Guidance

Make a subject access request to DBS

Guidance, checklist and form for making a subject access request to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

From:
Disclosure and Barring Service
Published
14 November 2012
Last updated
28 June 2021 — See all updates

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

Documents

Customer subject access request form

ODT, 27.8 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

Subject Access Request Form (PDF)

PDF, 142 KB, 7 pages

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Customer subject access request guidance

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Details

You are entitled to be told if the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) holds any information about you and if they do, to be provided with a copy of that information. This is called the ‘Right of Subject Access’. These rights are governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

DBS does not hold a copy of the Police National Computer (PNC) record of convictions - the system held by DBS is known as a PNC extract. The extract contains basic identifying details such as the name and date of birth of persons included on the PNC but doesn’t contain any conviction information. The police own and maintain the PNC.

A subject access request to DBS will provide you with a copy of any information that we hold about you. You will need to fill in one of the forms above, depending on the nature of your contact with us:

  • if you have been through the disclosure service for UK employment purposes and/or you have been referred to the barring service, please complete the DBS customer subject access request form
  • if you are, or have been, a member of staff and would like information relating to your employment, please complete the staff subject access request form
  • if you have had any other contact with the DBS e.g. relating to finance or contract information, please complete the general subject access request form

To request information, download and complete the relevant subject access request form. The guidance notes explain the types of information you can request and how long it will take to reply to your request.

Subject access requests can be made by telephone (subject to relevant information being provided), post or email using the details found below. Scans and copies of ID are acceptable to verify identity.

The DBS Subject Access Request Privacy Policy can be found here.

If you have any enquiries about subject access, please contact us at the following address:

Subject Access Team
Disclosure and Barring Service
PO Box 165
Liverpool
L69 3JD

Alternatively you can contact us via email at subjectaccess@dbs.gov.uk.

Published 14 November 2012
Last updated 28 June 2021 + show all updates

  1. Updated Subject Access Request forms added.

  2. Email addresses within 3x guidance attachments updated in line with recent changes.

  3. Email addresses updated in line with recent changes.

  4. Information updated in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

  5. Change to DBS internal process. Guidance updated to show this.

  6. Changed the address to send subject access requests to the DBS.

  7. First published.

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