How Much Does a DBS Check Cost?

What the DBS fee actually is

Every DBS check has two parts. The first is the statutory DBS fee. The government sets it and you pay it to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). It is a fixed amount and it is the same whoever processes your application.

The second is the processing fee, charged by the registered body that countersigns and submits your application. It covers checking your identity, reviewing your documents and submitting the application for you. DBS does not set or regulate these charges, so they vary between providers.

When you apply through self-employed-dbs.co.uk, no payment is taken until your application is complete and ready to submit. You are not charged before you are ready to proceed.

The DBS fees on this page took effect on 5^th October 2026 and are published in the DBS announcement on GOV.UK. For the total you will pay with us, see our pricing page.

DBS check costs at a glance

These are the DBS fees from 5^th October 2026, next to what they were before. They are the government fees only and do not include a provider’s processing fee.

Source: DBS fee announcement on GOV.UK, 9^th September 2026. Eligible volunteer checks remain free of the DBS fee.

How much is a Standard DBS check?

The DBS fee for a Standard DBS check is £20.00, down from £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 shows only unspent convictions, so it misses a large part of a person’s record.

Standard checks suit roles that involve trust but are not regulated activity, such as some financial roles, positions of authority over adults and some legal roles. If your work involves direct, unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults, a Standard check is unlikely to be enough and you will almost certainly need an Enhanced check. Our self-employed DBS checks hub explains which level applies to which role.

How much is an Enhanced DBS check?

The DBS fee for an Enhanced DBS check is £41.00, down £8.50 (about 17%) from £49.50. It is the biggest cut in the October 2026 changes, in pounds and as a percentage.

Enhanced is the most comprehensive level. On top of everything on a Standard check, it can include relevant information held by local police forces. This is known as chief officer information, and it can cover intelligence that did not lead to a conviction but which a chief officer considers relevant to the role.

For most self-employed workers in regulated activity, this is the check that clients, parents and commissioning bodies expect. That includes private tutors, carers, childminders, nannies, sports coaches, music teachers and therapists working with children or vulnerable adults.

Self-employed people could not get an Enhanced check without an employer until 21 January 2026. The self-employed DBS guide covers that change in detail.

Does adding a barred list check change the cost?

No. The DBS fee for an Enhanced check with a barred list check is £41.00, the same as an Enhanced check without one.

The Children’s Barred List and the Adults’ Barred List are kept by DBS. They name people who are legally barred from working with children or vulnerable adults, and a barred list check confirms whether someone appears on one or both.

For regulated activity with children, the relevant check is an Enhanced check with the Children’s Barred List. For regulated activity with adults, it is the Adults’ Barred List. Some roles need both. The fee stays at £41.00 whichever combination applies.

Which list a check can include depends on your role and duties. Our DBS eligibility checker will tell you before you apply.

The DBS Update Service and keeping costs down

The DBS Update Service costs £15 per year, down from £16, and you pay it directly to DBS.

Once you subscribe, you can carry your certificate from one client to the next. Rather than applying for a new check every time you take on work, a client can check the status of your certificate online. They see either that it is current with no new information, or that a new check is needed.

If you work for several clients, it is the most effective way to keep costs down. £15 a year compares with £41.00 each time you would otherwise need a fresh Enhanced check.

You must join within 30 days of the issue date printed on your certificate. If you miss that window, you will need a new check to use the service. Only Standard and Enhanced certificates can join. Basic certificates cannot.

It is also worth asking clients up front whether they will accept an Update Service status check in place of a new certificate. Most do, but some have internal policies that require a new certificate after a set period. Our guide to the DBS Update Service for self-employed workers explains how it works in practice.

Is the DBS fee VAT-exempt?

Yes. The statutory DBS fee is VAT-exempt for every check type and for the Update Service subscription. The exemption covers the government-set fee only. The processing fee charged by the provider handling your application is subject to VAT at the standard rate.

Your payment confirmation will normally show the two parts separately. If you are VAT-registered, you may be able to reclaim the VAT on the processing fee as a business input. If you are not, that VAT is part of your total cost.

Is a DBS check a tax-deductible business expense?

Yes, for self-employed workers a DBS check is a legitimate business expense, provided you need it for your work. If clients, parents or commissioning bodies expect to see a DBS certificate, the cost of getting one is incurred wholly and exclusively for your trade. You can claim it against taxable income in the same way as public liability insurance or professional body membership.

