If you need to do a background check for a job application, you might be concerned about whether drink driving offences show on DBS checks. If you’ve had any sort of driving conviction, it’s understandable to be worried about what will show up during pre employment checks.
Our guide looks at what will show up during criminal record checks, how long convictions stay on your criminal record, and what offences you may need to disclose to your employer.
Driving offences can show on DBS checks, but not all offences would be recorded on your criminal record and so would not have to be disclosed to your potential employer.
The types of offences which would show up on a DBS check are more serious in nature.
Driving Offences Which will Not Show on a DBS
Minor driving offences which might get you points on your license, or a fixed penalty notice will not show on a DBS check.
This type of offence includes:-
- Minor speeding offences and speeding fines.
- Parking fines.
- Driving without insurance.
- Driving in a bus lane.
- Running a red light.
As long as a driving offence is not a recordable criminal conviction, it will not show on your criminal record check. This means you do not have to disclose this type of offence in a job application.
Driving Offences which will Show on a DBS
Anything which crosses the line into criminality will result in a criminal record. For a driving offence to be recordable, it must be something that it is possible to receive a prison sentence for.
Your conviction will still show up on a DBS check even if you did not get a prison term. It only matters that a custodial sentence was a possibility.
Filtering
However, not all driving offences will remain on a DBS check. After a qualifying period, they will be considered spent and will no longer be shown. This is called “filtering”. Another commonly used term to describe the process is protected cautions and convictions.
We’ll look at some of the more common driving offences, and how long they will show up on a criminal record check.
Does Drink Drink Driving Show on a DBS?
A drink driving conviction will show on a dbs check. However, depending on the seriousness of the offence it may be spent or filtered after a qualifying period.
How Long Does Drink Driving Stay on a DBS?
Some drink driving offences will always show on a DBS and will never be filtered. The length of time a conviction will be recorded will depend on the sentence received for the offence.
It’s important to note that if your offence resulted in a death that it will always be shown on a DBS check.
Filtering of Drink Driving Convictions
| Sentence | How Long Offence Stays on DBS |
|---|---|
| Over 48 Months Custody | Never Spent – Will Always Show Up |
| 30 – 48 Months Custody | 7 Years from End of Sentence |
| 6 – 30 Months Custody | 4 Years from End of Sentence |
| Up to 6 Months Custody | 2 Years from End of Sentence |
| Probation Order | 12 Months from End of Order |
| Community Order | 12 Months from End of Order |
| Fine | 1 Year from Date of Conviction |
| Conditional Discharge Order | Removed on Last Day of Order |
Other Driving Offences
Other driving offences will show up on your pre-employment check if they were serious enough to be recorded on your criminal record and are not yet spent.
Refer to the table above to see how long other offences would be disclosed before being filtered.
Some examples of motoring offences which would be recordable are:-
- Dangerous driving.
- Death by dangerous driving.
- Driving while disqualified.
- Drug driving.
Any driving offence which resulted in death will always show up on a DBS check.
Bear in mind, however that even if an offence is disclosed on your DBS check it will not necessarily mean you will not be employed.
Disclosing Drink Driving Offences to Employers
If you have a protected conviction for a driving offence, you don’t have to disclose it to employers during pre employment checks. If you are refused a job on the basis of a conviction that would not have been disclosed, the employer is acting unlawfully under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
The UK government guide to DBS filtering has more on disclosing offences to employers and the laws around it.
Further Reading
- List of offences which will never be filtered in England and Wales.
- Offences which will never be filtered in Scotland.
- Our guide on if cautions show up on a DBS check might help you answer any further queries.
- Wondering what other pre employment background checks you may be asked to undergo?
FAQ
A driving ban will not show on a dbs if it is a spent conviction and eligible for filtering. The time it takes for an offence to be filtered depends on the seriousness of the crime. Some serious driving offences which resulted in a ban, will always show on a check. This includes any offence which resulted in death or serious injury to others.
Offences relating to road tax will not show up on a DBS check. This is because it is a non recordable offence. That means it won’t show up on a basic, standard, or enhanced check.
Driving without insurance will not show on a DBS check. It is a non recordable offence and will not show up on any level of criminal background check. If a more serious driving offence was committed at the same time, and it was not eligible for filtering, then driving without insurance would show up alongside it.
Any points on your driving license will not show up as part of a DBS check. Motoring offences will only be shown if they cross the line into criminality, speeding points alone would not be placed on your criminal record.
