DBS Check vs BPSS: Differences Explained for Employers

The short answer

A DBS check is a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. The level you can ask for depends on the role: basic for any job, standard and enhanced only for roles that are eligible in law, such as work with children or vulnerable adults. BPSS (the Baseline Personnel Security Standard) is the government's pre-employment screening standard. It checks identity, right to work, three years of employment history and unspent convictions, and is required for civil servants, armed forces personnel and government contractors. BPSS is not a security clearance.

DBS checks at a glance

Check	What it shows	Who can use it	Fee from 5 Oct 2026
Basic	Unspent convictions and conditional cautions	Any employer, for any role	£20
Standard	Spent and unspent convictions and cautions	Roles eligible under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975	£20
Enhanced	As standard, plus relevant information held by local police	Roles eligible in law, such as regulated work with children or adults	£41
Enhanced with barred lists	As enhanced, plus whether the person is barred from working with children or adults	Regulated activity only	See DBS guidance

Volunteer checks remain free. The DBS Update Service, which lets a certificate be reused and checked online, costs £15 a year and only covers standard and enhanced checks. People must register within 30 days of the certificate being issued.

Who can ask for a standard or enhanced DBS check?

Standard and enhanced checks are only available to employers who are entitled by law to ask someone to reveal their full criminal history. This is called asking an "exempted question". If a role is not eligible, the employer can only ask for a basic check. Employers must check that a role is eligible before applying for a higher-level check.

Organisations that submit more than 100 applications a year can register directly with DBS. Most smaller employers apply through an umbrella body, a registered organisation that checks the application and submits it on their behalf.

A change for the self-employed

Since 21 January 2026, self-employed workers and personal employees in eligible roles, such as private tutors or carers employed directly by a family, can apply for an enhanced DBS check through an umbrella body. Before that, an organisation had to apply for them.

What BPSS covers

The Baseline Personnel Security Standard (version 7.0, June 2024) is published by the Cabinet Office for the Government Security Profession. It has four elements:

Identity: confirming the person is who they say they are.
Right to work: confirming they can work in the UK.
Employment history: covering at least the last three years.
Criminal record: unspent convictions only. A basic DBS certificate can be accepted.

BPSS applies to civil servants, members of the armed forces and contractors working on government business. It underpins national security vetting, but it is not itself a clearance.

BPSS and national security vetting

If a role needs more than BPSS, the government sponsor arranges national security vetting. The main levels are Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC) for roles close to people at particular risk of terrorist attack, Security Check (SC) for long-term, frequent access to SECRET assets, and Developed Vetting (DV) for frequent access to TOP SECRET assets. BPSS is the starting point for all of them.

Which one does your role need?

Care, education and health roles working with children or adults usually need an enhanced DBS check, often with barred lists.
Government contracts usually need BPSS for every person with access to government assets or systems, and sometimes CTC or SC.
Other roles can use a basic DBS check, and many employers combine it with identity, right-to-work and reference checks.
Some roles need both, for example a contractor delivering care or education services to a government department.

Need DBS or BPSS checks for your staff?

We arrange standard and enhanced DBS checks through a DBS-registered umbrella body, and BPSS screening, for employers and organisations.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a DBS check and BPSS?

A DBS check is a criminal record check. BPSS is a wider pre-employment standard that checks identity, right to work, three years of employment history and unspent convictions. A basic DBS certificate can be used for the criminal record part of BPSS.

Is BPSS a security clearance?

No. The Baseline Personnel Security Standard says BPSS is not a national security vetting clearance. It is the pre-employment standard that clearances such as CTC, SC and DV build on.

How much does a DBS check cost in 2026?

From 5 October 2026, a basic or standard check costs £20 and an enhanced check costs £41. The Update Service costs £15 a year. Volunteer checks are free.

Can I apply for my own enhanced DBS check?

Since 21 January 2026, self-employed people and personal employees in eligible roles can apply for an enhanced DBS check through an umbrella body. Anyone can apply for their own basic check.

How long does a DBS check take?

GOV.UK says a standard or enhanced check usually takes around 14 days, although it can take longer.

DBS Check vs BPSS: Which Pre-Employment Check Does Your Organisation Need?