A criminal record check in BC, without the trip
From Victoria to Prince George, people in British Columbia are asked for a criminal record check before a new job, a contract or a rental. With MyCRC you can get a name-based criminal record check online: your name and date of birth are searched against the RCMP national database, you verify your identity with your phone, and the finished report is waiting in your account as a PDF. You don’t need to book time with your municipal police department or RCMP detachment.
How criminal record checks work in British Columbia
In BC there are two routes to a record check, and which one applies depends on the job.
The everyday route is a check through your local police. Cities with their own departments, like Vancouver, Victoria, Delta and Abbotsford, take applications from their residents, and most other communities are served by an RCMP detachment. Police departments in BC often call their product a police information check, and most expect you to apply where you live.
The second route is the province’s Criminal Records Review Program (CRRP). Under BC’s Criminal Records Review Act, organizations whose employees or volunteers work with children or vulnerable adults screen those people through the CRRP, and the organization starts that process. If a school, care facility or health authority is hiring you, it will tell you how to complete it.
BC criminal record check online: is there a free option?
Searches like “BC criminal record check online free” are common. Some BC police departments waive or reduce their fee for volunteers when the volunteer organization asks, and a CRRP check is arranged through the organization that needs it. A personal name-based check from MyCRC costs one price, $68.23 tax included, paid once.
Who asks for a record check in BC
Employers across the province ask for one: tech companies in Vancouver and Burnaby, the film industry, tourism and hospitality employers in Whistler and the Okanagan, construction and resource companies in the north, and ports and logistics firms on the Lower Mainland. Strata councils and property managers check building staff, and many landlords in tight rental markets like Vancouver and Victoria ask applicants for one. Gig platforms and delivery apps ask drivers across the province.
How long it takes in BC
Through a municipal police department or RCMP detachment, a record check usually takes days to weeks, and some ask you to come in. MyCRC reports can be ready in as little as 15 minutes and take about 4 hours on average, wherever in BC you are.
Checks in BC cities
See criminal record checks in Vancouver, or read our guide to getting a criminal record check in Victoria.
Questions about criminal record checks in BC
Can I get a refund?
You can get your money back if you did not finish every step. The steps are:
- Take a photo of your ID
- Take a selfie
- Check that your information is right
- Agree to send your information to the police
If you stopped before the last step, email support@mycrc.ca and ask for a refund. You get all of your money back.
After you finish every step, there are no refunds. Your report is then ready to download as a PDF. It is not refundable for any reason, no matter what your report says.
How long does a criminal record check take?
Reports can be ready in as little as 15 minutes. The average is about 4 hours. Some take longer, usually because identity verification wasn’t finished, or because confirming your ID takes extra time in our system.
What exactly am I buying?
A name-based Canadian criminal record check. It searches the RCMP’s national database, the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), using your name and date of birth to confirm criminal convictions. You get a PDF report online, with no trip to a police station and no appointment.
Before the search, you are asked about any past criminal convictions. If you have any, you must list them, and the details must match your record. If they don’t match, your report may come back Incomplete.
How much does it cost?
$68.23, tax included. You pay once by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, with no monthly fees and no hidden costs. See pricing.
How do I get my report?
Your report is in your account. When it’s ready we email you to sign in (the email doesn’t contain the report). On the finished check, Download report saves the PDF to your device. Log in to your account.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-10-25