DBS Update Service Guide for Private Hire Drivers

  • You can only register for the DBS Update Service within 30 days of the issue date of your DBS certificate.
    If you miss this deadline, you will need to submit a new DBS application.

  • You can register for the DBS Update Service as soon as you receive your e-reference number by email — there is no need to wait for your certificate to be issued.
    Once your DBS certificate arrives by post, it will be automatically added to your Update Service account.

  • Keep your DBS certificate safe, as your licensing authority may request clear photos of all its pages.

  • The subscription fee for the DBS Update Service is £13 per year, payable by credit or debit card only.

  • Once a driver registers for the Update Service, a licensing authority can carry out regular checks on their DBS status.

    This means that if any new information is added to the driver’s DBS record, a licensing authority will be notified without having to wait until the next renewal.

    1. Complete a DBS application first.

    2. Once you receive an email containing your e-reference number, you can proceed to register with the DBS Update Service.

      Alternatively, you may wait until your DBS certificate arrives by post and then register using the certificate number—but this must be done within 30 days of the certificate issue date.

1. Visit the Disclosure & Barring Services website

Visit the DBS website. Once in there, ensure that you read and understand the update service privacy policy.

2. Tick the box and continue

Online form titled 'Disclosure & Barring Service' with a checkbox checked next to the statement about having read the privacy policy, and a blue 'Continue' button below.

3. Provide your details

please make sure that your details are correct before proceeding to the next step.

Online form for DBS update service with instructions, including a photo of a nurse holding hands with a patient in a hospital room.

4. Enter payment details and click to continue

After successfully registering, you will receive an email from the DBS Update Service containing your Update Service ID, which begins with the letter "C".
Please keep this ID safe, as you will be required to provide it during any new or renewal application.

A webpage form titled 'Disclosure & Barring Service' for entering credit card details, including card number, expiry date, and security code, with options to cancel, continue, or go back, and logos of Mastercard and Visa.