The Government has launched a consultation on plans to change how criminal convictions received during childhood are disclosed to employers, potentially ending lifelong disclosure requirements for some offences in England and Wales.
The Ministry of Justice says the proposals could help people who offended before turning 18 access employment, education and volunteering. Ministers say the most serious violent, sexual and terrorism-related offences would continue to require lifelong disclosure.
What is being proposed?
The consultation considers five changes: a narrower list of childhood offences requiring lifelong disclosure on standard and enhanced DBS checks; ending lifelong disclosure for non-specified childhood convictions resulting in custodial sentences of two years or less; reducing or removing rehabilitation periods for childhood fines; removing automatic disclosure for childhood out-of-court resolutions; and changing the rule that can extend disclosure periods after further childhood convictions.
For eligible childhood convictions involving custodial sentences of two years or less, the Government proposes an 11-year filtering period on standard and enhanced checks. More serious offences on the retained specified-offences list would still be disclosed for life.
Robbery and assault among offences under consideration
The consultation considers removing robbery, affray, violent disorder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and certain drug-supply offences from the childhood list requiring lifelong disclosure. A 17-year-old convicted of robbery and given a community sentence could, under the proposals, have the conviction filtered after five-and-a-half years rather than disclosed for life. For an eligible robbery conviction resulting in an 18-month custodial sentence, the proposed period would be 11 years.
Government cites decades-old convictions
Ministry of Justice figures show that approximately 76% of childhood offences disclosed on DBS certificates over the previous three years were committed more than 20 years earlier. Between November 2023 and April 2026, 7,291 standard DBS certificates and 36,476 enhanced certificates disclosed childhood offences.
Ministers argue that disproportionate lifelong disclosure can hinder rehabilitation and employment for people who have stopped offending.
Safeguarding protections
The Government says the most serious violent, sexual and terrorism-related convictions would remain subject to lifelong disclosure. The consultation does not propose changes to the DBS barring scheme, and police would retain discretion to disclose relevant information on enhanced checks where appropriate.
What happens next?
The consultation opened on 12 November 2026. Any reforms would require legislation, and no implementation date has been confirmed. Existing disclosure rules remain in force.
Source: Ministry of Justice consultation and Government announcement.