Introduction – Do Cautions Show On DBS Checks?
Do cautions show on DBS checks? Well it does depend on a few of things:
The age of the offender when the offence was committed, whether the caution is considered “spent” whether the caution has been “filtered” and the type of DBS check that’s been applied for.
All these factors can be applied together, so there are many potential combinations and it is difficult to sometimes give a straightforward answer.
Do Cautions Show On DBS Checks: Cautions For Under-18s
Cautions that were handed out to under-18s will never be automatically disclosed on DBS checks. This is because they are considered to be Youth Cautions, which are never disclosed on any DBS checks.
However, the police may decide to disclose them on Enhanced DBS checks, if they deem the offence relevant to the role being applied for. This is incredibly unlikely, but still possible. We’ll cover it in more detail further down the page.
Youth conditional cautions will be disclosed, but become spent 3 months after being handed out, at which point employers won’t be allowed to let them influence hiring decisions.
Do Cautions Show On DBS Checks: The Filtering Of Cautions
Some convictions and cautions can be “Filtered”, which means they aren’t disclosed whatsoever on DBS checks. These tend to be less-serious offences that were committed a long time ago, or while the offender was under 18. The table below shows how long it takes for cautions to become filtered:
You’ll have noticed that it makes a big difference whether the offence the caution is for is “specified” or not. Specified Offences are especially serious offences, usually of a violent or sexual nature. Cautions for specified offences will always be disclosed on DBS checks. For a full list of specified offences, click here.
Do Cautions Show On DBS Checks: Spent Cautions
If a conviction or caution becomes “Spent”, it will still be disclosed on Standard and Enhanced DBS checks (but not Basic DBS checks). However, employers are not supposed to consider spent convictions and cautions when assessing candidates for roles.
Cautions are considered spent immediately after being issued, except conditional cautions, which become spent 3 months after being issued.
Do Cautions Show On DBS Checks: The Type Of DBS Check
The type of DBS check that’s been applied for effects, whether cautions will show up:
Basic Checks
Spent cautions don’t show on Basic DBS checks, so – remembering that almost all cautions are immediately considered spent – unless the applicant is doing a Basic within 3 months of being handed a conditional caution, it won’t show on a Basic DBS.
Filtered cautions also won’t be disclosed on Basic DBS checks.
Standard Checks
Spent cautions will be disclosed on Standard DBS checks, but filtered cautions won’t.
Enhanced Checks
Spent cautions will be disclosed on Enhanced DBS checks, and it’s possible (but unlikely) that filtered cautions will show up too.
This is because, with Enhanced DBS checks, the police force(s) carrying out the check have the option to include any extra information they have on the applicant, as long as it’s relevant to the role being applied for. This information can include filtered cautions, but like we say, it’s extremely unlikely a filtered caution will be disclosed this way.
We’ve written a separate guide if you’d like to read more about Local Police Information.
Conclusion: Do Cautions Show On DBS Checks?
In conclusion, there are so many factors affecting this question that it’s difficult to give a short answer! The answer depends on the offender’s age when the offence was committed, the type of check requested, whether the offence is “spent”, and whether the offence is “filtered”.
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Further Reading
If you’ve found our post, “FAQ: Do Cautions Show On DBS Checks?” useful, you’ll likely find these very helpful too:
- What’s the difference between Spent and Unspent convictions?
- Do driving offences show on DBS checks?
- Our guide to the three types of DBS check
- The DBS’s filtering guide
About The Author
Kellie Dawson
Kellie is our in-house legal expert when it comes to DBS checks. With a background in the legal sector, she has become a recognised authority in this area.