Criminal Record Checks in Canada: Types, Consent and Fixing Errors

A criminal record check in Canada searches the national police database, the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), for criminal convictions linked to you. Most checks start as a name-based search using your name, date of birth and sex. If that search can’t rule out a match, or the purpose requires certainty, you’ll be asked for fingerprints, which the RCMP compares against its national repository. Either way, the check is run with your written consent, and you usually get to see the result.

This guide explains the types of check, what shows up, what an employer can and can’t see, and what to do if a check is wrong. It’s general information, not legal advice. Rules vary by province and by the police service or company running the check.

What CPIC is

CPIC is a national computer system run by the RCMP on behalf of police services across Canada. It holds several kinds of police information, including records of people wanted or on conditions, stolen property and, most relevant here, criminal record information.

The criminal record part is supported by fingerprints. When someone is charged with certain offenses, their fingerprints are taken and sent to the RCMP, and a conviction is later added to a record tied to those prints. That’s why fingerprints are the definitive way to confirm whether a record belongs to you: two people can share a name and birthday, but not fingerprints.

CPIC is not the only place police information lives. Local police services keep their own records of calls, investigations and charges, and courts keep their own files. Some types of check look only at CPIC convictions; others also search local police databases. That difference explains most of the confusion people have about what a check will reveal.

Name-based vs fingerprint-based checks

	Name-based check	Fingerprint-based check
How it works	Searches CPIC using your name, date of birth and sex	Your fingerprints are submitted to the RCMP and compared with its national repository
Who runs it	Local police services and accredited private screening companies	Accredited fingerprinting companies or police services submit prints electronically to the RCMP
Accuracy	Can’t confirm identity; a common name or shared birth date can create a possible match	Confirms whether a record belongs to you
Common uses	Many employment and volunteer screenings	Immigration, some visas, adoptions, certain licenses, resolving a possible match, and some vulnerable sector checks
Result	“No record found,” a list of convictions you declared and police confirmed, or a request for fingerprints	A certified result: either a record or a statement that no record was found

A request for fingerprints after a name-based check doesn’t mean anyone thinks you have a record. It means the system found a record for someone with details close enough to yours that a name search can’t tell you apart.

The levels of police check

Different organizations ask for different depths of check. The names vary, but most fall into three broad levels:

• Criminal record check. Convictions in CPIC that haven’t been suspended or pardoned. This is the most common level for ordinary jobs.
• Criminal record and judicial matters check (sometimes called a police information check). Adds things like outstanding charges, warrants and certain court orders.
• Vulnerable sector check. For roles working with children or other vulnerable people. It can include some non-conviction information and records of sexual offenses that have received a record suspension. Our guide to the vulnerable sector check covers it in detail.

Ontario sets these three levels out in law, in the Police Record Checks Reform Act, which also limits when non-conviction information can be disclosed. Other provinces handle this through police policy and national guidelines, so what a “police information check” includes can differ from place to place. Ask the organization which level it needs before you apply, since a deeper check than necessary can reveal more than it should.

What a check usually shows, and what it doesn’t

A standard criminal record check is built around convictions. In general terms:

• Adult convictions for Criminal Code and other federal offenses are the core of the check.
• Record suspensions and older pardons generally mean the conviction is kept separate and won’t appear on a standard check. See our guide on getting a pardon in Canada.
• Absolute and conditional discharges are not convictions. Under the Criminal Records Act, they’re removed from CPIC automatically after a set period, provided there’s no new conviction in the meantime.
• Youth records are governed by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which sharply restricts access. They generally don’t appear on adult employment checks once their access period ends.
• Provincial offenses, such as most traffic tickets, are not criminal and don’t sit in the criminal record.
• Charges that were withdrawn, stayed or ended in acquittal are not convictions. Whether they appear depends on the level of check and local rules, which is one reason to ask which level you’re being asked for.

A check covers Canadian records. If you’ve lived abroad, an employer or immigration authority may ask for police certificates from those countries too.

What employers can see, and your consent

An employer can’t run a police check on you in secret. Police services and accredited screening companies need your written consent and proof of identity. In practice, one of two things happens:

1. The employer asks you to get the check yourself from your local police or an accredited provider, then show them the result.
2. The employer uses a screening company, and you complete a consent form and identity verification through it.

Your consent covers a specific check for a specific purpose. Read the form: it should say what level of check is being run and who will receive the result. If a company is collecting your personal information in the course of commercial activity, federal privacy law applies to how it handles that data. Our guide to PIPEDA explains your rights to access and correct what a business holds about you.

Some human rights laws also protect people with records. The Canadian Human Rights Act, which covers federally regulated employers, treats a conviction for which a record suspension was ordered as a protected ground. Several provinces’ human rights codes offer some protection too, though the scope differs. If you think you were turned down because of an old or unrelated record, a provincial human rights body or an employment lawyer can tell you whether a claim fits.

