Criminal record check
Your name and date of birth searched against the RCMP National Repository by an accredited police service. Accepted by most employers, staffing agencies, landlords and general volunteer roles.
MyCheck by Credibled, for individuals
What is a CPIC check, and how do you get one?
A CPIC check is the everyday name for a name-based Canadian criminal record check. Your name and date of birth are searched against the RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), the national police database run by the RCMP. With MyCheck you can get one online, and most checks complete in minutes.
This guide explains what CPIC is, what a CPIC check shows and what it does not, and when you need a different check instead. MyCheck is a private Canadian provider, not the RCMP or a police service.
Level 1Most common$39CADCriminal convictions where no record suspension has been granted. What most job applications ask for.
Level 2$49CADAdds outstanding charges and warrants, discharges, Youth Criminal Justice Act findings and court orders.
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Have your ID, your most recent Canadian address and a card ready. Checks are non-refundable once submitted, so check which one you need before you pay. Watch how it works.
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Attached · PDFPDF
Name-based Canadian criminal record checkSarah ConnorOttawa, ON
ResultCleared
- Identity verifiedDriver's licence matched to live capture
- Search completeRCMP National Repository of Criminal Records
- Certificate issuedBy an accredited police service
Most checks complete in minutes. The rest are usually back within 4 hours.
MinutesMost checks
RCMPNational Repository
IncludedID verification
OnlineNo appointment
CPIC in plain terms
What is CPIC?
CPIC is the Canadian Police Information Centre: the national computer system Canadian police use to share information about crimes and criminals. When an employer, agency or landlord asks for a "CPIC check", they almost always mean a name-based criminal record check searched through CPIC.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| What CPIC stands for | Canadian Police Information Centre. In French, Centre d'information de la police canadienne (CIPC) |
| Who runs it | The RCMP, through its National Police Services program, on behalf of Canadian law enforcement |
| When it started | It became operational on July 1, 1972 |
| Who uses it | More than 160 police services and over 700 RCMP detachments, plus regulatory and public safety partners. More than 100,000 officers in Canada have access |
| How much it is used | Over 300 million queries a year, 24 hours a day |
| How it relates to criminal records | CPIC gives police access to the RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records, which holds criminal records across Canada. A CPIC check is a search of that repository |
From the Canadian Police Information Centre, its 50th anniversary page and the RCMP Dissemination of Criminal Record Information policy, checked 16 October 2026.
Your result
What a CPIC check shows, and what it does not
A name-based CPIC check looks for active criminal files that match your name and date of birth. The RCMP sets out what police may release from it, and it is narrower than many people expect.
Can appear
What a CPIC check can show
- Criminal convictions where no record suspension (pardon) has been granted. This is MyCheck Level 1
- With MyCheck Level 2: outstanding charges and warrants to arrest, court orders, absolute discharges for 1 year and conditional discharges for 3 years, and Youth Criminal Justice Act findings within their disclosure windows
Not on a CPIC check
What a CPIC check does not show
- Convictions covered by a record suspension (pardon)
- Charges that were withdrawn, stayed or dismissed, and other police contact that never led to a conviction
- Provincial offences such as most traffic tickets. Those appear on a driver's abstract instead
- Records held outside Canada, and convictions recorded only by the Canada Border Services Agency or US Customs
A vulnerable sector check and a police information check search more than a CPIC check, which is why only police can issue them. Understand your result.
Disclosure rules from the RCMP Dissemination of Criminal Record Information policy, modified 11 June 2026.
Name-based or fingerprints
When a CPIC check needs fingerprints
Most CPIC checks run on your name and date of birth alone. A small number need fingerprints to confirm who you are, which is done in person and takes longer. With MyCheck, we tell you straight away if yours does. How long each check takes.
A possible match on your name and date of birth
The RCMP says fingerprints are required when there is a possible criminal record associated with the applicant. That is often someone else with the same name and date of birth.
Your declaration does not match the search
If you have a record, you can declare it during the check. If what you declare does not match what the search finds, fingerprints are needed to confirm it.
You do not declare a record you have
Declaring is optional, but the RCMP notes that if you do not declare, fingerprints may be required. Declaring usually keeps a check moving.
Know what you were asked for
CPIC check vs other police checks
Every check in this table includes a CPIC search. The difference is what else gets searched, who can issue it and how long it takes.
| Check | What is searched | Who issues it | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPIC check (name-based criminal record check) | The RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records, through CPIC, by name and date of birth | Police services and accredited providers such as MyCheck | Minutes for most MyCheck checks. About 1 to 3 weeks with police |
| Criminal record and judicial matters check | The same search, plus outstanding charges, warrants and court orders. MyCheck Level 2 covers these | Police services and accredited providers such as MyCheck | The same as above |
| Police information check (Alberta and BC) | CPIC plus local police records, which can include police contact that did not lead to charges | Your local police service only | About 1 to 3 weeks at the services we checked |
| Vulnerable sector check | CPIC plus pardoned sexual offence records and local police records | The police service where you live only | About 1 to 2 weeks, months if fingerprints are needed |
| Fingerprint-based certified check | All criminal files in the National Repository, matched by fingerprints | Police or an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company | 3 business days or less with no record match. 120 business days with a possible match |
If you were simply asked for a "CPIC check", a "police check" or a "criminal record check", the name-based check is almost always what is meant. If the role involves children or vulnerable people, or the check is for immigration, ask first. Compare processing times.
