be 16 or over.
It usually takes up to 3 days to process, then a paper certificate is posted to you.
Standard and enhanced checks are usually requested by your employer, not by you.
Standard checks cost £21.50 and enhanced checks £49.50. They are free for volunteers.
The Update Service costs £15 a year and keeps your certificate up to date.

Different in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland uses Disclosure Scotland and Northern Ireland uses AccessNI.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Scotland: Check mygov.scot for Scotland
Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

Basic check: £20
Enhanced check: £49.50
Basic: up to 3 days
Free for volunteers (standard/enhanced)

The 4 types of DBS check

DBS stands for the Disclosure and Barring Service. It checks criminal records for jobs and volunteering in England and Wales.

Check	What it shows	Who applies	Cost
Basic	Unspent convictions and conditional cautions	You, for yourself	£20
Standard	Spent and unspent convictions and cautions	Your employer or organisation	£21.50
Enhanced	Standard details plus relevant information held by local police	Your employer or organisation	£49.50
Enhanced with barred lists	Enhanced details plus whether you are barred from the role	Your employer or organisation	£49.50

Standard and enhanced checks are free for volunteers.

How to get a basic DBS check yourself

What you need

To be 16 or over.
A GOV.UK One Login to prove who you are.
Your addresses for the last 5 years, with dates.
It helps to have your passport, driving licence (full or provisional) and National Insurance number.
A debit or credit card to pay £20.

Steps

Go to the "Request a basic DBS check" service on GOV.UK. It is open 8am to 11:30pm.
Sign in or create a GOV.UK One Login and prove your identity.
Enter your personal details and address history.
Pay the £20 fee.
Wait for your paper certificate in the post.

Processing usually takes up to 3 days. The certificate is then posted to you.

How a standard or enhanced check works

You usually cannot apply for these yourself, although people applying for a role can sometimes request an enhanced check for themselves. Normally the employer or voluntary organisation (or an "umbrella body" working for them) starts it.

The employer gets an application form from DBS or an umbrella body.
You fill in the form.
You show documents that prove your identity.
The employer sends the form to DBS.
DBS posts the certificate to you. You show it to your employer so they can check it.

It usually takes around 14 days. It can take longer if details on the form are wrong or several police forces need to be checked. You cannot pay to speed it up.

Keeping your check up to date

The DBS Update Service lets you keep a standard or enhanced certificate up to date. Employers and voluntary organisations can use it to check your certificate.

It costs £15 a year, paid by debit or credit card.
Volunteers who meet the rules can join for free.
You must join within 30 days of your certificate being issued.

If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland

DBS checks are for work in England and Wales. You can still get a basic DBS check from Scotland or Northern Ireland if the job is in England or Wales.

Scotland: checks are done by Disclosure Scotland, through mygov.scot.
Northern Ireland: checks are done by AccessNI, through nidirect.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Request a basic DBS check

Common questions

Can I apply for an enhanced DBS check myself?

Usually not. Standard and enhanced checks are normally requested by an employer or voluntary organisation, but people applying for a role can sometimes request an enhanced check for themselves.

How long does a DBS check take?

A basic check usually takes up to 3 days to process. Standard and enhanced checks usually take around 14 days.

How much is the DBS Update Service?

It costs £15 a year, and you must join within 30 days of your certificate being issued.

Official sources

1.Request a basic DBS checkwww.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record
2.DBS checks: guidance for employerswww.gov.uk/dbs-check-applicant-criminal-record
3.Get a standard or enhanced DBS check for an employee or volunteerwww.gov.uk/dbs-check-applicant-criminal-record/get-a-standard-or-enhanced-dbs-check-for-an-employee-or-volunteer
4.DBS Update Servicewww.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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