Basic vs standard vs enhanced: which DBS check can you actually use?
It's not a menu. The role determines the level - and ordering the highest one "to be thorough" isn't an option the law gives you.
There are four DBS levels, not three: basic, standard, enhanced, and enhanced with barred lists. A basic check (£20 since 5 October 2026, previously £21.50) can be used for any role. Standard (also £20) and enhanced (£41, previously £49.50 - gov.uk fees) are restricted to roles listed in the Exceptions Order 1975, and barred-list checks are restricted further, mainly to regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults. The role decides the level; you cannot trade up for reassurance.
What each level shows
| Level | What it shows | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | unspent convictions and conditional cautions | £20£21.50 before 5 Oct 2026 |
| Standard | spent and unspent convictions and cautions | £20£21.50 before 5 Oct 2026 |
| Enhanced | standard, plus any local police information considered relevant to the role | £41£49.50 before 5 Oct 2026 |
| Enhanced + barred lists | enhanced, plus whether the person is barred from doing the role | £41£49.50 before 5 Oct 2026 |
Most articles collapse this into "three levels" because the two enhanced variants share a fee. Gov.uk lists them separately for a reason: the barred-list element has its own, stricter eligibility test, and in regulated activity it isn't optional.
Which roles are eligible for which level?
- Basic - anyone. Any employer, any role, any purpose. This is the ceiling for ordinary office, retail, trade and hospitality roles.
- Standard - listed roles only. Positions in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975: think solicitors, chartered accountants, certain FCA-regulated roles, security industry licensing.
- Enhanced - listed roles with certain work. Exceptions Order roles that also involve prescribed activity, typically working with children or vulnerable adults - teaching, care work, healthcare.
- Enhanced + barred lists - regulated activity. Roles in regulated activity with children or adults, plus specific cases the law names, such as taxi and private-hire licensing and prospective adoptive parents.
The registered body countersigning your application must confirm the role's eligibility - which is the practical reason "just run an enhanced on everyone" fails at the first hurdle. If a role isn't eligible, a basic check is the most you can lawfully see, and asking a candidate to show you more than the role entitles you to is exactly the kind of practice the eligibility rules exist to stop.
DBS Adult First: the £6 head start
Adult social care has a rapid pre-check: DBS Adult First (£6) checks the adults' barred list quickly so that, in defined circumstances, a new starter can begin work under supervision while the full enhanced check completes. It's a bridge, not a substitute - the enhanced certificate still has to arrive and be reviewed.
Choosing in practice
Work from the role, not the person: write down what the role does (who it works with, unsupervised or not, how often), map that against the eligibility criteria, and record the level with the reason. That record is what your regulator, insurer - or an unfair-refusal complaint - will ask for. Then track the certificate itself: level, number, date and your re-check cycle, because certificates never expire on their own. If timing matters, see how long a DBS check takes, and put the whole approach in writing with the DBS policy template.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a basic, standard and enhanced DBS check?
A basic check shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions. A standard check shows spent and unspent convictions and cautions. An enhanced check shows everything a standard check does plus any local police information considered relevant to the role. An enhanced check with barred lists additionally shows whether the person is barred from the role.
Can an employer choose an enhanced DBS check just to be thorough?
No. Standard and enhanced checks are restricted to positions listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, and barred-list checks are restricted mainly to regulated activity. If the role is not eligible, the most an employer can request is a basic check.
Are there three or four levels of DBS check?
Four. Gov.uk lists basic, standard, enhanced, and enhanced with barred lists as separate checks. Many articles say three because the two enhanced variants share a fee, but the barred-list element has its own, stricter eligibility rules.
What is DBS Adult First?
A £6 rapid pre-check of the adults' barred list for adult social care, allowing a new starter to begin work under supervision in defined circumstances while the full enhanced check completes.
Who decides which DBS level a role gets?
The employer identifies the level the role is eligible for against the legal criteria, and the registered body countersigning the application is required to confirm eligibility. Requesting a higher level than the role qualifies for is not permitted.
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Level, number, date - tracked per person
CoDash keeps a DBS register alongside right-to-work and certifications: the level each role needs, who's been checked, and reminders before renewals fall due.