Turnaround Times for DBS Checks By Region
If you’ve recently applied for a job and part of the application process was to complete a DBS check then you may want to know how long it will take to process and return your certificate.
Whether you applied for a Basic DBS check yourself or the employer applied for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check on your behalf, the turnaround time should be similar.
However, the speed of the DBS check will depend on other factors such as whether it was applied for by post or online, or where you are located in the country.
Applying for a DBS Check Online
If you want or need to apply for a Basic DBS check as an individual, you are able to do it online these days through a portal like the one we offer right here.
Standard or Enhanced DBS checks are a bit more complicated as they need to be verified before submission by the employer or a registered body such as a recruitment company.
Online DBS checks are processed more quickly than postal ones, so you get a speedier response. Usually, you will get the result emailed to you within 48 hours, and the certificate will follow in the post within 2 weeks on average.
How Long Does a Postal DBS Check Take?
If you decide to fill out a form by hand and post it, the average wait time is around 4 weeks from the date you post it. But this is only if there are no mistakes, missed information, or illegible handwriting on the form. Occasionally, the form you send may get lost in the post. If anything like this happens, you’ll need to resubmit the form, which can delay you starting your new job by another 4 weeks.
Online applications remove this risk as they have in-built systems to check for missing fields and will prompt you to double-check important information. There is also zero chance of it getting lost after submission.
How Does My Location Affect the Turnaround Time?
Different areas of the country vary in how long it takes for them to respond to DBS checks.
Here is the list of locations, along with the average processing times:
- Lincolnshire (0.7 days)
- Guernsey (0.7 days)
- M.O.D Police (0.9 days)
- Northern Ireland (1.0 days)
- Leicestershire (1.2 days)
- The Isle of Man (1.2 days)
- Norfolk (1.9 days)
- Gloucestershire (2.2 days)
- Hertfordshire (2.6 days)
- DBS Scotland (2.9 days)
- Dorset (3.2 days)
- Jersey (3.7 days)
- Wiltshire (4.6 days)
- Suffolk (4.9 days)
- Gwent (5.1 days)
- Dyfed-Powys (5.2 days)
- South Wales (5.4 days)
- North Wales (5.9 days)
- Cheshire (5.9 days)
- Essex (6.2 days)
- Bedfordshire (6.4 days)
- Cambridgeshire (6.9 days)
- Humberside (7.0 days)
- Cleveland (7.0 days)
- Lancashire (7.0 days)
- British Transport Police (7.5 days)
- Warwickshire (7.9 days)
- West Midlands (8.0 days)
- City of London (8.0 days)
- Derbyshire (8.3 days)
- Durham (8.3 days)
- Sussex (9.1 days)
- Thames Valley (9.2 days)
- South Yorkshire (9.4 days)
- Staffordshire (10.3 days)
- Nottinghamshire (11.0 days)
- Cumbria (11.2 days)
- West Mercia (11.6 days)
- Hampshire (11.7 days)
- Merseyside (11.7 days)
- Northamptonshire (12.6 days)
- Kent (14.0 days)
- Metropolitan (14.1 days)
- Devon and Cornwall (15.0 days)
- Northumbria (15.1 days)
- West Yorkshire (15.1 days)
- Avon and Somerset (17.5 days)
- North Yorkshire (17.7 days)
- Greater Manchester (18.5 days)
- Surrey (20.9 days)
- Service Police (26.1 days).
Get The Fastest Turnaround Time By Applying for an Online DBS Check
Applying online is the fastest way to get a DBS check result, usually within 24 hours and the certificate posted within 14 days, but usually much less. Applying online also reduces the chance of mistakes being made. Contact us today to find out more about applying for an online DBS check.
