Criminal record check in Kitchener-Waterloo, online
Tech companies in uptown Waterloo and downtown Kitchener, the two universities and the college, insurers, and manufacturers in Cambridge all screen new hires, and many of them want the check before your first day. With MyCRC you can get a name-based criminal record check online: your name and date of birth are run against the RCMP’s national database, your identity is confirmed with a photo of your ID and a selfie, and the PDF is ready in your account in as little as 15 minutes. It’s the same from Elmira, Kitchener’s Doon, Waterloo’s Beechwood or Hespeler.
Waterloo Regional Police: online only
Waterloo Regional Police Service handles record checks for the whole region, and it does so online only: its record check office doesn’t take in-person applications, and it doesn’t provide checks to people living outside Canada. Applicants under 18 only receive a check for government positions. Only original identification is accepted, and ID can’t be verified from a picture on a phone.
Completed checks are sent to the email address you applied with as a PDF attachment, and printed copies are no longer available, so keep the email and save the PDF somewhere safe. The service says checks are delivered within 3 to 5 business days, depending on how many applications it is handling.
Fees and fingerprints
Every type of record check from Waterloo Regional Police costs $40. Volunteers who upload a volunteer letter get a criminal record check or a criminal record and judicial matters check free, and a vulnerable sector check for $20. If fingerprints are needed, you go to the Police Reporting Centre at 150 Maple Grove Road in Cambridge, with two pieces of government ID, one with a photo, and ID confirming you live in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.
Ontario’s three levels
Waterloo Region follows Ontario’s three levels: a criminal record check, a criminal record and judicial matters check, and a vulnerable sector check. When a posting asks for a “police check”, confirm which level it means.
Faster than the regional queue
Three to five business days is quick for a police service, but not quick enough when the offer letter says Monday. MyCRC’s name-based check costs $68.23 with tax included and doesn’t wait on the regional queue, which suits a student residence in Waterloo as well as a Kitchener apartment.
Questions about criminal record checks in Kitchener-Waterloo
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.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-10-28