Guide
How to apply for a DBS check
Individuals apply for a basic check on GOV.UK. Standard and enhanced checks go through an employer’s Registered Body or an umbrella body, and only for an eligible role.
A basic check for yourself
Go to the GOV.UK service, “Request a basic DBS check”. It costs £20. You need to be 16 or over, the job needs to be in England or Wales, and you prove your identity with GOV.UK One Login. Have five years of addresses ready, and your passport, driving licence or National Insurance number if you have them.
Transgender applicants can ask DBS not to reveal a previous name or gender. The sensitive applications team is separate from the main helpline.
A Group A Responsible Organisation can also submit a basic check. You will pay their admin fee as well as £20. Compare that total with the official £20 before you pay it.
A standard or enhanced check
Your employer, or an umbrella body acting for them, starts the application. You cannot apply for a standard or enhanced check as a private purchase for an ordinary job. The organisation has to be allowed to ask the question the check answers.
If the organisation does fewer than 100 checks a year, DBS says it should use an umbrella body. At 100 or more it can apply to register. That registration is £300 plus £5 for each countersignatory, charged after DBS accepts the paperwork.