How to Get Criminal Background Checks in Canada in 2026

A criminal background check is a way for individuals, employers, and organizations to confirm a person's criminal history using official government records. In Canada, this usually means checking a person's name, date of birth, and sometimes fingerprints against national and provincial police databases to see if there are any past convictions, outstanding charges, or other relevant records on file.

Knowing someone's background is an important part of making a decision, whether that decision is about hiring an employee, approving a volunteer, granting a visa, or finalizing an adoption. Government bodies such as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, along with professional licensing bodies, embassies, and universities, may also request a criminal record check as part of their own screening process.

Canada does not have just one type of criminal background check. Depending on who is asking for it and why, you may need anything from a basic name-based check to a more detailed fingerprint-based check through the RCMP. Each level serves a different purpose, comes with its own process, and takes a different amount of time to complete.

Learn What Happens If There Is a Potential Match on a Criminal Record Check in Canada?

There are four main types of criminal background checks in Canada:

A name-based Police Information Check (PIC) is the most basic type of criminal record check in Canada. It uses your full legal name and date of birth to search the CPIC database. This check only tells you whether a person has any unpardoned criminal convictions or findings of guilt under Canadian federal law or not. It does not give any details about the offence, the date, sentence, active police investigations, outstanding charges, or local court records.

Who Needs a Name-Based Check

A name-based check is usually asked for in situations where the risk involved is low, mostly when a role requires basic trust. Common examples include:

• Retail and customer service jobs.
• General office jobs.
• Trades and labour positions.
• Volunteer roles that do not involve vulnerable people.
• Some school or college admissions.
• Rental applications.
• Visa or immigration purposes, sometimes.

Read More About Fingerprint vs Name-Based Criminal Record Check - Which One Do You Need?

How to Get a Name-Based Background Check in Canada

Step 1: Confirm the Exact Level Required

Before you apply, check with the organization asking for it. Make sure they specifically need a basic name-based check and not a Vulnerable Sector Check.

Step 2: Find Out Where to Apply

This depends on where you live. Common options usually include your local police service, the Ontario Provincial Police if you live in an OPP-policed area, a province wide portal such as the Criminal Records Review Program in British Columbia, or an RCMP accredited company if you are applying from outside Canada.

Step 3: Apply Online or In-Person

Most police services and provincial portals now allow you to apply online. You can apply directly through your local police service website or through an accredited third-party background check company in Canada.You will need to fill in your personal details, including your full legal name, date of birth, and current address.

Step 4: Provide Identification

You will need two pieces of valid government-issued identification. At least one piece must have your photo, full name, and date of birth (such as a driver's license or passport). The second piece can be a birth certificate or citizenship document.

Step 5: Pay the Fee

Fees vary by province and city, but they usually fall between $25 and $65, depending on your municipality or the private provider you select. Many police services offer this check for free if it is for a volunteer position, as long as you provide a signed letter from the organization on their letterhead.

Step 6: Wait for Processing

Most name-based checks are processed quickly. Online checks can take as little as a few hours to a few days, while applications through local police stations may take up to two weeks. If your details need further verification, this can take longer.

Step 7: Receive Your Result

The result is usually sent to you as a PDF, once the check is complete. Some agencies also offer a printed copy on request.

A CRJMC, short for Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, is the second level of criminal record checks in Canada. It goes a step beyond the basic name-based check. Along with checking for past convictions, it also looks for outstanding charges, warrants, judicial orders, peace bonds, probation orders, and prohibition orders. It also shows absolute discharges within the past year and conditional discharges within the past three years.

A name-based basic check only tells you if someone has a conviction on record. A CRJMC tells you that, plus whether there is anything currently pending against the person in the justice system.

The official name CRJMC is created and defined under Ontario law through the Police Record Checks Reform Act. So, a genuine CRJMC is officially issued only by the police services and the Ontario Provincial Police within Ontario. Other provinces and RCMP detachments across Canada usually issue their own name-based checks, which may include similar information, but they sometimes use the term CRJMC or Enhanced Criminal Record Checks loosely to describe their version of a Level 2 check. If you are outside Ontario and someone offers you a CRJMC, you must ask exactly what the check includes and which police authority is issuing it, so you know you are getting the right document for your purpose.

It is usually needed for roles or situations that involve a bit more responsibility or trust than a basic name-based check would cover, like:

• Real estate agents and brokers, as required by RECO.
• Private investigator and security guard license applicants.
• Maintenance or administrative staff at schools and hospitals.
• Applicants under 18 working or volunteering with a government agency.
• Adoption applications, including anyone over 18 living in the home.
• Certain financial, healthcare, or regulatory sector jobs.
• Some professional licensing bodies.

