{"id":7273,"date":"2026-10-06T21:51:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/dbs-update-service\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T21:53:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:53:56","slug":"dbs-update-service","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/dbs-update-service\/","title":{"rendered":"The DBS update service: cost, deadline and how employers check"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav class=\"crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><a href=\"\/uk\/\">Home<\/a> \u203a DBS update service<\/nav>\n<p><span class=\"kicker\">The real route<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>The DBS update service: cost, deadline and how employers check<\/h1>\n<div class=\"answer\"><strong>Short answer:<\/strong> The DBS update service costs \u00a315 a year from 5 October 2026 (it was \u00a316), paid by debit or credit card, and is free for volunteers. You must register within 30 days of your certificate being issued. Employers do not pay or register to check status, but they need the worker&#8217;s permission first.<\/div>\n<p class=\"meta\">Last reviewed: <time datetime=\"2026-10-05\">2026-10-05<\/time> \u00b7 By <a href=\"\/uk\/authors\/\">Mark Dent<\/a><\/p>\n<nav class=\"toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><strong>On this page<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#s1\">What it is for<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s2\">Fees and rules side by side<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s3\">Joining step by step<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s4\">What it does not do<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s5\">The scam angle<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"keyfacts\"><strong>Key facts, read from GOV.UK on 5 October 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Update Service costs &pound;15 a year (it was &pound;16 before 5 October 2026), paid by debit or credit card, and is free for volunteers.<\/li>\n<li>It covers standard and enhanced DBS checks only; basic checks are not eligible.<\/li>\n<li>Register within 30 days of the certificate being issued, or during the application if DBS receives it within 28 days.<\/li>\n<li>Employers check status online at no cost, but must be legally entitled to do so and have the worker&#8217;s permission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"s1\">What it is for<\/h2>\n<p>A DBS certificate is correct only on the day it is issued. Joining the Update Service lets you keep one certificate current and lets an employer ask DBS whether anything has changed, with results immediately available online. The saving is time: a worker who moves between jobs may carry the same certificate, unless the new employer asks for a new one, needs a different workforce type, or needs a higher level of check.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"s2\">Fees and rules side by side<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Item<\/th>\n<th>What GOV.UK says<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Update Service subscription<\/td>\n<td>&pound;15 per year from 5 October 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Standard or basic check fee, from 5 October 2026<\/td>\n<td>&pound;20 (the Update Service does not cover basic checks)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Enhanced check fee, from 5 October 2026<\/td>\n<td>&pound;41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Volunteers<\/td>\n<td>Free, but you cannot be paid, benefit financially, be on a work placement, a trainee or a paid carer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Joining deadline<\/td>\n<td>Within 30 days of the certificate being issued; DBS must receive an application within 28 days if you register during it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Renewal<\/td>\n<td>Up to 30 days before it ends, but not on the last day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Employer status check<\/td>\n<td>No cost, no registration, worker&#8217;s permission required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"s3\">Joining step by step<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"steps\">\n<li>Apply for a standard or enhanced check through an employer or registered body, as usual.<\/li>\n<li>Register during the application with the form reference number, or afterwards with the certificate number, inside the deadlines above.<\/li>\n<li>Pay by debit or credit card, and choose automatic renewal if you want one.<\/li>\n<li>Keep the subscription running; if it lapses, you must apply for a new DBS check entirely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"s4\">What it does not do<\/h2>\n<p>Joining does not replace the original certificate on day one: an employer still needs to see it, as set out in <a href=\"\/uk\/how-to-check-a-dbs-certificate\/\">how employers check a DBS certificate<\/a>. An employer can check only for the type and workforce they are entitled to ask about, and the certificate must be one the Update Service covers.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"s5\">The scam angle<\/h2>\n<p>Fake DBS sites and bogus recruiters sell subscriptions at inflated prices, or ask applicants to pay for a check before any job exists. The official subscription is on GOV.UK, and an employer&#8217;s status check costs them nothing. DBS customer services are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, on 0300 0200 190, which is the number to use if you are unsure. See <a href=\"\/uk\/dbs-job-scam\/\">job offers that ask you to pay for a DBS check<\/a> and <a href=\"\/uk\/fake-dbs-check-websites\/\">fake DBS check websites<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details>\n<summary>How much is the DBS Update Service?<\/summary>\n<p>&pound;15 per year from 5 October 2026, down from &pound;16, paid by debit or credit card, according to GOV.UK. It is free for volunteers who are not paid, do not benefit financially, and are not on a work placement or paid carers.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>How long do I have to join?<\/summary>\n<p>Within 30 days of your certificate being issued. If you register while applying, DBS must receive the application within 28 days. The service covers standard and enhanced certificates only, not basic ones.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Do employers pay to check the Update Service?<\/summary>\n<p>No. They do not pay or register, but they must be legally entitled to carry out the check and have the worker&#8217;s permission. Results are shown immediately online. A recruiter charging for it is not following the process.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What happens if my subscription lapses?<\/summary>\n<p>GOV.UK says that if it lapses without renewal you must apply for a new DBS check. You can renew up to 30 days before it ends, but not on the last day, so set a reminder early.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Can I use one certificate for different jobs?<\/summary>\n<p>You can move it between roles unless the new organisation asks for a new certificate, a different workforce type is involved, or a higher level of check is needed. The employer decides what it accepts, so ask before assuming.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<div class=\"related\">\n<h2>Keep reading<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/how-to-check-a-dbs-certificate\/\">How employers check a DBS certificate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/basic-dbs-check-cost\/\">Basic DBS check cost<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/dbs-job-scam\/\">DBS job scams<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/certificate-scams\/\">All certificate scams<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sources\">\n<h2>Sources and official links<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/dbs-update-service\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">GOV.UK: DBS update service<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/dbs-update-service\/what-the-dbs-update-service-is-for\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">GOV.UK: what the DBS update service is for<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author\"><strong>About the author<\/strong><br \/>Written by <a href=\"\/uk\/authors\/\">Mark Dent<\/a> from official GOV.UK guidance, UK legislation and public reporting. We do not sell, issue or arrange any licence or document, and we are not part of DVLA, DVSA or any government body. See our <a href=\"\/uk\/editorial-policy\/\">editorial policy<\/a> or <a href=\"\/uk\/contact\/\">report a mistake<\/a>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home \u203a DBS update service The real route The DBS update service: cost, deadline and how employers check Short answer: The DBS update service costs \u00a315 a year from 5 October 2026 (it was \u00a316), paid by debit or credit card, and is free for volunteers. You must register within 30 days of your certificate [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"truthdocuments-guide","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7273","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_hostinger_reach_plugin_has_subscription_block":false,"_hostinger_reach_plugin_is_elementor":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7273"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7911,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7273\/revisions\/7911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}