The Adults’ Barred List
The Adults’ Barred List is the list, maintained by the DBS, of people barred from regulated activity with adults. It is checked only as part of an Enhanced check with a barred-list check, and only where a role is regulated activity with adults.
This guidance is maintained by the Complys team and reviewed against the primary DBS / GOV.UK sources listed above (last reviewed 24 September 2026). It is general information, not legal advice, and DBS rules can change — always confirm against the official sources.
What being barred means
A person on the Adults’ Barred List must not take part in regulated activity with adults. It is a criminal offence for a barred person to seek or carry out that work, and for an organisation to knowingly permit it. [GOV.UK] The barred-list check lets eligible organisations establish this before the person begins regulated activity.
Being barred is not the same as having a criminal record. A barred-list result records a barring decision; the criminal-record sections of a certificate record convictions, cautions and, on an Enhanced check, relevant police information. The two are separate, and one does not automatically follow from the other.
When the list is checked
| Check | Adults’ Barred List checked? |
|---|---|
| Basic check | No |
| Standard check | No |
| Enhanced check (no barred-list element) | No |
| Enhanced check with Adults’ Barred List (regulated activity with adults) | Yes |
The barred-list element follows from regulated activity: establish whether the role involves one of the six categories of regulated activity with adults first. It cannot simply be added to a role that is not eligible for it.
How people are barred, and the duty to refer
Barring decisions are made by the DBS, not employers — some automatic (with or without representations), some discretionary following a referral. [GOV.UK] Employers may have a legal duty to refer a person to the DBS where they are removed from regulated activity with adults (or would have been) because they harmed or risked harm to an adult. Confirm the precise duty for your circumstances against the official guidance.
Not sure which level applies?
Our free DBS eligibility guidance checker walks you through the official criteria and points you to the guidance to confirm against. It is guidance, not a legal determination.
Open the DBS eligibility checker →Where Complys fits
Complys does not carry out DBS checks, search barred lists or make barring or referral decisions. It helps you record that the correct level of check was completed and its date, and keep review reminders — within the official handling rules (see DBS record keeping & compliance).
FAQs
What is the Adults' Barred List?
It is a list maintained by the DBS of people barred from taking part in regulated activity with adults. It records a barring decision made by the DBS, and is separate from the criminal-record information shown on a certificate.
When is the Adults' Barred List checked?
Only as part of an Enhanced DBS check that includes a barred-list check, and only where the role is regulated activity with adults. Basic and Standard checks never include it, and an Enhanced check without the barred-list element does not either.
What does the result tell an employer?
Whether the person is barred from regulated activity with adults. It does not explain why. A barred person must not be permitted to work in regulated activity with adults — it is a criminal offence for them to do so and for an organisation to knowingly allow it.
Is being on the Adults' Barred List the same as a conviction?
No. A barring decision and a criminal record are different things, recorded differently. Someone can be barred without a corresponding conviction, and a conviction does not automatically mean a person is barred.
Do employers have a duty to refer?
In defined circumstances, yes. If you remove someone from regulated activity with adults (or would have, had they not left) because they harmed or posed a risk of harm to an adult, you may have a legal duty to refer them to the DBS. Confirm the exact duty against the official guidance.
Related DBS guides
- Regulated activity with adultsWhen work with adults is regulated activity: the six categories (providing health care, personal care, social work, assistance with cash/bills or affairs, conveying) that can qualify from a single occurrence, and why 'working with vulnerable adults' is not a test by itself.
- Children's Barred ListThe Children's Barred List records people barred by the DBS from working in regulated activity with children. What being barred means, how the barred-list check works, when it applies, and the employer duty to refer — in plain English.
- Enhanced with barred list & regulated activityWhen a role needs an Enhanced DBS check with a children's or adults' barred-list check, what regulated activity means for each, and the 1 September 2026 change to regulated activity with children.
Official sources and further guidance
- Eligibility for an Enhanced with Adults' Barred List DBS check — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Regulated activity with adults in England and Wales (DBS guidance leaflet) — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Eligibility for roles working with adults — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- DBS eligibility guidance — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Check someone's criminal record — types of check you can make — GOV.UK
This guidance is maintained by the Complys team and reviewed against the primary DBS / GOV.UK sources listed above (last reviewed 24 September 2026). It is general information, not legal advice, and DBS rules can change — always confirm against the official sources.