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Your applicant's DBS check is complete. Before you mark their onboarding task as finished, do you know what the result actually tells you?
A DBS certificate provides information for a recruitment decision. It does not give someone an official pass or fail. Understanding the check level, the information disclosed and the limits of the result helps your team make a fair, informed decision.
This guide explains how to read DBS check results and what to review next. It covers DBS checks for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate disclosure systems.
Review the role.
A completed application is the starting point for your review.
What is a DBS certificate?
A DBS certificate is the document issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service after a criminal record check. For Standard and Enhanced checks, DBS sends it to the applicant, who must show it to the employer.
The certificate includes identifying details, a certificate number, an issue date and the disclosure information relevant to the check. Read every section rather than relying on an application status notification.
For an original Standard or Enhanced certificate, look for signs of alteration and check the security features described by DBS. These include a crown seal watermark and a patterned background. A screenshot or photograph cannot establish that you have inspected the original document.
For Basic checks, DBS offers an online result through its direct application route where no conviction information is disclosed. Standard and Enhanced applications can be tracked online, but a tracking update does not replace inspecting the original certificate.
Official guidance: tracking and viewing DBS certificates.
What does each DBS check show?
The check level determines the information disclosed. Standard and Enhanced checks are available only for eligible roles. Barred list eligibility must be confirmed separately.
| Check level | Information it can disclose |
|---|---|
| Basic | Unspent convictions and unspent conditional cautions. |
| Standard | Spent and unspent convictions and adult cautions, subject to filtering, plus all unspent conditional cautions. |
| Enhanced | Standard check information, plus local police information considered relevant to the role and appropriate to disclose. |
| Enhanced with barred lists | Enhanced information, plus whether the applicant is on the relevant Children's or Adults' Barred List, where the role is eligible. |
Why spent does not mean deleted
A conviction becomes spent after its applicable rehabilitation period. The period depends on the sentence and other circumstances. Being spent changes what normally needs to be disclosed; it does not mean the record has been erased. A spent conviction will not appear on a Basic check, but may appear on a Standard or Enhanced check.
What additional police information means
An Enhanced check may contain relevant information about an allegation or investigation without a conviction. The police must decide whether it is relevant to the role and ought to be disclosed. An allegation is not automatically included, and its inclusion is not a finding of guilt.
Read the Basic DBS applicant guidance for more on spent records and online results.
For help choosing a level, read our Basic, Standard and Enhanced DBS comparison.
Source: GOV.UK check types.
What does a clear DBS result mean?
No information disclosed
People often call this a clear result. It means that the check did not disclose information under the rules for that level.
Information disclosed
Review what is recorded and its relevance to the actual duties. A disclosed conviction does not, by itself, mean the applicant cannot be employed.
A clear result is not proof that someone has never had a criminal record. Some records may be spent or protected. It also does not replace references, identity checks or an assessment of suitability.
Where someone is barred from the relevant group, it is unlawful to knowingly allow them to undertake regulated activity with that group.
How far back does a DBS check go?
There is no single lookback period. Basic checks show unspent records. Standard and Enhanced checks can include older records, subject to filtering rules.
Filtering prevents certain protected cautions and convictions from being automatically disclosed. The main timeframes for potentially eligible records are:
| Record | Time before potential filtering |
|---|---|
| Adult caution | 6 years from the caution. |
| Conviction when 18 or over | 11 years from conviction. |
| Conviction when under 18 | 5 years and 6 months from conviction. |
Unspent convictions and conditional cautions remain disclosable. Specified offences and convictions resulting in a custodial or suspended sentence are not filtered. Youth cautions, warnings and reprimands are not automatically disclosed, except that unspent youth conditional cautions must be disclosed.
Enhanced checks may still include relevant police information that ought to be disclosed. Check the full DBS filtering guidance for the circumstances.
What should employers do with DBS results?
Give the review a clear owner. A practical process should cover the following:
-
Match the certificate to the applicant
Check identity details, the issue date and certificate number. Inspect the original Standard or Enhanced certificate and its security features.
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Confirm the check fits the role
Review the level, workforce and any barred lists checked. A certificate from a previous job may not match the new duties.
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Discuss relevant information fairly
Consider the circumstances and relevance to the role. Give the applicant an opportunity to explain. Do not ask for protected records.
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Record the review and decision
Note who reviewed the result, when it was checked and the reason for the decision. Apply your recruitment policy consistently.
See DBS certificate security guidance and the rules on asking about criminal records.
A manager sees an old conviction on an eligible applicant's certificate. The next step is to review its relevance, discuss the circumstances and document the assessment, rather than use an automatic rejection rule.
The review should explain which duties raised a concern, what the applicant said and how the organisation reached its decision. A note that simply says "DBS failed" leaves the next reviewer unable to understand the assessment or whether the policy was followed.
Keep certificate information secure and limit access. DBS guidance usually recommends retention for no longer than six months, with justified exceptions. A basic record of the check and recruitment decision can be retained separately under your policy. Read the DBS handling and storage guidance.
How long are DBS results valid?
DBS certificates have no official expiry date. They reflect information available when issued. Decide when another check is needed using the role, risk, sector requirements and your policy.
The DBS Update Service lets eligible employers check whether a subscribed Standard or Enhanced certificate remains current. You need consent and entitlement to the same level, type and workforce. It is not available for Basic checks.
If a status check says the certificate is no longer current, request a new DBS check to see the information. The status change itself does not tell you what has been added.
Keep DBS applications easier to follow
Annaizu helps employers manage online DBS applications, guide applicants through identity steps and track progress. Your team can see outstanding actions and keep the verification workflow organised alongside employee onboarding.
DBS issues the certificate. Your organisation reviews the information and makes the recruitment decision. Annaizu supports the process that brings those steps together.
Frequently asked questions
Can I view my DBS certificate online?
For Basic checks made through DBS's direct online route, applicants can view and share an online result where no conviction information is disclosed. Standard and Enhanced applications can be tracked online, but employers must inspect the original certificate.
Can allegations appear on an Enhanced DBS check?
They can be included as local police information if the chief officer considers the information relevant to the role and that it ought to be disclosed. Inclusion is not automatic.
What if information on a DBS certificate is wrong?
The applicant can raise a dispute with DBS. For Standard and Enhanced certificates, report the mistake within three months of the certificate date. Basic checks have a separate dispute process. See GOV.UK dispute guidance.
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