Due to the new normal, wearing a face mask in the U.K has been somewhat controversial. Generally, the majority of the population has to wear a facemask because it is the law. On the contrary, some may be exempt from doing so if they have medical difficulties.
However, if you get caught not wearing one, there is new legislation which states you could be subject to a fine. Because of this, this specific ‘face fine’ has caused a lot of confusing questions. First, will this fine show up on your criminal record? Second, will this show up on future DBS Check?
What happens if the police catch you?
If you’re not wearing a mask on the street or in a public place, the police will supply you with a fixed penalty notice. What this means is that you receive a fine right on the spot.
This notice is similar to a fine that you get by not wearing a seatbelt, smoking in a public place, speeding, littering, etc.
Unless you’ve become involved in additional crimes, police don’t arrest someone for only breaking this law.
If you pay the fine on time, the police don’t view you as guilty. However, the question still occurs, will this penalty still show up on a DBS check?
DBS checks explained
When you get a DBS check, you can choose between three levels. If you have a standard or basic check, then a fixed penalty notice will not show up. However, the third DBS check, an enhanced disclosure check, is more detailed.
This check shows a lot more detail, and the police have the option to choose what they file about the victim. In particular, they can choose to file a non-conviction such as a notice. The truth is, the police have a large amount of flexibility of what they can choose to put on the enhanced DBS check.
Usually, they review the current information on file and if the information is relevant or not. Most of the time, a one-off fixed penalty notice does not show up on these checks, irrespective of the reason.
On the contrary, if you have a track record of getting fixed penalty fees, the police may choose to display this on your enhanced DBS check. For example, if you have a history of speeding tickets, not wearing masks, littering, or anything else, they may reconsider it, aiming to disclose everything.
Next time you’re going out of the house, wear that face mask. Not only will you be playing your part in COVID-19, but you will also limit your chances of a fixed penalty fee.
