DBS digital ID verification: what the DBS requires
This guide sets out the DBS's guidance on using a digital verification service (DVS) to check identity for a DBS application. It is written by the DBS for Registered Bodies and Responsible Organisations and was updated on 6 October 2026. This guide summarises it.
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What the DBS says digital ID can replace
- The DBS says a digital identity from a DVS certified against the UK digital verification services trust framework and the DBS supplementary code is equivalent to an identity verified under its manual ID checking guidelines.
- It says this applies to Basic checks and to Standard, Enhanced and Enhanced with Barred Lists checks.
- A Registered Body is an organisation registered with the DBS to submit Standard, Enhanced and Enhanced with Barred Lists checks. A Responsible Organisation submits Basic checks.
Certified providers
- The DBS says Registered Bodies and Responsible Organisations must use a DVS certified against a current version of both the trust framework and the supplementary code, and follow the rest of the guidance, to be considered compliant.
- Certification is by an approved conformity assessment body. A body that does digital identity verification with its own processes must itself be certified.
- The DBS says a list of certified services is available on GOV.UK.
- The trust framework is published by the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes, part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Levels of confidence
- The DBS refers to Good Practice Guide 45 (GPG 45), which breaks identity proofing into five steps and combines scores into identity profiles at four levels of confidence: low, medium, high or very high.
- Medium is the minimum for a Basic check.
- High is the minimum for a Standard, Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred Lists check.
- The DBS's examples say a reusable (holder) service used for Standard and Enhanced checks must only provide identities created to high or very high confidence.
What the Registered Body or Responsible Organisation still has to do
- The DBS says the guidance does not replace the duty to carry out a risk assessment for every transaction. It says the organisation remains liable for its own due diligence.
- The organisation must be sure the identity was verified under the guidance at the time the identity is asserted.
- It must obtain data from the DVS after the check and compare it with the application form to make sure the form is accurate and has all current identity information.
- It must verify identity against the applicant's current official name, the name on official documents such as a passport, and ask the applicant to declare all previous names.
- The current address must be subject to attempted verification by the DVS. If address verification fails, the DBS says to note it, but no further manual address check is required.
- The applicant must also declare at least five years of address history. The DBS says failing to give previous names or a five-year address history can delay the application, because conflicted applications may be withdrawn.
The data to obtain from the DVS
The DBS lists the fields, with what is sent to the DBS. For each identity verified, the organisation must obtain:
| Data to obtain | Sent to DBS |
|---|---|
| Forename | Y |
| Middle names (if applicable) | Y |
| Present surname | Y |
| Date of birth | Y |
| Whether the current address was verified | N |
| The current address (if sourced from the DVS) | Y |
| The date of the address check (if sourced from the DVS) | N |
| Whether identity was verified | Y |
| The DVS's name as it appears on its trust framework certificate | Y |
| Passport details and driving licence details (if sourced from the DVS) | Y |
| The GPG 45 profile the identity was created to | N |
| GPG 44 authenticator quality | N |
| Subject ID | N |
If a holder service did the check, the GPG 44 authenticator quality is also required. A subject ID is optional.
What to keep
- The DBS says the organisation must keep an audit trail showing details of each application submitted, including the DVS data, for at least 2 years, and make it available to the DBS if asked.
Right to work
- The DBS says a DBS check does not prove a person's right to work in the UK, including for voluntary work, and a separate check is needed. It says some digital verification services can also do right to work checks.
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Sources
- DBS digital identity verification guidance, GOV.UK, updated 6 October 2026
- ID checking guidelines for Standard/Enhanced DBS check applications from 22 April 2025, GOV.UK, updated 6 October 2026
See also: DBS ID checking: the three routes explained.
See also: How to get a DBS check for an employee or volunteer.
Daily DBS is independent of the DBS and UK Government. This guide summarises published guidance. The DBS guidance is the authority. Checked against these sources on 11 November 2026.