Taxi and private hire drivers face slightly lower licensing paperwork costs from today, after the Disclosure and Barring Service cut its fees. The government charge for an Enhanced DBS check has fallen from £49.50 to £41 — an £8.50 reduction of about 17% — while the annual DBS Update Service subscription drops from £16 to £15.
The changes took effect on Monday 5 October 2026 under secondary legislation laid in September. They matter for the trade because Enhanced DBS checks, and continuous Update Service registration, sit at the centre of how licensing authorities vet drivers.
What has changed
DBS set out the new prices as follows:
- Enhanced DBS check: £41 (was £49.50)
- Standard DBS check: £20 (was £21.50)
- Basic DBS check: £20 (was £21.50)
- Update Service: £15 a year (was £16)
- Volunteer Standard and Enhanced checks: still free
Enhanced checks see the biggest cut. The reductions were approved by the DBS board, the Home Office, HM Treasury and the safeguarding minister, and given legal force by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, which came into force on 5 October.
DBS said it reviews charges every year and sets each fee to recover the cost of delivering that service under Managing Public Money rules — so the agency neither runs a surplus nor asks taxpayers to subsidise checks. It also stressed that cheaper fees do not mean lighter vetting: the quality and rigour of checks are unchanged.
Why it matters for taxi and PHV drivers
Department for Transport statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards say licensing authorities should require Enhanced DBS checks with children’s and adults’ barred-list checks for driver applicants and renewals. They also recommend that licensed drivers stay registered with the Update Service so authorities can look for new information every six months. Drivers who do not subscribe should still be checked every six months.
In practice, many councils already treat continuous Update Service membership as a licence condition. That makes the £1 annual saving small but recurring — and the £8.50 Enhanced cut more useful when a new certificate is needed for first licensing, renewal, or after a subscription lapses.
Watch the admin extras
The £41 figure is the DBS fee alone. Registered bodies and other organisations that process applications can still add their own administration charges, which DBS neither sets nor regulates. Drivers and operators should check what their council or nominated provider actually bills on top of the government rate.
Councils and registered bodies were told to update systems and customer information before 5 October. Local guidance may take a little longer to catch up, so it is worth confirming the price you are quoted matches the new DBS schedule.
Bottom line
From today, a new Enhanced DBS certificate costs £41 at government rate instead of £49.50, and keeping an Update Service subscription costs £15 a year instead of £16. For a trade that pays these fees as a condition of work, it is a modest but welcome trim — without any change to the checks themselves.