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Employers can check your criminal record no matter what role you apply for. This is called a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

For certain roles an employer can request a more detailed DBS check, for example if you鈥檒l be working with children or in healthcare.

Your employer can still request a basic check if they cannot get a more detailed check for your role.

Find out what type of DBS check your employer can request for your role.

Types of check

The types of DBS check are:

• a basic check, which shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• a standard check, which shows any spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings
• an enhanced check, which shows the same as a standard check plus any information held by local police that鈥檚 considered relevant to the role
• an enhanced check with barred lists, which shows the same as an enhanced check plus whether you鈥檙e on the list of people barred from doing the role

Check your own record

Your employer can ask you to request your own basic check.

It costs 拢21.50.

You can then show it to the person you鈥檒l be working for.

If you鈥檙e self-employed

You can only request a basic check for yourself.

You can ask an organisation you鈥檙e working with to get a standard, enhanced or enhanced with barred lists check for you, where the role is eligible.

If you鈥檙e a childminder, you can .

If you鈥檝e lived abroad

The check will not cover any time you lived outside the UK. The person requesting the check may ask you:

• to get a check in the country you lived in
• for your permission to get a check on your behalf through an embassy

You need to fill in an online or paper form, depending on the type of check you need.

You鈥檒l get the form from your employer or a 鈥榬esponsible organisation鈥� - these are organisations registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to process checks.

You鈥檒l need to provide documents to prove your identity.

If you need a basic check

Your employer may ask you to request your own check instead.

If you need a standard or enhanced check

You can download a continuation sheet if you need more space to write.

How long it takes

Basic checks take up to 14 days. Enhanced and standard checks usually take around 8 weeks.

It may take shorter or longer, depending on:

• the type of check
• if the details given for the check are correct
• what police forces need to be involved in the check

You can online.

Receiving your certificate

Certificates have security features to prove they鈥檙e genuine, including:

• a 鈥榗rown seal鈥� watermark repeated down the right side, visible both on the surface and when held up to the light
• a background design featuring the word 鈥楧isclosure鈥�, which appears in a wave-like pattern across both sides of a certificate - the pattern鈥檚 colour alternates between blue and green on the reverse
• ink and paper that change colour when wet

Once your check is complete

A DBS check only shows your convictions on the date you get the check.

You can join the update service to make sure your check stays up-to-date if you have a standard or enhanced check.

If you have a basic check, to update your certificate or allow an employer to view it.

Lost certificates

DBS cannot provide replacements for lost or damaged certificates so your employer will have to start the process again.

Contact DBS

Contact the DBS helpline with any questions.

If you send an email include your full name, address, telephone number and any DBS reference numbers.

Transgender applications

Contact the DBS sensitive applications team if you鈥檙e a transgender applicant and you do not want to reveal details of your previous identity to a potential employer.