In many industries, DBS checks are coming to be part and parcel of the recruitment process. While you’ve likely heard of DBS checks, maybe even having to undergo one yourself, parts of the subject are still shrouded in mystery.

A question that a lot of people, employers and employees alike, are likely to ask is whether DBS checks have an expiry date or not. There’s not quite a yes/no answer to that question, so let’s take a closer look to bring some clarity.

What are DBS checks?

To understand how long DBS checks last, we first need to understand a little more about the checks themselves. DBS checks are the most common criminal background check available in the UK, and are carried out by a non-departmental government body called the disclosure and barring service. Employees can be asked to undergo three different kinds of DBS checks.

Basic check

The basic check is the lowest level DBS check available. It looks for unspent criminal convictions, warnings and reprimands, and can be required for any position. It’s the only one of the three checks that’s unregulated, meaning that individuals can even ask to have one done on themselves.

Standard check

The standard check is the next level up, and searches for both spent and unspent criminal convictions, warnings and reprimands. Unlike the basic check, it’s regulated and can only be requested for specific positions, in industries with a high professional standard. These include positions in the legal profession and accountants.

Enhanced check

The enhanced check is the highest level check that’s available. In addition to spent and unspent criminal convictions, warnings and reprimands, it also includes any information that the local police department considers relevant to the position being applied to.

The enhanced check is the most serious of the checks, and is only available for positions that include contact with children and sensitive adults. These include healthcare and childcare positions.

DBS checks don’t officially ‘expire’

With all of the DBS checks listed above, there’s no official expiry date; that being said, they are obviously only accurate up to the date on which they’re carried out. Any criminal activity carried out after that date, even if it’s flagged by the police and results in a conviction, will not be on the prior check.

Therefore, the longer the amount of time that has passed after the check, the less accurate it becomes. How long is considered an acceptable amount of time will depend on the industry; in some cases, most often with basic checks, it’ll be down to the discretion of the employer. With more tightly regulated industries that commonly require enhanced or standard checks, there may be regulatory stipulations that require more regular checks need to be carried out.

If you have any doubts on the subject, it’s worth reaching out to a specialised provider of DBS checks specifically, such as Personnel Checks. They’ll be able to help ensure that you remain compliant with any specific industry requirements, helping to avoid any potential issues.