Criminal record check in Edmonton without the wait
Whether it’s a new job, a government contract or a new apartment, Edmonton keeps asking for police information checks and criminal record checks. MyCRC provides 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 in your account as a PDF. There’s no visit to a police station, and it works the same in Sherwood Park, St. Albert or downtown.
Police information checks in Edmonton
The Edmonton Police Service calls its record check a police information check, and recommends applying online, which it describes as the fastest option. You need two pieces of identification, one of them valid government photo ID, and the service processes applications in business days. Once your results are ready, they stay in your EPS account for a limited time, so download your certificate promptly. In-person applications are for people who can’t apply online at all.
Like other Alberta police services, the EPS offers different levels of check, including a vulnerable sector level for people working with children or vulnerable adults. If the organization asking for your check names a level, confirm which one you need with them.
Getting your check faster
If your start date is days away, the police information check queue can be the slowest part of getting hired. A name-based criminal record check with MyCRC can be ready in as little as 15 minutes and takes about 4 hours on average, and you download the PDF from your account.
Who asks for one in Edmonton
As Alberta’s capital, Edmonton has a large public sector and the employers around it: provincial government departments and agencies, the University of Alberta and other post-secondary institutions, and the businesses that serve them. Refinery and petrochemical contractors in the Industrial Heartland, construction and trades, warehousing and logistics, and retail and hospitality employers screen new hires too, and tenants applying for rentals are regularly asked for a check.
Background check vs criminal record check in Edmonton
A “background check” for an Edmonton job often includes references, employment and education verification, and a criminal record check. When the employer asks you to supply the criminal record part yourself, MyCRC covers it.
Nearby
Heading south? See criminal record checks in Calgary, or read about criminal record checks across Alberta.
Questions about criminal record checks in Edmonton
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