Keep a record of the payment, the date and the check type. If HMRC asks you to support the claim, the payment confirmation and the certificate are enough. The same applies to the £15 Update Service subscription if you keep it so you can carry on working.

If you trade through a limited company or have a more complex structure, confirm your position with your accountant.

Who pays for a DBS check when you’re self-employed?

There is no fixed rule. It depends on the arrangement between you and your client, commissioner or agency.

Some clients and commissioning bodies pay for the check as part of their own vetting, which is common where an organisation must keep records of the checks on the people it engages. In other cases you are expected to arrive with a valid certificate already in hand. Private tutors and independent carers often find this, and then the cost sits with you and can be claimed as a business expense.

If you work through an agency, it may arrange and fund the check as part of onboarding. Ask whether it will be an Enhanced check with the right barred list and whether it will be linked to the Update Service.

If there is any doubt, raise it before you apply. Paying twice for the same level of check because of a miscommunication is an avoidable cost.

How DBS fees have changed

DBS reviews its fees every year and sets each one against the cost of delivering that product. DBS raised its fees on 2^nd December 2024. On 9^th September 2026 it announced a reduction across every product, taking effect on 5^th October 2026.

The new fees were approved by the DBS board, the Home Office, HM Treasury and the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls. They were given legal effect by a statutory instrument laid before Parliament on 9^th September 2026. DBS says the reduction does not affect the standard of its service or the rigour of its checks.

Even after the cut, every fee is still above its level before December 2024. Our news post, DBS fee reduction: new prices from 5th October 2026, has the full announcement.

What the January 2026 law change means for cost

Before 21^st January 2026, self-employed workers in England and Wales had no legal route to an Enhanced DBS check. The only check open to them independently was a Basic check, which shows only unspent convictions. It does not show spent convictions, cautions, relevant police intelligence or barred list status.

That left many self-employed people in an awkward position. Their clients expected an Enhanced certificate, but the law required an employer to countersign the application.

A Statutory Instrument laid before Parliament on 20^th November 2025 removed that restriction from 21^st January 2026. Self-employed people paid to work in regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults can now apply for an Enhanced check, including the barred list element, through a registered body.

The cost is the same as for any other applicant: a £41.00 DBS fee plus a processing fee. For someone who relied on a Basic check at £20.00, that is a further £21.00 in DBS fees. In return you get a certificate that meets the standard clients and parents expect.

What about a Basic DBS check?

A Basic DBS check costs £20.00 in DBS fees, down from £21.50. It shows only unspent convictions held on the Police National Computer.

We do not process Basic checks. You apply for one directly through GOV.UK, with no registered body or countersignatory involved.

A Basic check will not meet the requirements of most clients or sectors where you have contact with children or vulnerable adults. If a client, parent or commissioner asks for a DBS check, they very likely mean an Enhanced check. Confirm the level before you apply so you do not pay for one that does not satisfy the request.

Common questions about DBS check costs

Does a DBS certificate expire?

There is no official expiry date on a DBS certificate. Many clients and organisations set their own renewal period, often one to three years. The Update Service avoids that by keeping your certificate current for £15 a year.

Is the Enhanced DBS fee the same with or without the barred list?

Yes. The DBS fee for an Enhanced check is £41.00 whether it includes the Children’s Barred List, the Adults’ Barred List, both or neither.

Can I get a DBS check for free?

Eligible volunteers do not pay the DBS fee for a Standard or Enhanced check. That applies to volunteers only. Paid self-employed workers are not eligible for the volunteer exemption and pay the full DBS fee.

What if I need a DBS check for several clients?

One Enhanced check with the Update Service is enough for multiple clients. Once you are subscribed, any client can check your certificate status online, so you do not need a separate check for each one.

Can I claim a DBS check as a business expense?

Yes. If you need the check to do your work, the full cost, including the DBS fee and the processing fee, is a legitimate business expense.

What was the DBS fee before 5 October 2026?

From 2^nd December 2024 to 4^th October 2026, an Enhanced check cost £49.50, Basic and Standard checks cost £21.50 each and the Update Service cost £16 per year. Before 2^nd December 2024 they were £38, £18 and £13 respectively.

This guide applies to self-employed workers in England and Wales only. In Scotland, apply through Disclosure Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the equivalent service is AccessNI. This page is general guidance and not legal advice. If you have questions about your circumstances, contact our support team or speak to a qualified adviser.