You can request a Basic DBS check for yourself, but Standard and Enhanced checks are not retail products that anyone can order. They require an eligible role and an authorised application route.
Ready to prepare the right application?
Confirm the check level and who is entitled to initiate it before entering personal details.
Quick takeaways
- Use the official route that matches the level of check.
- Keep the process simple by getting the identity step right first.
- Check whether the role is eligible before chasing a higher level.
- Use /apply-now when you are ready to move beyond research.
How the application route works
You can apply for a Basic DBS check yourself. Standard and Enhanced checks are role-specific and normally go through an employer, registered body, or eligible umbrella route. That is the first rule that decides your route.
For tutors, the key admin question is who is entitled to start the application. A person can often arrange their own Basic check, but higher-level routes depend on the role and the route used.
- Confirm the level you need.
- Use the correct route for that level.
- Complete identity checks carefully.
- Keep the reference number for tracking.
The identity and form step
For Standard and Enhanced applications, applicants are encouraged to give full details, including all previous names and a full 5-year address history. The ID guidance uses a route-based process and increasingly encourages digital identity checks where suitable documents are available.
This is the stage where preventable delays happen. The more complete the name and address history, the easier it is for the application to move cleanly through validation.
Check before paying
Confirm the level, workforce and applicant type shown in the application. For a role-based check, make sure the organisation handling it has the same written understanding of the tutoring duties. Review which part of the total is the official DBS fee and whether a separate administration or identity-checking charge applies.
Be cautious with promises of a guaranteed completion date. A well-prepared submission can avoid preventable delay, but the application may still pass through checks outside the submitter’s control. Keep the receipt and reference so you can identify the transaction and track the correct application.
Continue with the confirmed route
Use the application link after the level, identity method and route are clear.
Common mistakes during the application stage
You cannot simply order any DBS level the way you might order a retail product. Basic is open-access, but Standard and Enhanced are controlled routes linked to eligible roles.
That is why the ‘order’ mindset is useful only up to a point. After that, entitlement and route take over.
When to move on from research
Once you understand the route, the next question is whether you want to keep researching or actually move into a tutor-focused application path.
Do not guess: confirm the level and initiating route before submitting the form.
Common questions
Can I order the highest level just in case?
No. Standard and Enhanced levels require legal eligibility for the role.
Can a parent order an Enhanced check for a private tutor?
No. The tutor must use the correct eligible route; the family does not submit it on the tutor’s behalf.
What should be confirmed before payment?
Check the level, workforce, application route, identity method and total charge.
Does paying mean the form has been submitted?
Not necessarily. Read the confirmation and keep the application reference so you know which stage has been completed.
What to do next
Open the application route when you are ready to submit accurate details.