How to Get a CRJMC in Canada: Step by Step

Step 1: Prepare Identification and Address Proof

Gather two valid government-issued IDs, such as a driver's license, passport, or birth certificate. At least one ID must contain your photo, legal name, and date of birth. You must also provide proof of residency, like a utility bill, showing you live in the police service's jurisdiction.

Step 2: Choose Where to Apply

In Ontario, you can apply through your local police service, the OPP, or an organization approved as a Vendor of Record by the police service. Outside Ontario, check with your local police service or an RCMP accredited company for their equivalent Level 2 check.

Step 3: Complete Identity Verification

Apply online through your local police portal or an accredited background check service. Online portals use identity verification systems where you answer credit history security questions or scan your photo ID. If online verification fails, you must complete your application in person at a police station.

Step 4: Pay the Processing Fee and Submit

Submit your application and pay the required fee. In Canada, costs generally range from $30 to $65 for employment applications. In Ontario, under provincial law, police service fees are waived for volunteers applying for a CRJMC.

Step 5: Download or Pick Up Your Document

Once ready, you will get an email notification and can download the electronic copy from your online account. Digital processing usually takes 1 to 5 business days, while paper processing through local police stations can take up to two weeks.

A Vulnerable Sector Check, often written as VSC, is the highest and most detailed level of criminal record check available in Canada. It was created in the year 2000 specifically to protect children, seniors, and people with disabilities from individuals who may pose a risk to them.

It includes everything covered in a Level I and Level II check. On top of that, it also checks whether the applicant has a record suspension or a pardon, for a sexual offence listed under the Criminal Records Act. This is the only level of check in Canada that can reveal a pardoned sexual offence, and it can only be shared with the requesting organization if approved by the Minister of Public Safety.

Private background check companies cannot perform or issue a Vulnerable Sector Check. By Canadian law, this check can only be conducted by the local police service or local RCMP detachment in the municipality where you live.

Because this check search sensitive records, federal law strictly regulates who can apply for one:

• The role must involve working in a position of trust or authority over children (under 18 years old) or vulnerable adults, such as elderly individuals or people with disabilities.
• You cannot request a Vulnerable Sector Check for personal reasons. Your hiring organization must provide you with an official request letter or agency code that details your job responsibilities.
• You must apply directly through the police jurisdiction where you physically reside, even if your employer is located in a different city or province.

Who Requires a Vulnerable Sectors Check?

This check is reserved strictly for high-trust roles where individuals have direct, unsupervised access to vulnerable populations:

• Healthcare and Personal Care - Nurses, doctors, home care aides, and long-term care staff.
• Childcare and Education - Teachers, daycare workers, early childhood educators, and tutors.
• Community and Youth Work - Youth sports coaches, camp counselors, foster parents, and scout leaders.
• Specialized Transportation - School bus drivers and specialized transit operators.

VSC Application Process

Unlike the earlier two levels, a VSC usually cannot be completed fully online. Most police services require you to apply in person, since your identity and address need to be confirmed carefully. 

A fingerprint-based criminal record check is the most accurate and detailed type of background check available in Canada. Instead of matching just a name and date of birth, it matches your actual fingerprints against the RCMP's National Repository of Criminal Records. This repository is managed by the Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services, known as CCRTIS, based in Ottawa. It is officially known as an RCMP Criminal Record Check.

Because fingerprints are unique to each person, this check removes any doubt about identity. It confirms, without question, whether the record belongs to you or to someone else with a similar name. This is why it is considered the gold standard of background checks in Canada.

If a name-based criminal record check cannot clearly confirm your identity, you may be asked to provide fingerprints, since fingerprints are the most reliable way to verify who you are. Beyond identity confirmation, several groups and situations call for this check directly: 

• People applying for citizenship, permanent residency, or long-stay visas, to and from Canada.
• Individuals applying for jobs that involve working with children, seniors, or other vulnerable groups.
• People applying to join a police force or government agency.
• Individuals who need to clear a name mismatch or similar name flagged during a standard check.
• Those adopting a child, domestically or internationally
• People applying for certain professional licenses, such as in healthcare or law.

How To Apply For an RCMP Criminal Record Check

Step 1: Find an Accredited Fingerprinting Service

You cannot submit fingerprints directly to the RCMP on your own. You must coordinate with an RCMP-accredited private agency within Canada.

Step 2: Gather Your Required Documents

Bring two pieces of valid, government-issued ID.

