A criminal record check for Toronto jobs and leases
If a Toronto employer, landlord or contract client has asked you for a criminal record check, you can get a name-based check online with MyCRC instead of arranging one through the Toronto Police Service. Your name and date of birth are searched against the RCMP national database, you verify your identity with your phone, and the finished PDF is in your account, ready to download. It covers all of Canada, so it doesn’t matter which part of the city you live in or where your record might be.
What “police check” means in Toronto
Toronto employers often say “police check” when they mean a criminal record check. Because Toronto is in Ontario, the provincial Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 applies: a police service can provide a criminal record check, a criminal record and judicial matters check, or a vulnerable sector check. If your offer letter or onboarding email just says “police check”, ask the person who sent it which of the three they need. If it’s a criminal record check of convictions, that is what MyCRC provides.
Getting a check from the Toronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service handles police record checks for people who live in the City of Toronto. Applications go through its online system: you fill in the form, verify your identity, pay, and wait for the result, which typically takes several business days and can stretch longer at busy times of year. You can’t apply on someone else’s behalf. Volunteer checks have their own rules and usually need a letter from the organization you volunteer with.
With MyCRC there’s no application queue. Most people finish the steps in a few minutes, and reports can be ready in as little as 15 minutes, about 4 hours on average.
Who asks for a criminal record check in Toronto
Toronto’s job market runs on screening. Banks, insurers and fintechs on Bay Street screen new hires, tech companies check engineers and sales staff, and property managers and condo corporations check building staff. Film and TV productions check crew, construction firms check site workers, and delivery and rideshare platforms check drivers. Landlords in a competitive rental market increasingly ask applicants to include a criminal record check alongside a credit report.
Background check vs criminal record check in Toronto
A “background check” in Toronto usually means everything an employer screens: references, education, past jobs and a criminal record check. Many employers hand the criminal record check to you, because it needs your identity verification and your consent. Getting it done online keeps your start date on track while the rest of the screening finishes.
Nearby
Live in Peel Region? See criminal record checks in Mississauga. For how checks work across the province, read criminal record checks in Ontario.
Questions about criminal record checks in Toronto
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