Which DBS check do foster carers need?
Everything in a standard check, plus any information a chief officer of police reasonably believes to be relevant. Must be countersigned by a registered body.
Why this level, in law
reg.5C covers assessment of foster parents, and extends to members of the household.
Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) Regulations 2002, reg.5C (work with children) with s.113BA — children's barred list
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/233/regulation/5CWhat the three levels show
- Basic
- Shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions. Anyone aged 16 or over can apply for their own.
- Standard
- Shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings that have not been filtered. Must be countersigned by a registered body.
- Enhanced
- Everything in a standard check, plus any information a chief officer of police reasonably believes to be relevant. Must be countersigned by a registered body.
- Barred list check
- Where the work is regulated activity, an enhanced certificate also says whether the applicant is barred from it. It is not a separate check and there is no separate fee.
Before you send the form
DBS returns forms for a short list of reasons: a gap in the five-year address history, an initial where a forename should be, a job title over 30 characters, a previous name left off. Our free checker finds them in the details you type; the £14.99 pack tells you exactly what to write instead and which form field it belongs to. We never predict what your certificate will say, and we never promise a turnaround time.
Check my details — free- compiledCheck level and statutory basis — legislation.gov.uk — Police Act 1997 Pt.V, S.I. 1975/1023 Sch.1, S.I. 2002/233 regs.5A-5C, SVGA 2006 Sch.4Provisions read from legislation.gov.uk on 2026-09-20 and built into this release.
- not verifiedStatutory fee — legislation.gov.uk — S.I. 2002/233 regs.3A and 4legislation.gov.uk could not be reached, or the figures have moved. No fee is stated — read the regulation yourself before you pay.
- compiledID document routes — DBS ID checking guidelines, in force from 22 April 2025Guidance read on 2026-09-20. DBS can revise it without an instrument, so check that date against GOV.UK.
- compiledApplication form rules — GOV.UK — common mistakes on the DBS application formGuidance read on 2026-09-20.