The Home Office has laid the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1240) under the negative procedure. The instrument updates the criminal records framework by amending the 2002 and 2009 Regulations governing enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. It was laid before Parliament on 27 November 2025.
The Regulations come into force on 21 January 2026 and extend to England and Wales. For safeguarding and licensing teams, this creates a clear date from which new eligibility for enhanced checks applies to two defined groups.
First, the 2002 Regulations’ list of prescribed purposes for enhanced certificates is widened to include assessing an applicant’s suitability to obtain or hold a pedicab driver licence under regulations made pursuant to section 2 of the Pedicabs (London) Act 2024, and assessing suitability to work as a “registered health care professional” when employed or engaged by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions or by DWP contractors and sub‑contractors. The instrument also inserts a definition so that “registered health care professional” takes the meaning of “health care professional” in section 39(1) of the Social Security Act 1998.
The pedicab provision aligns criminal record vetting with the new licensing regime being developed for London. Section 2 of the Pedicabs (London) Act 2024 enables Transport for London (TfL) to license pedicabs, drivers and operators, set conditions and fees, and determine eligibility requirements. Adding pedicab licences to the prescribed purposes list makes enhanced DBS checks available to TfL (or an authorised body) as part of driver licensing decisions once its scheme goes live.
Second, consequential amendments to the 2009 Regulations ensure that where an application is made for these purposes, the enhanced certificate can include suitability information from the barred lists: children’s information under section 113BA of the Police Act 1997 and adults’ information under section 113BB. This means that, for pedicab driver licensing and for DWP‑engaged registered health care professionals who assess children or vulnerable adults, “enhanced with barred lists” checks are available in law.
Operationally, this closes two gaps. For London, it gives the licensing authority a clear legal route to request enhanced DBS checks on pedicab driver applicants as part of the wider licensing package being consulted on by TfL. For DWP and its delivery partners, it confirms that registered health care professionals-defined in statute to include registered medical practitioners, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other regulated professionals-can be subject to enhanced checks for relevant work, with barred list information where the role involves assessment of children or vulnerable adults.
Safeguarding and HR leads should plan now for implementation from late January. DBS identity guidance was refreshed on 22 April 2025, including a three‑route process for standard and enhanced checks, and should be reflected in local procedures. Current DBS statutory fees are £49.50 for enhanced checks (including with barred lists), which will inform budgeting for licensing and contracting.
For context, TfL has signalled that its forthcoming pedicab regulations will include criminal background and medical checks alongside vehicle inspections, driver identification and fare controls, following extensive consultations in 2025. The DBS change ensures the criminal records component is legally available ahead of the licensing start date envisaged by TfL.
The Regulations do not themselves set detailed licensing rules or DWP vetting policy; they switch on eligibility in the DBS framework so that enhanced and barred‑list checks may be requested for the specified purposes. A separate instrument laid the same day under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 broadened who can request enhanced checks in personal employment settings; policy teams may wish to review both measures together when updating safeguarding policies.