Far too many London taxi drivers are still not subscribing to the DBS Update Service in time, or are not subscribed at all. Paul Kirby, an LTDA executive, sets that out in TAXI, the association's newspaper, in the issue of 27 October 2026. The subscription is mandatory. Transport for London will not issue a licence unless the driver is signed up.
A driver who is not subscribed has to make a new DBS application, and may be off the road while it is processed. Signing up can be done with the E-reference number within 28 days of receiving it, or within 30 days of receiving the DBS certificate. The fee is now £15 a year, down from £16, and is paid by bank card rather than by direct debit or standing order. With the service in place, the documents do not have to go back to the Post Office to be verified.
TfL checks the subscription automatically every six months, so it cannot be left until the next renewal. The DBS certificate that the Update Service relates to has to be kept, because TfL can ask to see it at any time. The C reference number, given when the driver subscribes, is shown on the website and not in any email. TfL will want that number as proof of the subscription, so it should be noted down.
The yearly email
A reminder arrives once a year, when the payment is due. If the card has changed, the new details have to be entered from that email, which is the only way to update them. Anyone in doubt about the reminder should contact the LTDA. That check can save time off work and extra expense.