Disclosure and Barring Service
Barring Service
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Due to COVID-19, DBS Contact Centre hours have temporarily changed.
Join us virtually to explore how we can all work together to make recruitment safer.
Is getting useful references a challenge?
News story
A project to help social care and health employers share effective references and conduct information.
New filtering rules
News story
The new rules will affect Standard and Enhanced DBS certificates issued on or after 28 November 2020.
COVID-19: Additional guidance added
News story
The COVID-19 guidance provides extra information around roles eligible for the free-of-charge enhanced DBS checks and emergency Barred List checks.
DBS launches new five-year strategy
News story
The new five-year strategy focuses on our Profile, our People and Quality.
Latest from the Disclosure and Barring Service
What the Disclosure and Barring Service does
The Disclosure and Barring Service helps employers make safer recruitment decisions each year by processing and issuing DBS checks for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. DBS also maintains the adults’ and children’s Barred Lists and makes considered decisions as to whether an individual should be included on one or both of these lists and barred from engaging in regulated activity.
DBS is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Home Office.
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- COVID-19: January update to Contact Centre opening hours
- DBS Christmas and New Year Opening Times 2020
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Contact DBS
DBS disclosure service
PO Box 3961
Royal Wootton Bassett
SN4 4HF
United Kingdom
DBS helpline
03000 200 190
Minicom
03000 200 192
Welsh
03000 200 191
International
+44151 676 9390
Our current opening hours are 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, and 10:00 to 17:00 on Saturday.
You may be asked some security questions to verify your identity. All calls to this number are recorded for record keeping, training and quality assurance.
If emailing us, please include your full name, address including postcode and telephone number. Please also include any DBS reference numbers if relevant.
If you are contacting us about an application, please provide five of the following: full name, address including postcode, date of birth, position applied for, name of employer, National Insurance Number, a previous address, place of birth and/or your ‘E’ or ‘F’ reference.
In addition to the above, Registered Bodies will also need to provide their ‘Registered Body reference number’ and ‘Countersignatory reference number’ to confirm their identity.
We cannot guarantee the security of information until it is in our possession, and will not take responsibility for such information until we receive it.
Go to the DBS online tracking service to check on the progress of an application. Tracking an application is much quicker online. The link to this service is available at the top of this homepage.
DBS certificate disputes
Liverpool
L69 3JD
United Kingdom
Telephone
03000 200 190
Contact us if you think your DBS certificate is wrong. This can include incorrect personal details, incorrect conviction information or other discrepancies. If you receive a DBS certificate with a conviction that doesn't relate to you, you should also inform the person who requested that you complete the form as soon as possible.
The phone line for certificate disputes is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday only.
Sensitive applications
Customer services
PO Box 165
Liverpool
L69 3JD
United Kingdom
Transgender applicants are protected in legislation and are not obliged to include details indicating a previous gender in their application form.
The DBS has a process in place which allows any details indicating a previous gender to be checked without being disclosed on the completed certificate.
They are, however, required by law to provide all name details to the DBS in their current and any previous identity. Deliberately withholding this information may be an attempt to prevent conviction information being revealed and is an offence.
If emailing, we cannot guarantee the security of information until it is in our possession, and will not take responsibility for such information until we receive it.
DBS barring
PO Box 3963
Royal Wootton Bassett
SN4 4HH
United Kingdom
Telephone:
03000 200 190
We cannot guarantee the security of information until it is in our possession, and will not take responsibility for such information until we receive it. For this reason we recommend submitting referrals via our secure online referral form, however if you are using a paper referral form we recommend using registered post.
FOI requests
Policy Department
PO Box 165
Liverpool
L69 3JD
United Kingdom
If you wish to submit a new request under the Freedom of Information Act please contact the DBS.
Most requests are free of charge but you may need to pay a small amount for photocopies or postage. When you submit a request we'll let you know if you have to make a payment.
DBS legal services
Stephenson House
Alderman Best Way
Darlington
DL1 4WB
United Kingdom
Address to be used for the service of legal documents.
DBS does not accept service by email.
Make an FOI request
- Read about the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and how to make a request.
- Check our previous releases to see if we’ve already answered your question.
Corporate information
Jobs and contracts
Read about the types of information we routinely publish in our Publication scheme. Find out about our commitment to publishing in Welsh. Our Personal information charter explains how we treat your personal information. Read our policy on Social media use.