How to get a criminal record check (police record check) in Ontario — what the different checks are, where to get one, what it costs, and how long it takes.
Start your checkThree different documents get called "a police check." They are not interchangeable.
In Ontario, the Police Record Checks Reform Act defines three types of check. Knowing which one you have been asked for saves you money and, more often, saves you a second application after the first is rejected.
The standard check, and the one most employers mean. It searches the national police database for criminal convictions, including findings of guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act where those remain disclosable. It returns either a clear result or a list of convictions. This is what the large majority of Ontario jobs, rental applications, and personal requests call for.
A broader check. In addition to convictions it discloses outstanding charges and warrants, judicial orders such as peace bonds and probation conditions, and absolute and conditional discharges within their disclosure periods. Regulatory colleges, security and insurance licensing bodies, and many financial institutions specify this one. If your request letter mentions "judicial matters" or "outstanding charges," you need a CRJMC. You can get a CRJMC online, with no police station visit.
The most extensive, and the most restricted. It adds a search for certain sealed sexual offence records and, at police discretion, certain non-conviction information. It is required for positions of trust or authority over children, the elderly, or other vulnerable people. By law a vulnerable sector check must be processed by the police service where you live. No online provider — us included — can issue one. If you have been asked for a VSC, go directly to your local police service.
Before you pay for anything, ask the organisation requesting the document for the exact name of the check. "Police check" on its own is not specific enough, and the wrong document usually means paying twice.
The three Ontario check levels side by side.
| Basic Criminal Record Check | CRJMC | Vulnerable Sector Check | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it shows | Applicable criminal convictions and certain youth findings of guilt | Everything in the Basic check, plus discharges, outstanding charges, arrest warrants and certain judicial orders | Everything in the CRJMC, plus additional information released only for work with vulnerable people |
| Who asks for it | Many employers, landlords and personal-use requests | Licences such as security guard, towing and driving instructor; positions of trust | Roles working with children or vulnerable adults |
| Online? | Yes — $49 + tax | Yes — $51 + tax | No — local police service only |
Not sure which you need? CRJMC online explains the levels in more detail.
Both are legitimate. They suit different situations.
Every police service in Ontario issues record checks — Toronto Police Service, Ottawa Police Service, Peel Regional, York Regional, Hamilton, London, Durham, Waterloo, Barrie, and the OPP detachments among them. You will typically apply online or in person, prove your identity, pay a fee, and wait. Turnaround varies widely by service and time of year, commonly quoted from several business days to several weeks, and some services require an appointment booked in advance. This route is mandatory for a vulnerable sector check.
A name-based check submitted electronically searches the same national police database and returns a digital certificate, usually within minutes. There is no appointment, no travel, and no waiting room. For a conditional job offer, a licensing deadline, or a rental application on a short timeline, this is generally the practical choice.
If you need a vulnerable sector check, you must use your police service. If you have an IRCC request letter, a US entry waiver, or any requirement naming fingerprints or a certified RCMP document, a name-based check will not satisfy it — you need fingerprint submission through an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting provider. For everything else, an online criminal record check is usually the faster route.
Straight pricing, no account fees.
Police service fees vary by jurisdiction and are set locally, and volunteer applicants are sometimes exempt or pay a reduced fee. Check your local police service for its current rates.
Our pricing is $49 for the Criminal Record Check and $51 for the Enhanced CRJMC, plus applicable tax. There is no account setup fee, no subscription, and no minimum order. For a full breakdown of prices and extras, see how much a criminal record check costs in Ontario. A certified embossed physical certificate can be added at checkout for $9.00, with additional copies at $6.00 each. The digital certificate is always included.
Online results are typically returned within minutes of completing consent and payment. In a small number of cases the search flags a record requiring further review, which extends processing. Through a police service, expect days to weeks depending on the service and the type of check.
There is no statutory expiry. Validity is decided by whoever requested it. Some Ontario licences set a firm window — six months for a security guard licence and under 90 days for a towing certificate. Confirm the requirement before ordering, particularly if a start date has moved.
No documents to mail, scan, or upload.
You will need your full legal name, date of birth, current address, and a valid government-issued photo identification number — an Ontario driver's licence, a passport, or an equivalent. Consent is confirmed electronically as part of the application. Nothing has to be photocopied, notarised, or delivered anywhere.
Ontario employers running a background check or police record check on new hires, particularly in regulated industries, healthcare support, finance, transport, security, and education support roles. Regulatory colleges and licensing bodies. Volunteer organisations. Landlords and property managers. Adoption agencies. Individuals reviewing their own record before applying for something else.
Guides for the most common requests: police record check for employment, criminal record check for volunteers, and CRJMC for a security guard licence.
Because the process is entirely online, we serve the whole province — Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, London, Markham, Vaughan, Kitchener, Windsor, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Burlington, Sudbury, Kingston, Guelph, Thunder Bay, and everywhere between. Our office is in Barrie, and we work closely with Simcoe County and South Simcoe — Innisfil, Bradford, Alliston, New Tecumseth, Orillia, Collingwood, Midland, Wasaga Beach — as well as neighbouring Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, and Vaughan. Your location in Ontario does not change the process, the timing, or the price.
Each licence sets its own timing rule. These guides explain them.
Ordered online with IDENTITI, a Basic Criminal Record Check is $49 plus tax and an Enhanced Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check is $51 plus tax. Police services set their own fees, which vary.
Online, results are usually emailed within minutes. Through a police service, it can take days to weeks depending on the service and the type of check.
Many do, but the employer decides. Ask which level of check they need and whether an online, name-based check is acceptable before you order. The exceptions are vulnerable sector positions, and any requirement that specifically names fingerprints or a certified RCMP document.
No. Under Ontario law a vulnerable sector check must be processed by the police service in the jurisdiction where you live. No online provider can issue one. Contact your local police service directly.
A Criminal Record Check reports convictions. A Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check adds outstanding charges and warrants, judicial orders such as peace bonds and probation, and absolute and conditional discharges within their disclosure periods. Licensing bodies usually want the CRJMC.
Withdrawn, dismissed, and stayed charges are not convictions and do not appear on a Criminal Record Check. A CRJMC may disclose outstanding charges that are still before the courts, and discharges within their disclosure periods.
Usually not. IRCC requests generally require a fingerprint-based certified RCMP check, which cannot be produced from a name-based online search. Read your letter carefully — if it names fingerprints or a certified RCMP document, you need fingerprint submission through an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting provider.
No. The check is available across Canada. This page focuses on Ontario because that is where most of our clients are, but the process and pricing are the same nationally.
Complete your Ontario criminal record check online and receive your digital certificate by email — usually within minutes.
See pricing & startName-based searches only. Not a certified RCMP identity document.
Vulnerable sector checks must be obtained from your local police service.
