What is the DBS Update Service?
The DBS Update Service allows DBS certificate holders to keep their certificate current and portable. Instead of applying for new DBS checks when changing jobs or roles, subscribers can carry their certificate with them. Employers can then check online whether any new information has been recorded since the certificate was issued.
The service launched in 2013 to reduce the time and cost of repeated DBS applications. For sectors with high staff turnover or where people work across multiple employers, it transforms the safeguarding verification process from a weeks-long administrative exercise into an instant online check.
How the Update Service works
For employees
When you receive a DBS certificate, you can subscribe to the Update Service within 30 days. Registration costs £13 per year (free for volunteers). Once subscribed, your certificate stays valid as long as you maintain the subscription.
The DBS continuously monitors police records. If any new information becomes available that would appear on your certificate, the Update Service reflects this. When an employer checks your status, they see whether the certificate is still current or if changes mean a new application is needed.
For employers
With the individual's consent and their certificate details, employers check status online at gov.uk/dbs-update-service. The check is instant and free. Results show one of two outcomes:
- No change: The certificate remains current. No new information has been added.
- New information available: Something has changed. A new DBS application is needed.
Employers still need to see the original certificate and verify the individual's identity. The Update Service check confirms the certificate's ongoing validity – it does not replace the document itself.
Related reading: Understanding DBS check levels: basic, standard and enhanced
Benefits for employers
Instant verification
Traditional DBS applications take two to eight weeks. Update Service checks take seconds. When recruiting for roles that start quickly, or when staff need to begin immediately, this speed matters enormously.
Reduced costs
Each standard or enhanced DBS application costs £18 or £38 respectively, plus any administration fees charged by umbrella bodies. Update Service checks cost nothing. For organisations recruiting frequently or checking staff annually, the savings add up.
Continuous assurance
Annual DBS rechecks provide a snapshot that immediately starts ageing. The Update Service provides ongoing monitoring. If new information arises between formal rechecks, you can identify it immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled application.
Faster onboarding
Waiting for DBS certificates delays start dates, frustrates candidates, and costs money. When new staff have Update Service subscriptions, you verify their status in minutes and proceed with confidence.
See how it works: MyDBSCheck tracks which staff are registered with the Update Service and when subscriptions need renewal.
Benefits for employees
Portable credentials
Your DBS certificate follows you between jobs. Care workers, teachers, and others who change employers frequently no longer need to wait weeks for new certificates each time.
Lower costs over time
At £13 per year versus £38 for each enhanced DBS check, the Update Service pays for itself quickly if you would otherwise need multiple checks. For people working in sectors requiring regular rechecks, the savings are substantial.
Faster job transitions
When you can prove your safeguarding status instantly, job offers proceed faster. No waiting in limbo while applications are processed.
Professional credibility
Maintaining an active Update Service subscription signals that you take safeguarding seriously and keep your credentials current. Some employers specifically prefer candidates with active subscriptions.
When the Update Service applies
The Update Service works when certain conditions are met:
Same level or lower
An Update Service check is valid for roles requiring the same level of DBS check or lower. An enhanced certificate can satisfy requirements for enhanced, standard, or basic checks. A standard certificate works for standard or basic. A basic certificate only works for basic.
Same workforce
The certificate must be for the same workforce (children, adults, or both). A certificate for working with children cannot be used for a role working with adults, and vice versa. Certificates covering both workforces are more flexible.
Same barred list checks
If the new role requires barred list checks, the original certificate must have included the same checks. An enhanced check without barred lists cannot satisfy a role requiring barred list information.
When conditions are not met, a new DBS application is required regardless of Update Service status.
Managing Update Service in your organisation
Encourage subscription
When arranging DBS checks for new staff, encourage them to subscribe within the 30 day window. Many do not know about the service or do not act quickly enough. A brief explanation at onboarding increases uptake.
Track subscriptions
Subscriptions lapse if not renewed. Track who is subscribed and when renewals are due. Lapsed subscriptions mean new DBS applications – losing the benefit you thought you had.
MyDBSCheck monitors subscription status and alerts you before renewals lapse.
Document your checks
Record when you conducted Update Service checks, what the result was, and evidence that you verified identity. This documentation proves you followed proper safeguarding procedures.
Know when new checks are needed
Update Service checks are not a complete substitute for periodic rechecks. Your policies should specify when new full applications are required regardless of Update Service status – typically every three years, or as specified by your regulator.
FAQs: DBS Update Service
Can employers force staff to subscribe?
No. Subscription is voluntary. However, employers can make it a condition of employment that staff either subscribe or undergo periodic DBS rechecks at the organisation's expense. Many employers offer to pay the subscription fee as an incentive.
What if I forget to renew?
Your subscription lapses and your certificate is no longer portable. You would need a new DBS application for future employment requiring checks. DBS sends renewal reminders, but ultimately the responsibility is yours.
Does the Update Service check show the same information as the certificate?
No. The check only shows whether the certificate is still current (no new information) or whether new information is available. To see what information appears on the certificate, you must view the certificate itself.
Can I use the Update Service across multiple employers?
Yes. That is one of its main benefits. As long as each employer meets the conditions (same level, workforce, and barred list requirements), one subscription serves all your employers.
Making the Update Service work for you
The DBS Update Service benefits everyone involved in safeguarding. Employers get faster, cheaper verification. Employees get portable credentials that follow them between roles. And crucially, it supports continuous safeguarding rather than point-in-time checks that immediately start ageing.
Organisations that use the Update Service effectively build it into their processes: encouraging subscription at onboarding, tracking who is registered, conducting regular status checks, and knowing when full reapplications are still needed.
Ready to streamline your DBS management? Join the Founding Partner waitlist to see how Compliance Cover tracks DBS certificates, Update Service subscriptions, and renewal dates in one system.