Reference · Service times
How often DBS certificates met their 2025/26 processing targets
The Disclosure and Barring Service issued 75% of enhanced certificates within 14 days in 2025/26, below its 80% target. Basic and standard certificates exceeded their respective targets.
Sources checked
Target share
Shared scale · 0% to 90.6%
Reported within window
Shared scale · 0% to 90.6%
Each certificate has its own service window. The table supplies the days behind each share.
Each certificate has a different threshold
DBS set an 85% target within two days for basic certificates and within three days for standard certificates. It reported 87.4% and 90.6% respectively in 2025/26. Enhanced certificates used an 80% target within 14 days. Source 1
An average and a target attainment rate answer different questions
Enhanced certificates averaged 12.4 days to issue, yet 75% met the 14-day threshold. The mean uses all issuance times. The percentage measures the share issued by a specified day. DBS says enhanced issuance reached 80% by day 20. Source 1
Some enhanced checks need police referral
The annual report says about 65% of enhanced checks were completed without referral to a local police force. Of those, 98.5% completed within 10 days. That subset has a different processing path from cases requiring further checks. Source 1
Keep the financial year with the figures
The latest period shown ended on 31 March 2026. The previous year’s enhanced result was 75.6% within 14 days, with the same 12.4-day average. The page shows the agency’s completed-year figures and service targets. Source 1 Source 2