How to get a DBS check when you are self-employed (2026)
If you want work involving children or vulnerable adults, or simply want a DBS badge on your profile, this is the process.
What you can apply for yourself
A Basic DBS check. Anyone can apply for their own, directly through the Disclosure and Barring Service. It shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions.
- Cost: £21.50
- Turnaround: usually a few days, sometimes within 24 hours
- Apply at gov.uk, or through Disclosure Scotland if you live in Scotland
This is the level Taskerama accepts for a DBS badge.
What you cannot apply for yourself
Standard and Enhanced DBS checks cannot be applied for by an individual. They must be requested by an employer or a registered "umbrella body" for a role that is eligible under the legislation. Self-employed people cannot self-request an Enhanced check for general work.
If a client needs an Enhanced check, for example for regular unsupervised work with children, they or their organisation must request it through a registered body.
The Update Service
For £16 a year you can subscribe to the DBS Update Service, which lets employers check your existing certificate online rather than making you apply again. You must subscribe within 30 days of the certificate being issued, so do it as soon as it arrives.
What you need to apply
- Proof of identity (passport or driving licence, plus supporting documents)
- Five years of address history
- National Insurance number
How long it lasts
A DBS certificate has no expiry date; it is a snapshot of the day it was issued. Most platforms and clients treat anything over 12 months old as stale, and Taskerama asks for a certificate issued in the last 12 months. Keep it current with the Update Service or renew annually.
Adding it to your Taskerama profile
Upload the certificate and its number in your verification settings. Our team checks it and keeps it on file securely with your badge; only our team can see it. Your profile shows a DBS badge, and the information on the certificate is never displayed to anyone.
The badge matters. Some Taskerama categories, such as family help and tutoring, are open only to taskers with a DBS badge, and posters look for it on anything involving their home and family.
Not on Taskerama yet? Become a tasker, then add your badge.
Primary sources
Everything above is drawn from these. They are the versions to trust if we have fallen out of date.
Next steps
Related guides
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- Side-hustle tax in the UK (2026): what you owe and when to tell HMRCThe £1,000 trading allowance, when to register for Self Assessment, what you can deduct, and what platforms now report to HMRC about your earnings.
- The £1,000 trading allowance explained (UK, 2026)What the £1,000 trading allowance covers, why "gross" matters, allowance versus actual expenses, and worked examples at £900, £2,500 and £12,000 of task income.
- How to check a tradesperson before you hire (UK, 2026)The registers to search, the documents to ask for, and the jobs that legally require certification in the UK, plus the checks Taskerama does for you.
Prices and rules change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it. How we research and check these guides.