DBS Check Dispute Letter: Free Template and What to Include

If you need to dispute incorrect or outdated information appearing on a DBS certificate, a written letter is the recommended first step — it creates a clear record and shows you're pursuing the matter formally. Below is what a strong dbs check dispute letter should include.

What this letter needs to cover

• State the certificate number and issue date
• Identify the specific information that is incorrect or should have been filtered
• For a conviction or caution, reference the filtering rules; for other police information on an enhanced certificate, ask for a review and note the Independent Monitor route
• Request a corrected certificate be issued

Your right to dispute inaccurate DBS information

DBS certificates can occasionally contain information that's outdated, incorrectly matched to you, or that should no longer appear at all — for example, an old conviction or caution that should have been filtered, or information about someone else entirely. A standard or enhanced certificate can show spent convictions that are not filtered, so a conviction being spent is not enough on its own. You have a formal right to dispute this rather than simply accepting an inaccurate certificate.

What to include before you send it

• The specific information you're disputing, quoted directly from the certificate
• Why you believe it's incorrect, outdated, or shouldn't be included
• Any supporting evidence — court records, or documentation showing a conviction has become spent
• A clear request for the certificate to be corrected and reissued

Where disputes are actually handled

For a standard or enhanced certificate, raise the dispute with DBS within 3 months of the date on the certificate, using the DBS certificate dispute form. DBS works with the police to decide the dispute. If your objection is that police information on an enhanced certificate is not relevant to the job or should not be included, and the police do not agree, the dispute can go to the Independent Monitor, but you must raise it with DBS first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a DBS dispute take to resolve?
Timescales vary depending on the complexity of the dispute and which records need to be checked, so it's worth asking for an estimated timeframe when you submit your dispute.

Can I get a job offer withdrawn while a dispute is ongoing?
This depends on the employer's own policies, but it's worth explaining clearly to any prospective employer that you're formally disputing the accuracy of the certificate.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Disclosure and Barring Service / in Scotland: Disclosure Scotland / in Northern Ireland: AccessNI]
[Recipient Address]
[Recipient Postcode]
[Date]

Dear [Name of Contact, or 'Sir / Madam'],

Subject: Dispute about my disclosure certificate [Certificate number, e.g. 001234567890]

I am writing to formally dispute information on my certificate number [number], issued on [date], which I received on [Date you received it].

The information I am disputing is: "[quote the information exactly as it appears on the certificate]".

I believe it is wrong for the following reason(s):
• [Option A: It is a conviction or caution that does not belong to me - it may be a mistake in identity.]
• [Option B: The details of the offence are wrong, for example the date, the court or the outcome.]
• [Option C: It is a conviction or caution that should have been removed under the filtering rules.]
• [Option D (enhanced certificate): The other police information included is [inaccurate / not relevant to the role]. Please review it. I understand I can ask the Independent Monitor to review it if it is not removed.]

To support my dispute, I have enclosed copies of:
• [e.g. proof of identity, a court document showing the correct outcome]

Please investigate this, correct your records and issue a corrected certificate.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]