The cost of a DBS check depends on which level you need. For self-employed workers, there are now three routes available, each with a different statutory fee set by the government.
This guide covers what each check costs, what that fee includes, and what you need to know about the processing fee, the DBS Update Service, and whether the cost is tax-deductible as a business expense.
What the DBS Fee Actually Is
Every DBS check has two components. The first is the statutory DBS fee, which is set by the government and paid directly to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This is a fixed, non-negotiable amount that is the same regardless of who processes your application.
The second component is a processing fee, charged by the registered platform that countersigns and submits your application. This covers the administration of checking your identity, reviewing your documents, and submitting the application on your behalf.
The statutory DBS fee is VAT-exempt. The processing fee is subject to VAT. When you apply through self-employed-dbs.co.uk, no payment is taken until your application is complete and ready to submit. You will not be charged before you are ready to proceed.
The current statutory fees were set from 2 December 2024 and are published by the government on GOV.UK. These are the figures you will see throughout this guide.
DBS Check Costs at a Glance
Here is a summary of the current statutory DBS fees for each check type available to self-employed workers in England and Wales.
How Much Is a Standard DBS Check?
The statutory fee for a Standard DBS check is £21.50.
A Standard check goes further than a Basic check. It shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings recorded on the Police National Computer. A Basic check, by contrast, shows only unspent convictions, which means it misses a significant portion of a person’s criminal history.
Standard DBS checks are typically used for roles that involve a degree of trust but do not constitute regulated activity. Examples include certain financial roles, positions of authority over adults, and some legal professions. If your work involves direct, unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults, a Standard check is unlikely to be sufficient and an Enhanced check will almost certainly be required.
For self-employed workers wondering which level applies to their role, the detailed breakdown is covered on the self-employed DBS checks hub page.
How Much Is an Enhanced DBS Check?
The statutory fee for an Enhanced DBS check is £49.50.
This is the most comprehensive level of DBS check available. In addition to everything shown on a Standard check, an Enhanced check may also include relevant information held by local police forces. This is known as chief officer information, and it can include intelligence that has not resulted in a conviction but which a chief officer considers relevant to the role.
For most self-employed workers in regulated activity, an Enhanced check is what clients, parents, and commissioning bodies will expect to see. This includes private tutors, carers, childminders, nannies, sports coaches, music teachers, and therapists working with children or vulnerable adults.
Before 21 January 2026, self-employed individuals had no legal route to an Enhanced check without an employer. That restriction was removed by a Statutory Instrument amending Part V of the Police Act 1997. Self-employed workers can now apply for an Enhanced DBS check through a registered platform. More on the law change is covered in the self-employed DBS guide.
For full detail on what the Enhanced check shows and who it is designed for, see the Enhanced DBS check page.
Does Adding a Barred List Check Change the Cost?
No. The statutory fee for an Enhanced DBS check with a Barred List check is £49.50, which is the same as an Enhanced check without the barred list element.
The Children’s Barred List and the Adults’ Barred List are maintained by the DBS. They contain the names of individuals who are legally prohibited from working with children or vulnerable adults. A barred list check confirms whether someone appears on one or both lists.
For roles that involve regulated activity with children, an Enhanced check with the Children’s Barred List is the appropriate level. For roles involving regulated activity with adults, the Adults’ Barred List is the relevant addition. Some roles require both. The DBS fee remains the same regardless of which combination applies.
This matters because prior to January 2026, a self-employed tutor or carer could not access a barred list check at all, meaning there was no way for their clients to verify they were not prohibited from working with vulnerable people. That gap has now been closed.
The DBS Update Service and Its Annual Cost
The DBS Update Service costs £16 per year, paid directly to the DBS.
Once registered, the Update Service lets you carry your DBS certificate from one role to the next. Rather than applying for a new check every time you take on a new client or contract, a prospective client can check the status of your existing certificate online instantly. They will see either a green confirmation that your certificate remains valid and unchanged, or a prompt that a new check is required.
For self-employed workers, the Update Service makes particular sense. If you work across multiple clients, you only pay the annual subscription rather than applying for a new check each time. At £16 per year, this represents a significant long-term saving against the £49.50 statutory fee for a new Enhanced check.