How to get a criminal record check

1. Ask which check is needed. Confirm the level (criminal record, judicial matters or vulnerable sector) and whether fingerprints are required.
2. Choose where to apply. Local police services run checks for people living in their area, and many accept applications online. Accredited private companies offer name-based and fingerprint checks too.
3. Prove your identity. Expect to provide government-issued photo ID and possibly a second piece of ID or proof of address.
4. Give consent. Sign the consent form for the specific check and recipients.
5. Provide fingerprints if asked. Accredited fingerprinting companies and some police services take prints electronically and send them to the RCMP.
6. Review the result before you share it, and keep a copy.

Fees and processing times vary by police service, provider and type of check, and some police services waive or reduce fees for volunteers. Check the provider’s own website for current details rather than relying on a figure you saw elsewhere.

How to correct errors on a criminal record check

Errors happen in a few predictable ways. The fix depends on which one you’re facing.

A possible match that isn’t you

If a name-based check flags a record that belongs to someone else, submit your fingerprints to the RCMP through an accredited provider or police service. If the prints don’t match any record, you’ll get a result confirming that, which you can give to the employer. It’s frustrating, but it’s the designed route and it’s usually conclusive.

Your record contains wrong or outdated details

Sometimes a record is yours but incomplete: a conviction appears without the later appeal result, or a charge that was withdrawn isn’t updated. Start by getting a copy of your own record through a fingerprint-based check. Then contact the police service that submitted the information and ask it to correct the record with the RCMP, including court documents that show the correct outcome. The court that handled the case can give you certified copies of the disposition.

Non-conviction information you think shouldn’t be disclosed

If a police information check or vulnerable sector check disclosed local police information you believe shouldn’t have been released, ask the police service about its reconsideration or review process. Many services have one. In some provinces, the privacy commissioner can also look at how a public body handled your information.

Fingerprints and photos after charges that didn’t lead to a conviction

If you were charged but not convicted, many police services have a process for requesting destruction of the fingerprints and photographs taken at the time. It usually isn’t automatic, so ask the police service that laid the charge.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real client.

Daniel, 34, applies for a warehouse supervisor job in Winnipeg. The employer’s screening company runs a name-based check, which comes back asking for fingerprints. Daniel has never been convicted of anything and assumes the worst.

1. He asks the screening company what the result means. It explains that someone with a similar name and the same birth date has a record, so a name search can’t clear him.
2. He books a fingerprint appointment with an accredited provider, which submits his prints electronically to the RCMP.
3. The result confirms no criminal record is associated with his fingerprints. He sends it to the employer with a short note explaining the delay.
4. He keeps a copy, since the same possible match may come up on future name-based checks.

The only real cost was time. Knowing in advance that a common name can trigger this would have saved him a stressful weekend.

Common mistakes

• Getting the wrong level of check. A vulnerable sector check isn’t a “better” criminal record check, and it may be refused if the role doesn’t qualify.
• Assuming a fingerprint request means a record. It usually means a similar record exists for someone else.
• Not declaring convictions when asked. Some checks ask you to list your convictions, which police then confirm. Leaving one off creates a bigger problem than the conviction itself.
• Assuming charges that went nowhere are invisible. Depending on the check and province, they may not be. Ask before you apply.
• Confusing a police check with online results. An employer who also searches your name may find news stories or court listings a police check wouldn’t show.

Criminal records and your name online

A clean police check doesn’t help if an old news story about a charge is the first result for your name. Canada has no general legal right to have that removed, but the practical steps in our guide on getting a record expunged for US readers carry over: send the outcome to the publisher, ask for an update, then ask search engines to refresh the result. If the online side is what’s holding you back, our personal reputation management service can look at what’s showing up and what can realistically change.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a criminal record check in Canada?

Apply through your local police service or an accredited private screening company. You’ll need government photo ID and to sign a consent form. If the name-based search can’t confirm your identity, or the purpose requires it, you’ll be asked for fingerprints, which are sent to the RCMP.

Can an employer do a criminal record check without my consent?

No. Police services and accredited providers need your written consent to run a check, and the consent should state the type of check and who receives the result. An employer can make a check a condition of a job offer, but it can’t run one on you without your agreement.

Does a discharge show up on a criminal record check?

A discharge isn’t a conviction. Under the Criminal Records Act, absolute and conditional discharges are removed from CPIC automatically after a set period if you aren’t convicted of another offense in the meantime. Before that, they may appear.

Why was I asked for fingerprints if I have no record?

Usually because a record exists for someone with a similar name and the same date of birth, so a name-based search can’t tell you apart. A fingerprint check resolves it by confirming whether any record is linked to your prints.