Your situation
Applying for a DBS check online
Say who needs the check: the online route open to you, the fee and who pays.
Who applies, and how
Route
Online on GOV.UK, GOV.UK One Login
| Fee | £20 |
| Who pays | Applicant |
Usually processed within 3 days, then posted.
There are two ways to apply for a DBS check online, and which one you can use depends on the level. For a basic check, anyone aged 16 or over can apply on the GOV.UK service, between 8am and 11:30pm, for £20. You prove your identity with GOV.UK One Login, give your addresses for the last 5 years and, if you have them, your passport, driving licence and National Insurance number; the application is usually processed within 3 days, and the certificate is posted. For a standard or enhanced check there is no public online form: the organisation recruiting you starts the application, either as a body registered with DBS or through an umbrella body, which often uses its own online form and checks your documents. Self-employed people in an eligible role apply online through an umbrella body too. Any site that offers a standard or enhanced check to anyone who asks, with no role, is not following the rules.
Fees and rules checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the figures are built
Routes by level
| Level | Online route | Who starts it | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | GOV.UK basic check service | You | £20 |
| Basic | Responsible organisation | Employer | £20 + admin fee |
| Standard or enhanced | Registered body (100 checks a year or more) | Employer | £20 or £41 |
| Standard or enhanced | Umbrella body | Employer, or self-employed applicant | £20 or £41 + admin fee |
The basic service step by step
The GOV.UK basic check service first asks you to sign in or create a GOV.UK One Login and prove your identity. You then give your current and previous addresses for five years with dates, and pay by card. A paper certificate is posted to your address; you can also create a DBS online account to see it and share it. The check is for work in England and Wales: if the job is in Scotland, apply for a Level 1 disclosure on mygov.scot, and for Northern Ireland use AccessNI on nidirect.
Standard and enhanced: the employer's part
According to the GOV.UK employer guidance, an organisation doing fewer than 100 standard or enhanced checks a year must use an umbrella body; above that it can register with DBS or keep using one. The organisation gives you the form, often an online one hosted by the umbrella body, checks your identity documents and sends the application. DBS then posts the certificate to you. The umbrella body may charge an admin fee, set freely: the umbrella body page explains how to compare them using the GOV.UK search.
For self-employed people, the self-employed guidance of January 2026 gives the steps and the examples of a maths tutor, a personal carer and a plumber; the self-employed page works out the cost.
Online routes in Scotland and Northern Ireland
For a role in Scotland, you apply for a Level 1 disclosure on mygov.scot after signing in with ScotAccount, and the result is a digital disclosure shared through a secure link (mygov.scot). For Northern Ireland, nidirect offers online basic checks for individuals, and standard and enhanced checks through a registered body, or an umbrella body for self-employed people (nidirect).
Sites that sell a check
A company offering a "DBS check online" can be a legitimate responsible organisation or umbrella body. Its price is the DBS fee plus its own fee, so compare it with the £20 of the GOV.UK service before paying. None of them can deliver a standard or enhanced check for a role that is not eligible.