Criminal record checks and public court records are two different searches
Canada does not provide a public nationwide website where anyone can type another person’s name and see their complete RCMP criminal record. Formal criminal record checks generally involve the person being checked, their consent and, when stronger identity confirmation is required, fingerprints processed through the RCMP’s Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services. Public court files are different: access is handled by provincial and territorial courts and varies considerably across Canada.
How criminal record information is divided across Canada
The RCMP’s Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS) maintains Canada’s National Repository of Criminal Records. Police services and other authorized authorities use that repository to verify fingerprint-supported criminal-record information.
That national repository should not be confused with a courthouse file. A court maintains the actual proceeding, while the RCMP repository is used for national criminal-record identification and verification.
National criminal repository
Fingerprint-supported Canadian criminal-record information used for certified record checks and authorized criminal-justice purposes.
Name-based checks
Police agencies can perform criminal record or police information checks using the applicant’s identity and informed consent.
Criminal case files
Charges, appearances, judgments and court documents are maintained by the province or territory where the proceeding occurred.
Occurrences and investigations
Local police may maintain information that is different from the National Repository of Criminal Records.
Record suspensions
The Parole Board of Canada is the federal agency responsible for granting or refusing qualifying record suspensions.
Local procedures
Court searches, police-check fees and online access vary by jurisdiction.
Can you check another person’s criminal record in Canada?
Not through an unrestricted public RCMP database.
A normal Canadian criminal record check is an identity-screening process involving the applicant. RCMP policy requires identity verification and informed consent before police release criminal-record information through a name-based criminal record check.
The person being checked participates
The applicant usually provides identity documents, personal information and consent. Fingerprints can be required when a possible record cannot be conclusively resolved by name and DOB.
Search the court instead
If your purpose is to research a public criminal proceeding, identify the relevant provincial or territorial court and use its lawful public-access process.
How a name-based Canadian criminal record check works
RCMP policy defines a name-based criminal record check as a search of active criminal files in the National Repository of Criminal Records using the applicant’s name and date of birth.
Police services may use different names for the final product, including Criminal Record Check or Police Information Check. The exact scope can also be affected by provincial policy and local police procedures.
Start with the police service serving your home jurisdiction
Check the police agency’s official website for Criminal Record Check, Police Information Check or Background Check instructions.
Choose the correct type of check
An employer or organization should tell you whether it needs a normal criminal record check, a police information check or a Vulnerable Sector Check.
Verify your identity
RCMP policy requires identity verification. Police agencies may require two valid IDs, including government-issued photo identification, according to their procedure.
Give informed consent
The applicant must consent to the criminal-record search and disclosure process.
Fingerprints may be required
If the name-based search produces a possible criminal-record match or identity cannot be confirmed conclusively, fingerprint comparison can be required.
Certified RCMP criminal record checks use fingerprints
A Certified Criminal Record Check is the RCMP’s fingerprint-based criminal-record product. Fingerprints are searched against the National Repository of Criminal Records by CCRTIS.
What appears in the final certified product depends on the purpose of the application. The RCMP has separate disclosure rules for employment, immigration, travel, adoption, personal use, record-suspension applications and other purposes.
RCMP Criminal Record Checks See Check TypesInformation can differ by application purpose
| Purpose | Possible RCMP product | Important point |
|---|---|---|
| Private employment | Certified fingerprint-based criminal record check | Disclosure is limited according to the applicable RCMP rules. |
| Personal use | Certified criminal record check | Personal-use products can provide broader information depending on the selected purpose. |
| Immigration / citizenship | Certified criminal record check where requested | Follow IRCC instructions before ordering the check. |
| Travel / visa | Fingerprint-based product | The destination country may have its own document requirements. |
| Record suspension | Fingerprint-based criminal record product | The fingerprint submission must identify the record-suspension purpose. |
| Vulnerable sector | Special vulnerable-sector process | Must begin with the local police service. |
Where to get an RCMP fingerprint-based check
Inside Canada, there are two main routes.
Local police service
A local police service may take fingerprints and process an application for a certified criminal record check. Some police agencies instead direct applicants to an accredited provider.
RCMP-accredited fingerprint company
An accredited private company can electronically submit civil fingerprints to CCRTIS for a certified criminal record check.
