Criminal Record Check UK: Which System Do You Need?

Which criminal record check you need in the UK depends on where you will work, not just the role. England and Wales use the DBS, Scotland uses Disclosure Scotland and PVG, and Northern Ireland uses AccessNI: three separate systems whose certificates are not interchangeable.

Why the UK Has Three Different Systems, Not One

Data protection law is reserved and applies the same way across all four UK nations. Criminal record disclosure works differently. Vetting is devolved, so Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own bodies under their own legislation rather than using the England and Wales service. That means the DBS check, Disclosure Scotland and PVG, and AccessNI check are three genuinely separate schemes, each with its own fees, its own certificate levels, and its own governing law. None of them is simply the other rebranded for a different nation.

The Self-Apply Level: Anyone Can Get Their Own Basic Certificate

All three nations offer a level that you can apply for yourself (from age 16 for the DBS Basic check), without needing an employer or organisation to request it. This is the certificate people get for their own records, rather than one commissioned by a third party.

• England and Wales: DBS Basic, £21.50 until 4 October 2026 and £20 from 5 October 2026, shows unspent convictions and unspent conditional cautions only.
• Scotland: Disclosure Scotland Level 1 disclosure, £25, shows unspent convictions only.
• Northern Ireland: AccessNI Basic, £16, shows unspent convictions only.

None of these self-apply certificates show spent convictions, and none of them require the applicant to have a specific job or role in mind. See spent convictions for what "unspent" means in each nation, since the rehabilitation periods differ.

The Higher Levels Are Role-Gated, Not an Optional Upgrade

The higher levels in every system exist for specific job types, not as something an applicant can choose for extra reassurance. In each case, an employer or an accredited or registered body has to initiate the request, and the role in question must be listed as exempt from the ordinary rehabilitation rules before that level can be used at all.

• England and Wales: DBS Standard (£21.50 until 4 October 2026, £20 from 5 October 2026) and Enhanced (£49.50 until 4 October 2026, £41 from 5 October 2026), plus Enhanced with barred list checks (the same Enhanced fee) for regulated activity, are requested by an employer or registered body once the role is confirmed to fall within the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. From 21 January 2026, it is down to the self-employed person or personal employee, meaning someone employed directly by a private individual rather than an agency, to apply for their own Enhanced check, or Enhanced check with barred list(s), directly through a registered umbrella body; the private individual who hires them cannot apply on their behalf. The role still has to qualify; this is a change to who submits the application, not a relaxation of who is eligible.
• Scotland: Level 2 disclosure (£25) cannot be self-initiated and does not by itself include barred-list content; an accredited body requests it for specific roles, such as solicitors and prison staff. A separate product, Level 2 disclosure with barred list check (£25), is requested by an organisation for specific activities such as adoption. Regulated roles working with children or protected adults need PVG scheme membership instead: a five-year membership during which Disclosure Scotland continuously checks members' records, rather than a one-off disclosure. Organisations normally start PVG applications, but personal assistants, self-employed people and people who work for an individual can apply to the scheme themselves.
• Northern Ireland: AccessNI Standard and Enhanced (£16 and £32) need a registered body to countersign the application, and the role must be exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) (NI) Order 1979.

There is no route in any of the three systems for an applicant to obtain a Standard or Enhanced-level certificate, or its Scottish or Northern Irish equivalent, simply by asking for one. If a role does not qualify, the higher levels are not available for it, and asking a willing third party to request one anyway would misuse a system built around role eligibility.

PVG Scheme Membership: An Extra Layer in Scotland

Scotland has a separate scheme for regulated roles. Anyone doing a "regulated role" working with children or protected adults needs PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme membership. Joining costs £59; an existing member who takes up a role with a new organisation, with the same vulnerable group, pays £18. Both fees are waived for genuine volunteers doing an unpaid role for a Qualifying Voluntary Organisation. Joining the scheme produces a PVG scheme disclosure (legally a Level 2 disclosure containing scheme information), which is free when requested with the joining application, so you do not buy a separate standard Level 2 disclosure for the role. The Scottish Government is also paying the PVG fee for eligible social care workers whose applications are received between 1 August 2026 and 31 July 2027. This became a legal requirement from 1 April 2025, and since 1 July 2025 it is an offence to do a regulated role without it, and an offence for an organisation to allow someone to do so. There is no equivalent standalone scheme in England and Wales or Northern Ireland; barred-list checking is built into the Enhanced level instead.

The Three Systems Side by Side

Which Nation's System Applies to You

The general rule is that the check you need is the one for the nation where the work itself is based, not necessarily where you live or where the employer's head office sits. Someone working in a school in Cardiff needs a DBS check; the same role in Glasgow needs Disclosure Scotland and, for a regulated role with children, PVG membership; in Belfast it needs AccessNI. If a role could involve work across more than one nation, the organisation requesting the check will normally confirm which system applies, since this depends on the specifics of where the regulated activity actually takes place, not a fixed rule that covers every situation.

