Criminal record check in Hamilton, online
From steel and logistics on the bayfront to McMaster, the trades and the shops along James Street North, Hamilton employers ask for a criminal record check before a start date. MyCRC lets you get a name-based check online: your name and date of birth are searched against the RCMP’s national database, a photo of your ID and a selfie confirm it’s you, and your report is a PDF in your account in as little as 15 minutes. You can do it from Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Dundas, Waterdown or the Mountain without going downtown.
The Hamilton Police Service route
The Hamilton Police Service provides screening checks only for Hamilton residents, plus students registered at a Hamilton school. You can apply online or in person at Central Station, 155 King William Street, Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 4:30, and only you can ask for your own check; the service doesn’t accept third-party requests.
You need two pieces of government-issued ID that haven’t expired, one with a photo, and health cards and SIN cards aren’t accepted. For the two higher levels, a criminal record and judicial matters check or a vulnerable sector check, you also need proof that you live in Hamilton. Online payment is by Visa or Mastercard.
What a Hamilton police check costs
The Hamilton Police Service’s fees for an employment check are $55 for each level, and volunteers get a criminal record check at no cost. Vulnerable sector checks for volunteers and students are $28, and fingerprints for a vulnerable sector check are $25 more. Fees aren’t refundable, and screening results that aren’t picked up within 90 days are purged without a refund. Checks are handled first come, first served.
Which level a Hamilton employer means
Because Hamilton is in Ontario, the province’s three levels apply: a criminal record check, a criminal record and judicial matters check, and a vulnerable sector check. When a posting just says “police check”, ask which level they want.
Skipping the trip to King William Street
A weekday visit to Central Station, or an online queue that runs first come, first served, can land after your start date. With MyCRC there’s no trip downtown and no wait in Hamilton’s first-come queue: the name-based check is $68.23 with tax included, from Stoney Creek, Ancaster or the Mountain.
Questions about criminal record checks in Hamilton
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. To compare, see how long police checks take, city by city.
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 (what a CPIC check is). 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.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-28