There is a 30-day window from the date your certificate is issued to register for the Update Service. If you miss that window, you will need to apply for a new check to access the service. Registration is done directly through the DBS, and your existing certificate must have been issued as a Standard or Enhanced check; Basic checks are not eligible for the Update Service.
The Update Service is available to self-employed workers who have obtained their check through a registered platform. If you applied through self-employed-dbs.co.uk, you can register for the Update Service within 30 days of receiving your certificate.
Is the DBS Fee VAT-Exempt?
Yes. The statutory DBS fee is VAT-exempt. This applies to all check types: Basic, Standard, Enhanced, Enhanced with Barred List, and the Update Service annual subscription.
This is because DBS fees are treated as a public body statutory charge rather than a commercial transaction. The VAT exemption applies to the government-set fee only. The processing fee charged by the platform handling your application is subject to VAT at the standard rate.
When you receive your invoice or payment confirmation, the two components will typically be shown separately: the statutory fee and the processing fee. This distinction matters for self-employed workers who are VAT-registered and who may be able to reclaim the VAT element on the processing fee as a business input.
If you are not VAT-registered, the VAT on the processing fee forms part of your total outlay. Either way, the full cost of a DBS check, including both components, is a legitimate business expense.
Is a DBS Check a Tax-Deductible Business Expense?
Yes, for self-employed workers a DBS check is a legitimate business expense, provided it is required for your work.
If your work requires clients, parents, or commissioning bodies to see a DBS certificate, then the cost of obtaining that certificate is wholly and exclusively for the purposes of your trade. This means it can be claimed against your taxable income in the same way as professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance, or membership of a professional body.
Keep a clear record of the payment, the date, and the check type. If you are asked by HMRC to substantiate the expense, the payment confirmation from the platform and the certificate itself provide sufficient evidence.
The same principle applies to the DBS Update Service annual subscription. If you maintain the subscription in order to continue working, the £16 per year is a recurring business expense and can be claimed accordingly.
If you are unsure about your specific tax position, particularly if you operate through a limited company or have a more complex trading structure, it is worth confirming with your accountant. The general principle is that costs incurred to enable you to work are business expenses, and a DBS check falls clearly within that category.
Who Pays for a DBS Check When You're Self-Employed?
There is no fixed rule. The question of who pays for a DBS check when you are self-employed depends on the arrangement between you and your client, commissioner, or agency.
In some cases, the client or commissioning body will pay for the check as part of their own vetting process. This is common in sectors where organisations are required to maintain records of the checks carried out on the people they engage, such as care agencies or school partnership programmes.
In other cases, the expectation is that you arrive with a valid certificate already in hand. Private tutors and carers working independently often find that clients expect them to have arranged their own DBS check before engagement begins. In this scenario, the cost sits with you and can be claimed as a business expense as described above.
Some self-employed workers operate through an agency, which may coordinate and fund the DBS check as part of their onboarding process. If you are in this position, clarify with the agency whether their check will be an Enhanced check with the appropriate barred list element and whether it will be registered with the Update Service.
If there is any ambiguity, it is worth raising the question before you apply. Applying twice for the same level of check because of a miscommunication is an avoidable cost.
What Changed With DBS Fees in December 2024?
On 2 December 2024, the DBS increased its statutory fees. This was the first fee change since April 2022, when fees had been reduced. The current fees are set at the following levels, as published on GOV.UK:
- Basic DBS check: £21.50
- Standard DBS check: £21.50
- Enhanced DBS check: £49.50
- Enhanced DBS check with Barred List(s): £49.50
- Update Service: £16 per year
The DBS reviews fees annually. Changes require approval from the DBS board, the Home Office, HM Treasury, and the Minister for Safeguarding. The December 2024 increase was described by the DBS as necessary to meet increased operational costs.
It is worth noting the historical context. Before October 2019, a Standard DBS check cost £26. The current rate of £21.50 remains lower than it was seven years ago, despite two decades of general inflation. The Enhanced check fee did increase significantly in December 2024, from £38 to £49.50, but the prior rate had been held for several years before that.
What the January 2026 Law Change Means for Cost
Before 21 January 2026, self-employed workers in England and Wales had no legal route to an Enhanced DBS check. The only check available to them independently was a Basic DBS check, at a statutory fee of £21.50.
