Get Your Criminal Record Check in Ontario, Online

Criminal record checks in Ontario

A criminal record check in Ontario confirms whether you have a criminal conviction on file in Canada. It is the check most Ontario employers, landlords and contract clients ask for, and it is the one MyCRC provides online: a name-based search of the RCMP national database using your name and date of birth, with the finished report in your account as a PDF. You verify your identity with your phone and sign your consent online, so there is no trip to a police station and no appointment, whether you live in Toronto, Ottawa, Windsor or Thunder Bay.

Ontario’s three levels of police check

Ontario has a law that sets out exactly what each kind of police record check can include. Under the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015, police services in Ontario offer three levels:

• Criminal record check: relevant criminal convictions, and certain findings of guilt under the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act.
• Criminal record and judicial matters check: everything in a criminal record check, plus discharges, outstanding charges, arrest warrants and certain court orders. Employers sometimes shorten this to “CRJMC”.
• Vulnerable sector check: everything in the judicial matters check, plus additional information, for people in a position of trust or authority over children or other vulnerable people.

When someone in Ontario asks for a “police check”, they usually mean one of these three. MyCRC’s name-based criminal record check is a search of criminal convictions.

Which check do you need?

The organization asking for your check decides which level it needs, not you and not the police service. The Government of Ontario’s own guidance is simple: if you’re unsure, ask the agency, organization or employer requesting the check before you apply. A job offer letter often names the check type, so look there first.

Is there a free online criminal record check in Ontario?

Searches for a “free online criminal record check in Ontario” are common, but most checks for employment carry a fee. Some Ontario police services reduce or waive their fee for volunteers when the volunteer organization sends a letter, and that usually means applying through your local police service. MyCRC charges one price, $68.23 tax included, and doesn’t accept volunteer vouchers.

Getting a check through your local police service

Every check through a police service in Ontario starts with the service where you live: the Toronto Police Service in Toronto, Peel Regional Police in Mississauga and Brampton, the Ottawa Police Service in Ottawa, or the Ontario Provincial Police in communities it polices. Most now take applications online, then verify your identity and process the request, and turnaround is measured in days to weeks depending on the service and time of year. A name-based check with MyCRC can be ready in as little as 15 minutes and takes about 4 hours on average.

Background check vs criminal record check in Ontario

A “background check” in Ontario usually means an employer’s whole screening process: references, education and employment history, and a criminal record check. The criminal record check is the part only you can order with your consent, and it’s often the last step before a start date. If your employer asked you to get your own, that is the part MyCRC covers.

Checks in Ontario cities

Living in a large Ontario city? See how checks work in Toronto, Ottawa and Mississauga.