RCMP criminal record check fees and current processing times
A certified fingerprint-based criminal record check can involve both a federal RCMP fee and a separate local police or fingerprint-company service fee.
| Item | Current RCMP guidance | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Federal processing fee | C$25 when applicable | Collected by the police service or accredited fingerprint company. |
| Local fingerprint/service fee | Varies | Set by the local police agency or accredited provider. |
| No match to criminal record | 3 business days or less | RCMP processing time; add mailing/delivery time. |
| Possible match / manual processing | Up to about 120 business days | Some files can require additional clarification or manual review. |
| Delivery | By mail | RCMP says certified-check results are mailed to the address supplied. |
Check current amounts before paying: RCMP Processing Times and Fees.
Vulnerable Sector Checks have stricter rules
A Vulnerable Sector Check is not simply a “more complete background check” that any organization can request.
It is intended for a position of trust or authority over a vulnerable person, such as certain roles involving children, seniors or people whose circumstances make them more dependent on others.
What the applicant must usually provide
- description of the position
- name of the requesting organization
- description of the vulnerable persons involved
- explanation of the position of trust or authority
- applicant identity information
- applicant consent
- volunteer letter where applicable
- fingerprints if requested
Vulnerable-sector searches can include special checks for record suspensions relating to designated sexual offences. Fingerprints may be required when the name-based screening produces a possible match that needs identity confirmation.
RCMP Vulnerable Sector Check RulesHow to search Canadian criminal court records
A criminal record check and a public court search serve different purposes. If you want to research a prosecution, charge, judgment or court file, begin with the court in the province or territory where the case was heard.
Justice Canada maintains an official page linking to provincial and territorial courts:
Justice Canada Court DirectoryChoose the province or territory where the criminal case occurred
Court-record access is jurisdiction-specific. Use the official Justice Canada directory above, then select the appropriate province or territory.
| Jurisdiction | Typical criminal-court route | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Provincial Court / Supreme Court | Court registry, case access and criminal court information. |
| Alberta | Alberta Court of Justice / Court of King’s Bench | Criminal court locations, file access and registry instructions. |
| Saskatchewan | Provincial Court / Court of King’s Bench | Court registry and case-document access. |
| Manitoba | Provincial Court / Court of King’s Bench | Criminal court listings and registry access. |
| Ontario | Ontario Court of Justice / Superior Court of Justice | Online court services, courthouse file access and criminal proceedings. |
| Quebec | Court of Québec / Superior Court / municipal courts | Court record access and courthouse registry services. |
| New Brunswick | Provincial Court / Court of King’s Bench | Criminal registry and court-file access. |
| Nova Scotia | Provincial Court / Supreme Court | Case information, court schedules and registry access. |
| Prince Edward Island | Provincial Court / Supreme Court | Court registry and criminal file information. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Provincial Court / Supreme Court | Registry contact and court-file procedures. |
| Yukon | Territorial Court / Supreme Court | Court-file and registry access. |
| Northwest Territories | Territorial Court / Supreme Court | Registry access and court schedules. |
| Nunavut | Nunavut Court of Justice | Court registry and publicly accessible proceedings. |
Do not confuse a charge with a conviction
Public criminal court records can contain allegations and procedural events that do not mean the accused was convicted.
| Record term | What it generally means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Charged | An offence has been alleged against the accused. | Look for the later disposition. |
| Pending | The case has not reached a final outcome. | Check upcoming appearances and later decisions. |
| Stayed | The prosecution has been halted, subject to applicable rules and circumstances. | Check whether proceedings were later resumed. |
| Withdrawn | The prosecution withdrew the charge. | Do not represent the charge as a conviction. |
| Acquitted | The accused was found not guilty. | Read the judgment or disposition if needed. |
| Convicted | A finding of guilt was entered. | Check sentence and any later appeal. |
| Discharge | A finding of guilt may have occurred without a conviction being registered. | Check whether it was absolute or conditional and applicable retention rules. |
Published court decisions are not the same as a criminal record check
Justice Canada links to the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) for many Canadian court decisions and court rules. CanLII can be useful for locating published judgments, especially appellate and written decisions.
It should not be treated as a complete database of every Canadian arrest, charge or conviction. Many routine criminal matters do not produce a published written decision.
