How far back does a CRB check go?

Answer 1

CRB checks were replaced by DBS checks in 2012.

Basic criminal record checks only ever show unspent convictions.

Standard and enhanced DBS checks will cover your criminal record for the entirety of the time you have lived in the UK but it will only show cautions (including reprimands and final warnings) and convictions that are not 'protected'.

If a caution or conviction is for an offence that is on the 'DBS list of offences that will never be filtered from a criminal record check' it will never protected.

If a caution is not on that list, it will become protected if:

• 6 years have passed (or 2 if the individual was under 18 at the time of caution).

A conviction offence that is not on that list will become protected if:

• 11 years have passed (5.5 years if under 18 at time of conviction), and
• the individual does not have any other conviction offences, and
• the conviction did not result in a custodial sentence (whether or not served)

If the individual has more than one conviction offences, all convictions will show up forever.

If the conviction resulted in a custodial offence, it will show up forever.

An enhanced DBS check can also show police intelligence (even if a caution or conviction was not issued) as long as the police believe the information is relevant to a recruitment decision,

Answer 2

A basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check typically goes back for the last 5 years, while a standard or enhanced DBS check can go back further depending on the job role and level of check required. It's important to note that the specific details of what is revealed can vary depending on the type of check being carried out.