Guide
DBS certificate
The certificate is the result of the check. DBS sends it to the applicant. There is no extra certificate fee on top of the check.
What arrives
When DBS has processed the check, it issues a certificate to the applicant. For a basic check applied for on GOV.UK, that certificate is posted after processing, which usually takes up to 3 days.
The certificate was accurate on the day it was produced. It does not expire on a fixed date. An employer who wants to rely on an older certificate has to check identity, check it is the right level and workforce, and can use the Update Service where the person has subscribed.
What an employer may keep
DBS tells Registered Bodies to consider the information only for the purpose it was requested, and not to keep it longer than needed. The code of practice talks about destroying it after a suitable period, usually no longer than 6 months.
Some providers offer a dashboard that stores the result or a digital indicator before the paper certificate arrives. That is their product. The certificate itself still comes from DBS.