There is no legal rule that says who must pay for a DBS check.
You decide who covers the cost based on:
Your organisation’s internal policies
Industry norms
The nature of the role you are recruiting for
You can choose to pay as the employer, or you can ask the employee or applicant to pay.
When You, as the Employer, Usually Pay
In many cases, especially in regulated industries, employers choose to cover the cost.
These sectors often include:
Education
Healthcare
Care work
When you pay for DBS checks:
You support your safeguarding and compliance responsibilities.
You make the recruitment process easier and more attractive for candidates.
You can improve recruitment and retention, particularly where DBS checks are mandatory for the role.
When You May Ask Employees or Applicants to Pay
Some employers decide to pass the cost of the DBS check to the:
Employee, or
Job applicant
This is more common when the role is:
Short-term
Freelance
Voluntary
If you choose this approach, you should:
Be clear and transparent about:
Who pays for the DBS check
How much it will cost
What the process involves
Share this information early in the recruitment process, ideally before an applicant accepts an offer.
This helps ensure applicants are fully informed and can make a fair decision about proceeding.