What an enhanced check covers
An enhanced DBS check is the most detailed level available. Alongside convictions and cautions, it can include other information held by police forces where they consider it relevant to the role.
That level of detail exists because private hire drivers work alone with passengers, including children and vulnerable adults. It is a safeguarding measure, not a presumption about you.
The most common cause of delay
Address history. The form asks for a continuous history with no gaps, and incomplete or approximate dates are the number one reason applications bounce back or sit waiting.
- Write out your full address history with months and years before you start the form
- Include short stays, house shares and time spent abroad
- Make sure your name matches exactly across your DBS form, driving licence and identity documents
- Have your identity documents ready and valid before you begin
- Reply immediately to any request for more information
The DBS Update Service
The Update Service keeps your certificate current and allows it to be checked online, which can make renewals and later applications much simpler. There is an annual subscription, and you generally need to sign up within a set window after your certificate is issued.
Whether the Update Service is required for your TfL application, and the current timescales for joining, are set by TfL and DBS — confirm before you rely on it.
If something shows up on your certificate
A disclosure is not an automatic refusal. TfL assess whether you are a fit and proper person to hold a licence, and that assessment looks at the nature of the matter, how long ago it was, the pattern of behaviour and your circumstances since.
What does serious damage is inconsistency. If your declarations do not match what the check reveals, the honesty question becomes the problem regardless of the original matter. Our guide on points and convictions goes into this in more detail.
How we help
Our Gold VIP package includes handling the enhanced DBS for you, so the form is completed properly first time and the slow part starts as early as possible. We will also talk honestly with you beforehand if you have something on your record, so you can make an informed decision before spending money.
We cannot influence the outcome of a check or the licensing decision. Both rest with the relevant authorities.
Worried about your DBS? Talk to us first
Our TfL Gold VIP package is our full-support option: training and study material, medical and enhanced DBS arranged, TfL fees covered and your application prepared and submitted with you. £1,250.
We prepare and support your application. The decision to grant a licence, and the outcome of every TfL assessment, always rests with Transport for London.
Frequently asked questions
Related TfL guides
Points & Convictions
How penalty points and past convictions are considered by TfL.
Eligibility
Age, licence history, right to work and the other basic conditions.
PCO Application
A step-by-step walkthrough of the application from start to badge.
Medical
The Group 2 style medical, who can sign it and what to prepare.
TfL PCO Licensing & packages
Our main London page: training, full application support and pricing.
This guide is general information based on our day-to-day experience supporting London applicants. Rules, fees and requirements are set by Transport for London and can change — always check the current TfL guidance before you apply, and contact us if you would like help understanding your own situation.