• Primary ID: Must include your full name, photo, and signature (Passport, Driver's License, or PR Card).
• Secondary ID: Must show your name and date of birth (Birth Certificate).
• Application Form or Letter: If an employer or government agency requested the check, bring their formal request letter.

Step 3: Get Fingerprinted

The technician will take your fingerprints using an optical scanner. They will also confirm your identity details and submit your fingerprints electronically to the RCMP database. The process takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4: Pay the Required Fees

You will be required to pay the service fee charged by the fingerprinting agency, on top of the $25 federal RCMP fee.

Step 5: Receive Your Results

If you have no criminal record, processing is fast, with results usually arriving within 3 to 10 days. If a record exists, the RCMP must manually review the file, which can take up to 120 days or more. The final report will be sent physically via mail.

Also Check How to Get an RCMP Criminal Record Check Outside Canada

In order to receive any of the background checks in Canada, two pieces of valid ID are required, of which one must be a photo ID containing the individual’s signature. Below is a list of accepted identification:

• Driver’s Licence
• Canadian Passport
• Foreign Passport
• Canadian Citizenship Card
• Permanent Resident (PR) Card
• Certificate of Indian Status
• Student Identity Card
• Firearms Acquisition Certificate (FAC)
• Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Identification Card
• Federal, Provincial, or Municipal Identification Card
• Military Family Identification Card (MFID)
• Work Permit

When you’re looking to get a background check in Canada, it usually means figuring out which police service to contact, whether they need fingerprints or not, and how long the whole process will take. Globeia removes this guesswork by bringing every service in one place.

Support for Both Name-Based and Fingerprint-Based Checks

Globeia offers a single portal where you can apply for both name-based and fingerprint-based criminal record checks in Canada. You do not need to spend hours going through different local police websites and trying to understand their individual procedures. Just start with our portal, choose the service you need, and we take care of the rest. You can apply for both from here!

Convenient Fingerprinting Services

For RCMP criminal record checks that require fingerprints, Globeia offers fingerprinting services across Canada. We provide mobile, doorstep fingerprinting in several major cities, including:

• Toronto
• Vancouver
• Calgary
• Ottawa
• Edmonton
• Mississauga
• Winnipeg, and more.

If you live in Toronto, you also have the option to visit our office directly, where digital fingerprinting is done on-site. Our office is located at:

1185 Victoria Park Avenue, Toronto, ON M4B 2K5

Learn About Fingerprinting Services Across Canada with Globeia

RCMP-Accredited Office in Toronto

Globeia Incorporated in Toronto is our RCMP-accredited entity, authorized to digitize and submit fingerprints directly to the RCMP. This means when you work with us, we take your fingerprints and send them to our own accredited office in Toronto, all within a single workflow. There is no need to coordinate between multiple vendors or wonder whether your fingerprints will reach the right place.

Background Check Coordination Dashboard for Bulk Applications

For employers, organizations, businesses, and even police services, Globeia provides a centralized dashboard to coordinate background checks and pre-screening for multiple people at once. This includes CRJMC, CPIC, and VSC checks. Instead of managing each application manually, you can track and process them all from one dashboard, cutting down the time and effort involved significantly.

Check out and access Globeia dashboards here:

Why Should Canadians Choose Globeia?

• Trusted by over 30,000 satisfied customers across Canada.
• Rated 5 stars by more than 600 reviewers.
• Digital smart forms catch errors instantly, so your application goes in correctly the first time.
• Same-day fingerprinting available, with both digital and ink options.
• Transparent pricing with no hidden fees or surprise charges.
• Bank-level encryption keeps your personal information secure at every step.
• Access your application status anytime, from any device, with 24/7 availability.
• Real-time updates let you see exactly where your application stands at any given moment.
• Automatic email and SMS alerts keep you informed without needing to check in manually.
  Every application comes with a dedicated case manager to guide you through the process.

Most of the time, the reason someone needs a background check in Canada is tied to a deadline, like a job offer, a visa application, a volunteer position that cannot start until clearance comes through, or more. In almost every case, time is the one thing you do not have extra of.

Many people in Canada choose to handle the process on their own, and that is completely possible. But doing it manually means researching which level of check you need, finding the right police service or accredited agency, figuring out their specific application steps, and then waiting without much visibility into where things stand. If anything goes wrong along the way, like a mismatched name or an incomplete form, it can cost you even more time, and by then, the deadline you were working towards might already be gone.

This is exactly why working with a service provider, like Globeia, that specializes in background checks makes sense for most people and organizations. Instead of piecing the process together yourself, you get a team that already knows the requirements, has the right accreditations in place, and can move things forward smoothly.