Fees for criminal record checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) fall from today, Monday 5 October. The DBS announced the cut on 9 September. It is given legal effect by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/985), which "come into force on 5th October 2026" and extend to England and Wales.
The new fees
A basic check is now £20, down from £21.50. A standard check is now £20, down from £21.50. An enhanced check is now £41, down from £49.50. The Update Service subscription is now £15 a year, down from £16.
Volunteer checks remain free. The DBS says: "On this occasion, DBS has been able to reduce fees across all its products and those applying for an Enhanced check will see the greatest reduction." That is a saving of £8.50 per enhanced check. The DBS is funded entirely by its fees, reviews them every year and sets each one on the cost of delivery.
The cut applies to the DBS fee only. The announcement states: "Registered Bodies and Responsible Organisations may charge applicants an additional administration fee on top of the DBS fee; DBS is not involved in setting or regulating these charges." The DBS asked those bodies to update their systems and customer-facing information before 5 October.
What it means for security businesses
For firms that pay for vetting, the saving per head is modest but adds up across a recruitment drive, and it is largest for roles that qualify for an enhanced check. Check that any umbrella body or screening provider you use has passed on the new DBS fee rather than keeping the old total, and look at its administration charge separately. The Update Service now costs £15 a year. Budgets and client quotes that include vetting costs for work in England and Wales can be revised from today.
