How long is a criminal record check good for in Canada?

How far back does a criminal record check go in Canada?

There is no lookback period in Canada. A criminal record check searches the RCMP’s National Repository of Criminal Records, and an adult conviction stays there until a legal process seals or removes it. A conviction from 20 years ago will still show up today if nothing has changed it. The main exception is Ontario, which stops police record checks from disclosing older summary-only convictions (details below).

Criminal records in Canada do not expire on their own. Legal information sources report that the RCMP generally keeps adult records until the person reaches about 80 years of age, provided no new criminal activity has been reported in the previous 10 years Legal Line. In practice, a record stays visible until one of these happens:

• A record suspension is granted. Formerly called a pardon. See the section below.
• A discharge is sealed on schedule. The RCMP seals an absolute discharge 1 year after sentencing, and a conditional discharge 3 years after sentencing, for discharges received on or after July 24, 1992 RCMP, Managing criminal records.
• A simple drug possession conviction is sealed. Under recent changes to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, these convictions are sealed automatically, generally 2 years after the conviction or the end of the sentence, whichever is later RCMP.
• A youth record reaches the end of its retention period. See the youth section below.

What shows up on a criminal record check (and what does not)

A basic criminal record check shows criminal convictions that have not been suspended. What else appears depends on the level of check the organization asks for, and on the province.

Ontario is the clearest example because its law spells it out. The Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 sets 3 levels of police record check, and each one discloses more than the last:

Ontario’s 5-year rule for summary offences

Ontario adds one real time limit. A police record check in Ontario does not disclose a conviction for a summary-only offence if the request is made more than 5 years after the conviction. In 2026, the province narrowed this rule through Bill 75, the Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act, 2026. The 5-year limit now applies only to offences that can be prosecuted by summary conviction alone. Hybrid offences that the Crown chose to prosecute summarily no longer benefit from it.

This is a disclosure rule for police record checks in Ontario, not an expiry date on the record itself. The conviction stays in the national repository.

Youth records

Youth records follow the Youth Criminal Justice Act, not the adult rules. According to the RCMP:

• A youth finding of guilt for a summary offence is destroyed 3 years after the sentence is completed.
• A youth finding of guilt for an indictable offence is sealed 5 years after the sentence is completed.
• A new offence can extend those periods. An adult conviction during the retention period keeps the youth information on the record.

In Ontario, youth records released to the individual come as a separate document and should not be shared with a potential employer Government of Ontario.

Things that never appear

Under Ontario’s law, a police record check cannot disclose that someone was a victim or witness of a crime, or that they had non-criminal contact with police during a mental health crisis Government of Ontario. Charges that were dismissed, stayed or withdrawn do not create a criminal record. The person can also ask the police service that laid the charge to destroy that non-conviction information RCMP.

Record suspensions (pardons): how a record stops showing up

A record suspension is the main way an adult conviction stops appearing on a standard criminal record check. It used to be called a pardon, and many people still use that word. The Parole Board of Canada is the only body that can grant one.

Once a record suspension is granted, the conviction is kept separate from other criminal records. It is not erased. A record suspension does not guarantee entry to other countries, and the RCMP notes that the United States may not recognize one RCMP. It also does not cancel driving or weapons prohibition orders Parole Board of Canada.

Waiting periods

The waiting period starts only after every part of the sentence is complete: fines, surcharges, restitution, jail time, parole and probation. Since March 19, 2020, the Parole Board applies the rules that were in force when the first offence was committed Parole Board of Canada.

Some people are not eligible at all. For first offences on or after March 13, 2012, that includes people convicted of certain sexual offences against minors listed in Schedule 1 of the Criminal Records Act, and people convicted of more than 3 indictable offences with sentences of 2 years or more each.

Cost

Who does not need one

You do not need a record suspension if you only received an absolute or conditional discharge, or were only convicted as a youth. Those records are sealed or destroyed on their own schedules Parole Board of Canada. Charges that were dismissed, stayed or withdrawn also do not need one RCMP.

How long a check stays valid in practice

No federal law sets a shelf life for a criminal record check used in private hiring. Ontario’s government says employers and organizations may set their own policies, including how often they request checks and whether they will reuse an older one Government of Ontario. The RCMP puts the same responsibility on the organization RCMP.

In practice, these are the patterns you will see:

• 6 to 12 months

  Most private employers ask for a check dated within the last 6 to 12 months. Some want a fresh check for every new hire, whatever the applicant already holds.

• 5 years

  British Columbia’s Criminal Records Review Program is the main exception with a written rule. For roles that work with children or vulnerable adults, a person can share a clearance with a new organization if it was completed through the program within the last 5 years for the same type of work Government of B.C.. The receiving organization can still ask for a new check.

• Their own cycle

  Regulated professions and licences often set their own rescreening cycle. For example, B.C.’s nursing regulator rechecks licensees every 5 years BCCNM.

• Fingerprint-based

  Immigration and foreign authorities usually require a recent, fingerprint-based certified check from the RCMP, not a name-based employment check RCMP.

Why older checks lose value

A check only reflects what police records showed on the day it ran. Someone can be charged the next week, and the old result will never show it. Police services also warn that not every conviction reaches the national repository right away, so very recent court outcomes may be missing Port Hope Police Service.

That is why organizations in higher-risk roles rescreen on a schedule instead of relying on the check they ran at hiring.

Canada vs the United States: the 7-year rule

If you hire on both sides of the border, the “7-year rule” you may have heard of is American, not Canadian.

In the United States, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act limits how long background screening companies can report certain adverse information, such as arrests that did not lead to a conviction, generally to 7 years. Since 1998, criminal convictions are not covered by that limit and can be reported no matter how old they are Federal Trade Commission. The 7-year limit also does not apply to jobs paying $75,000 a year or more. Several states add their own limits on older convictions, so the rules can change from one state to the next.

US criminal searches are also run where the person has lived. That is why US checks usually ask for more address history than Canadian ones, often 7 years for county-level searches.

What this means for employers

1. 1

   Write down your own validity window.

   Nobody else will set it for you. Pick a maximum age for a check you will accept, for example 6 months, and apply it the same way to every candidate.

2. 2

   Ask for the right level of check.

   A basic criminal record check fits most roles. Reserve vulnerable sector checks for positions of trust or authority over children or vulnerable people, as the law requires RCMP.

3. 3

   Rescreen people in sensitive roles.

   A check at hiring says nothing about the years after. Set a cycle for roles that handle money, controlled goods, client homes or vulnerable people.

4. 4

   Get consent every time.

   In Ontario, an organization cannot request a police record check without the person’s knowledge and consent Government of Ontario.

5. 5

   Judge relevance, not just results.

   Police services remind employers that a record does not automatically bar someone from a job. The record should be relevant to the position Saskatoon Police Service FAQ. Screening must also follow provincial human rights law, such as the Ontario Human Rights Code.

6. 6

   Do not confuse address history with lookback.

   Collecting 5 years of addresses does not limit the search to 5 years.

What this means for applicants

• Ask the employer what they accept before you pay for a check. Some will take a recent one you already have. Many will want a new one.
• Keep your own copy of every check you complete, with the date.
• Check your record before you apply if you are unsure what will show up. A personal criminal record check tells you what an employer would see.
• Look into a record suspension if you have an old conviction and have finished your waiting period. The Parole Board of Canada application fee is $50.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the official sources below.