DBS checks: do I need a new one?

DBS checks don't expire – it's for the school or trust employer to decide if you need a new check. Find out when you might be asked for a new one, and how the DBS Update Service can help you keep your certificate current.

Updated

on 8 October 2026See updates

School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 4443

Contents

All governors and trustees need a DBS check
Governors in regulated activity also need a barred list check
Employers decide whether to accept existing DBS certificates
Renewing your DBS check
Using the DBS Update Service

All governors and trustees need a DBS check

All governors in maintained schools, and trustees and local governors in academies, need an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

This is set out on pages 98 and 99 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

Governors in regulated activity also need a barred list check

From 1 September 2026, volunteers in regulated activity, including existing volunteers, must have an enhanced DBS check with barred list information. (Previously, certain volunteers who were being regularly supervised were exempt from the definition of 'regulated activity', but the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has removed this exemption.)

Get an enhanced DBS check with children's barred list information, or Get a standalone barred list check. The school/trust can do this if they: Wish to allow the volunteer to undertake regulated activity before obtaining the enhanced DBS check certificate, or Have recently obtained an

All governors and trustees need a DBS check

Governors in regulated activity also need a barred list check

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