What does a DBS check show?
What appears on a DBS certificate depends on which level was requested, and — for Standard and Enhanced checks — on the filtering rules that keep some older or minor cautions and convictions off the certificate. Some offences are always disclosed and are never filtered.
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 each level discloses
| Level | What can appear |
|---|---|
| Basic | Unspent convictions and unspent conditional cautions only. |
| Standard | Spent and unspent convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer, subject to the filtering rules. |
| Enhanced | Everything a Standard check shows, plus any relevant information held by police forces — and, only where the role is regulated activity, a barred-list check. |
Which level a role is eligible for is a separate question, decided by the role’s actual duties — see which DBS check do I need. A Basic check is available for any purpose; Standard and Enhanced checks are only available where the role qualifies in law. [GOV.UK]
The filtering rules (Standard & Enhanced)
Filtering removes certain old or minor cautions and convictions from Standard and Enhanced certificates so they are not disclosed. [GOV.UK] The current thresholds are:
| Item | Age at the time | Filtered (not disclosed) once… |
|---|---|---|
| Caution (non-specified offence) | 18 or over | more than 6 years have passed |
| Conviction (non-specified offence) | 18 or over | more than 11 years have passed |
| Conviction (non-specified offence) | under 18 | more than 5.5 years have passed |
| Youth caution, warning or reprimand | under 18 | not automatically disclosed (youth conditional cautions are an exception) |
Filtering does not apply to Basic checks, which already show only unspent matters. The rules were changed on 28 November 2020, when the “multiple conviction” rule was removed and youth cautions, warnings and reprimands stopped being automatically disclosed. [GOV.UK]
What is always disclosed (never filtered)
Some matters are always disclosed on a Standard or Enhanced certificate regardless of how long ago they occurred:
- Convictions and cautions for specified offences — those that are serious, or that relate to sexual or violent offending, or are relevant to safeguarding. [GOV.UK]
- Any conviction that resulted in a custodial sentence, whether or not it was suspended.
- Since 28 October 2023, unspent conditional cautions and unspent convictions are automatically disclosed.
Whether an offence is “spent” is governed by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and, for the eligible roles that use Standard and Enhanced checks, its Exceptions Order. [GOV.UK] Because the detail of what a specific record will show can be finely balanced, an individual who is unsure should check the official guidance rather than rely on a general summary.
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 →What an employer may lawfully do with a disclosure
A disclosure is information, not an automatic bar. Employers must handle certificate information lawfully, keep it only as long as necessary and make recruitment decisions fairly on the individual facts. [GOV.UK] The exception is a barred-list result: a person barred from the relevant regulated activity must not be permitted to do that work. See DBS checks for employers for the handling and safer-recruitment duties.
Where Complys fits
Complys does not carry out DBS checks, decide what a certificate shows, or interpret disclosures. 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
Do spent convictions show on a DBS check?
It depends on the level. A Basic check shows only unspent convictions and unspent conditional cautions. Standard and Enhanced checks can show both spent and unspent convictions and cautions — but subject to the filtering rules, which keep some older or minor items off the certificate.
What is 'filtering'?
Filtering is the process that removes certain old or minor cautions and convictions from Standard and Enhanced certificates so they are not disclosed. It does not apply to Basic checks (which already show only unspent matters), and it never removes specified serious offences or any conviction that resulted in a custodial sentence.
How long before a caution or conviction is filtered?
For someone aged 18 or over at the time, a caution for a non-specified offence is filtered after 6 years and a conviction for a non-specified offence after 11 years. For someone under 18 at the time, a non-specified conviction is filtered after 5.5 years, and youth cautions, warnings and reprimands are not automatically disclosed at all (youth conditional cautions are an exception).
What is never filtered?
Convictions and cautions for specified offences (serious offences, and those relating to sexual or violent offending or relevant to safeguarding), any conviction that resulted in a custodial sentence (whether or not suspended), and — since 28 October 2023 — unspent conditional cautions and convictions are always disclosed.
Does the Update Service change what is shown?
No. The DBS Update Service lets a certificate be kept up to date and reused where the level and workforce match; it does not change the disclosure or filtering rules that determine what appears on the certificate in the first place. See our DBS Update Service guide.
Related DBS guides
- Which DBS check do I need?Basic, Standard, Enhanced or Enhanced with a barred-list check? Eligibility depends on the role's actual duties, setting and regulated-activity status — not the job title. A UK employer guide.
- Basic DBS checkWhat a Basic DBS check shows (unspent convictions and conditional cautions), who can apply, the fee (with the 5 October 2026 change), the volunteer and Update Service position, and why a Basic check is available to anyone rather than a legal default.
- DBS checks for employersHow UK employers establish eligibility, request the correct level of DBS check through the proper route, check identity, handle certificates lawfully and keep safer-recruitment records.
Official sources and further guidance
- Filtering rules for Standard and Enhanced DBS certificates — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 — legislation.gov.uk
- Check someone's criminal record — types of check you can make — GOV.UK
- DBS eligibility guidance — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Handling of DBS certificate information — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
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.