Welcome to our DBS Identity Verification Hub

On this page you’ll find information and links to all our resources relating to the Disclosure and Barring Services’ upcoming identity verification (IDV) guidance changes.

You will find information relating to the different types of IDV available to you as an employer, as well as resources which you can provide your Subject’s to help them prepare for the IDV process.

If there is any information not listed here that you would find helpful, please contact our team at customersupport@taxiplus.co.uk

Whats Changing?

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has introduced updated identity verification guidance for DBS checks.

The new guidance was published in April 2025 and we are currently in the middle of a transition period to allow all DBS users to adjust to the new rules.

There are two key changes:

  • The DBS have consolidated their lists of acceptable ID documents, so there are no longer separate lists for UK and non-UK nationals.

  • You are no longer allowed to carry out ID verification using scans or images of documents. The person conducting the ID verification must be in receipt of an individual’s physical ID to complete the process compliantly.

Why are things changing?

There are two main reasons why the DBS ID verification guidance is changing.

First, the DBS are updating the guidance to make it easier to understand and use for applicants and organisations. All applicants are now verified using the same processes regardless of nationality.

Secondly, during the coronavirus pandemic, some of the rules were relaxed to provide employers with a means to recruit safely whilst also abiding by social distancing measures. These rules were always intended to be temporary and the updated guidance reflects this. This means employers and DBS Registered Bodies like Personnel Checks will no longer be authorised to verify ID remotely using scans or pictures.

Your Drivers’ ID Verification Journey

Currently, your drivers have their identity verified through the online ID verification (OIDV) portal embedded in the TaxiPlus web app. In most cases, this process completes with zero issues, and drivers can continue with their DBS application.

Under the current guidance, if they are unable to complete this process successfully, their documents are sent through to our team, and we complete the IDV manually to complete the process.

However, under the new guidance, we are not allowed to do this. This means that if a driver can’t complete the OIDV process, they will need to complete a process known as ‘Post Office In-branch Verification’.

For many drivers, this will be a very familiar process as it is similar to the pre-COVID identity verification process. We’ll break down this process in more detail in the next section.

Post Office In-branch Verification

Post Office In-branch verification is a new identity verification service that has been introduced by the Post Office and our partner Yoti.

This method of IDV is compliant with the DBS’s new IDV guidance that was introduced in April 2025. This method primarily functions as a fallback solution if a driver can’t complete the online IDV process. The Post Office charge £8.80 for this service, which is cheaper than the £12.50 they previously charged for their pre-COVID IDV service.

IBV is available in selected branches across the UK, and the results are sent back to the organisation that requested the check. This keeps everything together in the Personnel Checks app, meaning you keep a single, auditable trail.

According to the Post Office, 97% of people in the UK live within 10 miles of a participating branch.

How IBV works

  1. Book the session in the Case Portal

    After an OIDV fail, your driver confirms their name, date of birth, and address, chooses which ID documents they’ll bring, and picks a Post Office branch. They then receive a verification letter, which can either be printed off or downloaded and used on a device, like a smartphone.

  2. Bring documents and the letter to branch

    The letter includes a QR code, which the Post Office scans to start the check, plus practical details (the branch and the documents the applicant said they’d bring).

  3. Post Office verifies identity

    Trained staff check the original documents in person and process the verification. Post Office then returns the result to us so the application can continue.

The Post Office have produced a short video giving a live demonstration of this process, which you can watch below