Enhanced DBS check

As part of your dual driver licence application, you must have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

This is to help us make informed decisions before issuing a dual drivers licence. We must assess if you are a ‘fit and proper’ person to hold a taxi licence.

This check will provide us with details of any criminal convictions against you, whether spent or unspent.

Having a criminal record does not stop you from applying for a licence.

We may discuss any matter revealed in a check with you, in confidence, before we reach a final decision.

We will only share this information within the licensing department and public health and protection management team, if necessary.

You can apply for an enhanced DBS through Taxi Plus. The cost for this is £53.

When you receive the DBS certificate, you must also sign up for the DBS update service. This is a condition of your licence. You can subscribe to this service through Personnel Checks when ordering an enhanced DBS check.

Taxi Plus are a third party checking agency authorised to act on our behalf. Using this option is a faster route for your enhanced DBS check.

To apply for a check, you will need to:

go to the Taxi Plus website and make an online application
sign up to the DBS update service (whilst making your application through Taxi Plus)
pay the £59 fee directly to Taxi Plus
provide copies of the required identity documents to Taxi Plus (either by email or post) following their instructions

What happens next

The DBS will send you a Disclosure certificate. When you receive the certificate you must:

provide us with a copy of the certificate
sign up to the DBS update service within 28 days of the certificate being issued through Taxi Plus (if not already subscribed when making your application)

Failure to provide us with the certificate may delay your application.

Taxi Plus will confirm to us that they have completed the DBS check. They will not receive a copy of the certificate.

The DBS update service subscription aims to remove the need for three yearly full enhanced checks, replacing previous charges with an annual subscription fee.

If there has been any change, we will ask you to carry out a further full enhanced check. In signing up to this service, we will check your status every six months.

Taxi Plus will ask you to provide them with one or more of the following identity documents:

current valid passport (any current and valid passport)
biometric residence permit (UK)
current photocard driving licence (full or provisional: UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and EEA)
birth certificate issued within 12 months from birth (UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands) full or short version including those issued by UK authorities overseas, for example embassies, High Commissions and HM Forces
adoption certificate (UK and Channel Islands)

All driving licences must be valid. For example, they must be in date, acceptable in the UK and show your current home address.

We only need to see identity documents when checking your right to work.