A Basic check shows only unspent convictions. It does not show spent convictions, cautions, relevant police intelligence, or whether someone appears on the Children’s or Adults’ Barred Lists. For most roles involving unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults, a Basic check was insufficient to satisfy client or regulatory requirements.
This meant that self-employed workers in those sectors faced an awkward situation: their clients expected an Enhanced certificate, but the law prevented them from obtaining one without an employer to countersign the application.
That restriction was removed by a Statutory Instrument laid before Parliament on 20 November 2025 and in force from 21 January 2026. Self-employed individuals who are paid to work in regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults can now apply for an Enhanced DBS check, including the barred list element, through a registered platform.
The cost is the same as for any other applicant: a £49.50 statutory fee plus a processing fee. For workers who were previously relying on a Basic check at £21.50, the step up to an Enhanced check represents an additional outlay. But it provides a certificate that actually meets the standard clients and parents expect, and that fills the safeguarding gap that had existed for decades.
How to Keep the Long-Term Cost Down
The most effective way to reduce the recurring cost of DBS checks as a self-employed worker is to register for the DBS Update Service within 30 days of receiving your certificate.
At £16 per year, the Update Service means you do not need to apply for a new check every time you change roles, take on a new client, or renew a contract. Instead, clients can check your status online, seeing a live confirmation that your certificate is current and unchanged.
If you let your certificate lapse without registering for the Update Service, you will need to apply for a new check and pay the full statutory fee again. Over a working career, this adds up to a significant unnecessary cost. A single Enhanced check at £49.50 versus a £16 annual subscription makes the maths straightforward.
It is also worth clarifying with clients upfront whether they will accept an Update Service status check rather than a physical certificate. Most clients and organisations will accept this, but some have internal policies that require a new certificate after a certain period. Knowing this in advance avoids the cost of applying again when your existing certificate and subscription would have been sufficient.
For more on costs and how the pricing works in practice, see the DBS check costs page.
What About a Basic DBS Check?
A Basic DBS check has a statutory fee of £21.50. It shows only unspent convictions on the Police National Computer.
Basic checks are not processed through self-employed-dbs.co.uk. If you need a Basic check, you can apply directly through GOV.UK. No registered platform or countersignatory is required for a Basic check.
For most self-employed workers in contact with children or vulnerable adults, a Basic check will not meet the requirements of their clients or sector. If a client, parent, or commissioner is asking you for a DBS check, it is very likely they mean an Enhanced check. It is worth confirming the level required before applying to avoid paying for a check that does not satisfy the requirement.
Common Questions About DBS Check Costs
- Does a DBS certificate expire?
There is no official expiry date on a DBS certificate. However, many clients and organisations set their own renewal timelines, often requesting a new check every one to three years. The DBS Update Service removes this issue by keeping your certificate current indefinitely for £16 per year.
- Is the Enhanced DBS fee the same whether or not the barred list is included?
Yes. The statutory DBS fee for an Enhanced check is £49.50 regardless of whether the Children’s Barred List, the Adults’ Barred List, or both are included in the check.
- Can I get a DBS check for free?
Volunteer applicants in eligible roles do not pay the government’s statutory DBS fee for Standard or Enhanced checks. However, this route applies to volunteers only. Paid self-employed workers are not eligible for the volunteer fee waiver and will pay the full statutory fee.
- What if I need a DBS check for multiple clients?
One Enhanced check with the DBS Update Service is sufficient for multiple clients. Once registered, any client can check your certificate status online. You do not need a separate check for each client you work with.
- Can I claim a DBS check as a business expense?
Yes. If the check is required to carry out your work, the full cost including the statutory fee and the processing fee is a legitimate business expense that can be offset against your taxable income.
- What was the DBS fee before December 2024?
Before 2 December 2024, the Enhanced DBS fee was £38. The Standard and Basic fees were £18. The Update Service was £13 per year. These fees were increased by the DBS from December 2024, as published on GOV.UK.
This guide applies to self-employed workers in England and Wales only. Self-employed workers in Scotland should apply through Disclosure Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the equivalent service is AccessNI. This page is for guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions about your specific circumstances, contact our support team or consult a qualified legal adviser.
Apply for Your DBS Check
Self-employed-dbs.co.uk processes Standard and Enhanced DBS check applications for paid self-employed workers in England and Wales. No employer needed. No payment until your application is ready to submit.