Can the public search CPIC?
No. The Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) is a law-enforcement information system, not a public people-search website.
Police agencies use CPIC and the National Repository of Criminal Records as part of lawful criminal-record and police-information checks.
Canada’s National Sex Offender Registry is not public
Canada differs significantly from the United States on this point.
The National Sex Offender Registry is a law-enforcement database used to help police prevent and investigate offences of a sexual nature. Justice Canada states that access is strictly controlled and the registry is not available for public name searches.
Provinces or police services may issue public notifications concerning particular high-risk offenders in specific circumstances, but that is not the same as public access to the National Sex Offender Registry.
How to get a certified Canadian criminal record check from outside Canada
The RCMP allows people outside Canada to obtain a certified criminal record check, but the workflow is different because CCRTIS requires electronic fingerprint submission.
Have fingerprints taken in the country where you are located
Use an authorized agency such as an appropriate police service or another provider accepted under RCMP requirements.
Use all ten fingerprints
RCMP instructions require a paper fingerprint form with all ten fingerprints in black ink, plus information identifying the agency and official who took them.
Send the paper fingerprints to an accredited Canadian company
The accredited company converts the prints into the digital format required for CCRTIS.
The Canadian provider submits electronically
The accredited company transmits the application to CCRTIS for processing.
Criminal record checks for Canadian immigration and citizenship
Do not order an RCMP criminal record check for an immigration application unless Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada tells you one is required.
IRCC explains that when fingerprints are required for a Canadian criminal record check, those fingerprints are different from the biometrics collected for many immigration applications.
Electronic fingerprints for the RCMP check are submitted to CCRTIS. If the applicant is outside Canada, an accredited Canadian company must convert qualifying paper fingerprints into electronic form for submission.
IRCC Canadian Criminal Record Check GuidanceRecord suspensions: what happens to an eligible Canadian criminal record
The Parole Board of Canada is the official federal agency responsible for ordering, refusing or revoking record suspensions for qualifying convictions under federal Canadian laws and regulations.
A record suspension was formerly commonly called a pardon. It does not erase the offence. Instead, it causes the record of the conviction to be set aside from other criminal records in CPIC according to the Criminal Records Act.
| Item | Current federal information |
|---|---|
| Responsible agency | Parole Board of Canada |
| Current application processing fee | C$50 |
| Law | Criminal Records Act |
| Does it erase the conviction? | No. It sets the record aside. |
| Lawyer required? | No. The PBC provides official forms and instructions for direct applications. |
What if your RCMP criminal record is missing a conviction?
The Parole Board’s current record-suspension instructions provide a useful practical workflow when an RCMP criminal record is incomplete.
If a conviction is missing, contact the court that heard the case and/or the police service that made the arrest to obtain proof of conviction.
Useful proof should identify:
- date you were sentenced
- court where you were sentenced
- offence resulting in conviction
- sentence imposed
- arresting police service
- court file information where available
Youth criminal records have much stronger access restrictions
Youth records are governed by the Youth Criminal Justice Act and should not be treated like ordinary public adult criminal records.
Access and disclosure depend on statutory access periods, the type of proceeding and the purpose of the record check.
RCMP certified criminal-record products may include youth information only for certain authorized application types. Ordinary public court research must also respect Youth Criminal Justice Act publication and access restrictions.
Employment criminal record checks in Canada
Employers frequently ask applicants to obtain a criminal record check, but the exact product depends on the job and applicable provincial, territorial and federal requirements.
Name-based check
A police or approved third-party process may be sufficient when fingerprint certification is not required.
Fingerprint check
Fingerprints may be required when identity cannot be confirmed or when the specific screening program requires a certified check.
Vulnerable Sector Check
Only appropriate when the actual position meets the statutory trust-or-authority criteria.
Consent and privacy are central to Canadian record checks
RCMP criminal-record screening is not designed as an anonymous background-search tool. Identity verification and informed consent are core parts of the process.
Current RCMP policy requires police agencies to verify the applicant’s identity before conducting a name-based criminal record or vulnerable-sector check and to obtain informed consent.
What does “no criminal record” really mean?
The meaning depends on what kind of search was performed.
No match found
It may mean the search did not find a matching releasable record under the criteria used.
