Criminal record check in Calgary, from your phone
Calgary employers want a criminal record check before you start, and they usually want it soon. MyCRC lets you get a name-based criminal record check online: your name and date of birth are searched against the RCMP national database, you confirm your identity with an ID photo and a selfie, and the finished PDF is in your account to download for your new employer or landlord. You can do it from Beltline, Airdrie or anywhere else, on your phone.
Police check in Calgary: what employers mean
In Calgary, “police check” almost always means the Calgary Police Service’s police information check (PIC). It’s the term on most job postings and volunteer forms in the city. A PIC can be requested at different levels, including a vulnerable sector level for work with children or vulnerable people, so if a posting asks for a specific level, ask the employer what they need. When an employer simply wants to see whether you have a criminal record, a name-based criminal record check answers that.
Getting a check from the Calgary Police Service
The Calgary Police Service runs an online system, ePIC, for people who live inside Calgary city limits. You apply for yourself, verify your identity electronically with two pieces of government ID (one with a photo), pay, and download your certificate when it’s done. The service is clear that applications are not processed immediately or expedited, so plan for a wait. If you live outside the city, in Cochrane, Chestermere or Okotoks, you apply through your own police service or RCMP detachment instead.
Eligible volunteers screened through Volunteer Alberta can get a check online at no charge through the Calgary Police Service.
Background checks in Calgary
“Background check Calgary” is one of the most searched phrases around hiring in the city. An employer’s background check usually bundles references, employment history and a criminal record check. The criminal record check is the one piece that needs your identity verification and consent, so it’s often the piece handed to you.
Who asks for one in Calgary
Calgary’s energy head offices and their field contractors, engineering and construction firms, airlines and logistics companies at YYC, banks and insurers, and hospitality employers during Stampede season all ask for checks. Property managers and many landlords ask rental applicants for one, and gig and delivery platforms check drivers before activating accounts.
Nearby
Moving up the QEII? See criminal record checks in Edmonton, or read about criminal record checks across Alberta.
Questions about criminal record checks in Calgary
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