A Certificate From One Nation Does Not Transfer to Another

DBS, Disclosure Scotland, and AccessNI certificates are not mutually recognised. A DBS Enhanced certificate does not substitute for a Disclosure Scotland Level 2 disclosure or PVG membership, and an AccessNI Enhanced certificate is not accepted in place of a DBS check. Someone moving into a role based in a different UK nation should expect to go through that nation's own application process from the start, even if they already hold a recent, clean certificate from another system. The DBS Update Service, which lets a Standard or Enhanced DBS certificate be reused and checked online, only applies within the DBS system; Northern Ireland has no equivalent, and in Scotland continuous checking comes through PVG scheme membership instead.

Where to Go for Full Detail on Each System

This page covers the decision of which system applies. For the complete rules on levels, fees, filtering, and barred lists within each nation, see the dedicated pages: DBS check (England & Wales), Disclosure Scotland and PVG, and AccessNI check (Northern Ireland). For how long a conviction stays "unspent" and disclosable in each nation, see spent convictions.

For the wider picture on how UK data protection law and criminal record disclosure fit together, see the UK data privacy hub and the United Kingdom country hub.

This article is general information about criminal record disclosure in the UK, not legal advice, and it does not determine whether any specific role is eligible for a particular level of check. Eligibility depends on the exact role and nation involved; confirm the requirement with the employer, accredited or registered body, or the relevant disclosure service (DBS, Disclosure Scotland, or AccessNI) before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which criminal record check do I need in the UK?

It depends on which nation the work is based in and what the role involves. England and Wales use the DBS, Scotland uses Disclosure Scotland and PVG, and Northern Ireland uses AccessNI. Each has its own self-apply level and its own role-gated higher levels, and none of them substitute for another.

Can I apply for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check myself?

Generally no, except for one new route. Standard and Enhanced checks, and their Scottish and Northern Irish equivalents, must be requested by an employer or an accredited or registered body for a specific role that is legally exempt from the standard rehabilitation rules. From 21 January 2026, it is down to the self-employed person or personal employee themselves, not the person who hires them, to apply for their own Enhanced check or Enhanced check with barred list(s) in England and Wales, through a registered umbrella body, but the role still has to qualify. In Scotland, personal assistants, self-employed people and people who work for an individual can apply to the PVG scheme themselves.

Is a Basic check the same everywhere in the UK?

The idea is similar, unspent convictions only, self-apply, but it is not the same certificate. DBS Basic (£21.50 until 4 October 2026, £20 from 5 October 2026) applies in England and Wales, Disclosure Scotland Level 1 (£25) applies in Scotland, and AccessNI Basic (£16) applies in Northern Ireland. Each is issued by a different body under different legislation.

Will a DBS check work in Scotland or Northern Ireland?

No. DBS certificates are not recognised in place of a Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI check. A role based in Scotland needs Disclosure Scotland (and PVG membership where the role is regulated and involves children or protected adults), and a role based in Northern Ireland needs AccessNI.

What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2 disclosure in Scotland?

Level 1 disclosure (£25) can be self-applied for and shows unspent convictions only. Level 2 disclosure (£25) cannot be self-initiated; an accredited body requests it for specific roles, such as solicitors and prison staff, and it shows more information, including certain spent convictions, but no barred-list content. A separate product, Level 2 disclosure with barred list check (£25), adds barred-list information for specific activities such as adoption, and PVG-regulated roles working with children or protected adults need PVG scheme membership instead.

Do I need PVG membership as well as a Level 2 disclosure in Scotland?

Not a separate one. If the role is a regulated role working with children or protected adults, you need PVG scheme membership, which has been a legal requirement since 1 April 2025, and since 1 July 2025 it is an offence to do a regulated role without it. Joining the scheme produces a PVG scheme disclosure for the organisation, free when requested with the joining application, so you do not need to buy a standard Level 2 disclosure as well. Standard Level 2 disclosure is for other specific roles, such as solicitors and prison staff.

How much does each type of criminal record check cost?

In England and Wales, DBS Basic and Standard are each £21.50 and Enhanced (with or without a barred list check) is £49.50 until 4 October 2026; from 5 October 2026 they are £20 and £41. DBS checks for volunteers remain free. In Scotland, Level 1 and Level 2 disclosure are each £25, Level 2 with barred list check is also £25, and joining the PVG scheme is £59 (£18 for an existing member adding a new organisation), waived for genuine volunteers. In Northern Ireland, AccessNI Basic and Standard are each £16, and Enhanced is £32.

What if my role involves work in more than one UK nation?

The organisation requesting the check will normally determine which nation's system applies, based on where the regulated activity actually takes place. There is no single UK-wide check that covers all three systems at once, so more than one certificate may be needed if the role genuinely spans nations.