Fingerprint identity
Fingerprints provide stronger identity verification against the national repository.
No online case
It may mean the case is older, filed elsewhere, restricted, not indexed online or never resulted in a published judgment.
Practical Canada criminal-record search tips
Ask what check is required
Do not pay for fingerprints before confirming whether the requesting organization actually needs a certified check.
VSC? Start with local police
Private accredited fingerprint companies cannot initiate a Vulnerable Sector Check.
Use fingerprints for certainty
Name and date-of-birth checks can produce uncertain identity matches. Fingerprints are the strongest RCMP identity-confirmation method.
Checking someone else?
Use public court records for lawful research instead of looking for a nonexistent public national RCMP people-search database.
Know the province
Court research becomes much easier once you know where the case was prosecuted.
Search court and RCMP separately
One is a court proceeding; the other is a criminal-record verification product.
Budget for two fees
Fingerprint checks can have both a local service charge and the federal C$25 fee when applicable.
Outside Canada?
Get paper fingerprints locally, then use an accredited Canadian company to digitize and submit them.
Missing case?
Contact the courthouse registry. Not every criminal proceeding or document is searchable online.
Questions people commonly ask about Canadian criminal records
1. Is there a free public Canada-wide criminal record search?
No. Canada does not provide an unrestricted public RCMP database where anyone can search another person’s complete nationwide criminal record by name. Formal criminal record checks involve identity verification and consent, while public court-record research is handled by individual provincial and territorial courts.
2. What is the difference between a criminal record check and a court-record search?
A criminal record check verifies criminal-record information through police and RCMP systems. A court-record search examines the actual proceeding maintained by the court, including charges, court appearances, judgments and other publicly accessible documents.
3. Where can I get an RCMP-certified criminal record check?
Inside Canada, visit a local police service or an RCMP-accredited private fingerprint company. A Vulnerable Sector Check must begin with the local police service.
4. How much does an RCMP fingerprint criminal record check cost?
The current federal RCMP processing fee is C$25 when applicable. Local police and accredited fingerprint companies set their own service fees in addition to the federal fee. Several application purposes qualify for a federal fee waiver.
5. How long does an RCMP certified criminal record check take?
RCMP currently lists approximately three business days or less when electronic fingerprints produce no criminal-record match. When manual processing or a possible match is involved, processing can take up to about 120 business days. Mailing time is additional.
6. Can I get a Vulnerable Sector Check from a private fingerprint company?
No. RCMP instructions state that a Vulnerable Sector Check must be conducted through the police service in the jurisdiction where the applicant lives. An accredited fingerprint company may become involved later if fingerprints are required.
7. Can I search Canada’s sex-offender registry?
No. Canada’s National Sex Offender Registry is not publicly searchable. Access is restricted to law enforcement for authorized prevention and investigation purposes. A qualifying Vulnerable Sector Check is the relevant employment-screening process in appropriate cases.
8. Can I obtain an RCMP check while living outside Canada?
Yes. Have qualifying paper fingerprints taken by an authorized agency where you live, then use an RCMP-accredited fingerprint company in Canada to digitize and electronically submit the fingerprints to CCRTIS. Do not mail foreign paper fingerprints directly to CCRTIS.
9. Does a Canadian record suspension erase a conviction?
No. A record suspension sets an eligible conviction aside under the Criminal Records Act. The Parole Board of Canada is the federal agency responsible for record suspensions.
10. Does no court result mean someone has no criminal record?
No. A case may be in another province, an older file may not be online, access may be legally restricted, or the case may never have produced a published decision. The scope of the search should always be considered before drawing conclusions.
Official Canadian resources used for this guide
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police — Criminal Records
- RCMP — Criminal Record Checks
- RCMP — Where to Get a Criminal Record Check
- RCMP — Types of Certified Criminal Record Checks
- RCMP — Processing Times and Fees
- RCMP — Vulnerable Sector Checks
- RCMP — Accredited Fingerprinting Companies
- Department of Justice Canada — Provincial and Territorial Court Links
- Parole Board of Canada — Record Suspensions
- Parole Board of Canada — Applying for a Record Suspension
- IRCC — Canadian Criminal Record Checks for Immigration
- Department of Justice Canada — National Sex Offender Registry Information