Fingerprint-based check times from the RCMP. Police times from the services listed in our processing times guide, checked 9 to 14 October 2026.
Start to certificate
How to get a CPIC check online, in 3 steps
- 1
Choose your level and pay
Enter your email, pick Level 1 at $39 or Level 2 at $49, and pay by debit or credit card. If an employer or agency gave you a promo code, enter it at checkout.
- 2
Verify your ID and declare
A link arrives by email. Photograph your government ID, take a short live capture and complete your declaration. Your phone camera is enough.
- 3
Get your certificate
An accredited police service searches the RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records through the Canadian Police Information Centre. Most checks complete in minutes. The certificate lands in your inbox, ready to send on.
See every step, from payment to certificate.
What to have ready
- Your most recent Canadian address
- An original, unexpired government ID: passport, driver's licence, ID card or residence permit
- A phone or computer with a camera
- A debit or credit card
Start my CPIC checkFrom $39 CAD. No access fee.
A quick check before you order
Which check do you need?
Most jobs, agencies, landlords and general volunteer roles accept a criminal record check, which is what we do. Two other checks get asked for in Canada, and only police or an accredited agency can issue them.
Vulnerable sector check
Roles working with children, seniors or other vulnerable people need a vulnerable sector check. It searches more than a standard CPIC check, and only the police service where you live can do it. It may involve fingerprints.
Fingerprint-certified check
Immigration, visa and citizenship applications, record suspensions and most uses outside Canada need fingerprint-certified results. Our check also does not include convictions recorded by the Canada Border Services Agency or US Customs.
Not sure which you were asked for? Ask the person requesting it whether a name-based criminal record check is acceptable before you order.
FAQ
CPIC check questions, answered
What is a CPIC check?
A CPIC check is a name-based Canadian criminal record check. Police search the RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) using your name and date of birth. "CPIC check", "police check" and "criminal record check" are often used to mean the same thing.
What does CPIC stand for?
CPIC stands for Canadian Police Information Centre, or Centre d'information de la police canadienne (CIPC) in French. It is the national police information system run by the RCMP, operational since July 1, 1972.
Is a CPIC check the same as a criminal record check?
Usually, yes. A standard criminal record check is a CPIC search on your name and date of birth. A police information check and a vulnerable sector check also start with CPIC but search more, so if you were asked for one of those, a standard CPIC check will not replace it.
What shows up on a CPIC check?
Criminal convictions where no record suspension has been granted. A Level 2 check adds outstanding charges and warrants, court orders, recent discharges and Youth Criminal Justice Act findings within their disclosure windows. Pardoned convictions, withdrawn or dismissed charges and provincial offences such as traffic tickets do not appear.
Can I get a CPIC check online?
Yes. MyCheck is a CPIC-based criminal record check you complete online: pay, verify your ID with your phone and receive a police-issued certificate by email. Most checks complete in minutes, and the rest are usually back within 4 hours. Level 1 is $39 and Level 2 is $49.
Can I do a CPIC check on someone else?
Not without their consent. Criminal record information in CPIC is not public. An employer or organisation can order a check on a candidate only with that person's consent, through a police service or an accredited provider. Employers can do this through Credibled.
Is there a free CPIC check?
Not for criminal records. Some police services do not charge volunteers, including Ontario police services for a criminal record check with a letter from the organisation. The free public searches on the CPIC website are for stolen vehicles and bicycles, not people.
What is a CPIC VIN check?
The CPIC website lets anyone search a vehicle identification number (VIN) to see whether a vehicle has been reported stolen to police, and check whether a bicycle has been reported stolen. It is useful before buying a used vehicle, but it is not a criminal record check.
How long does a CPIC check take?
With MyCheck, most checks complete in minutes and the rest are usually back within 4 hours. Police services we checked take about 1 to 3 weeks. If fingerprints are needed, it takes longer. See how long a criminal record check takes.
Does a CPIC check show a pardon or record suspension?
No. A conviction covered by a record suspension or pardon is not disclosed on a criminal record check, unless the Parole Board of Canada has revoked or ended it. A vulnerable sector check is different: it can disclose pardoned sexual offences.
Does a CPIC check show charges that were withdrawn or dismissed?
Not on a standard criminal record check. RCMP policy prohibits police from releasing non-conviction information from CPIC on a name-based check, with limited exceptions. A Level 2 check shows charges that are still outstanding, not ones that were withdrawn or dismissed.
What is a CPIC consent form?
Before running a check on you, an employer or organisation must have your consent, often on a form. With MyCheck, you order the check yourself and give consent online during the process, so there is no separate form to sign.
Can I get a refund?
No. Checks are non-refundable once submitted, which is why this page explains which check you need before you order. If you are unsure between Level 1 and Level 2, ask whoever requested it first.
Need CPIC checks on candidates?
Credibled runs the same CPIC-based criminal record check for employers and staffing agencies, with the candidate's consent captured online and results in one dashboard. Most checks complete in minutes. See criminal record checks for business.
Get your CPIC check online today
From $39. Most checks complete in minutes. Police-issued certificate in your inbox.
Start my CPIC checkNot sure which check you need? Check before you order.
MyCheck is a private Canadian provider and is not affiliated with the RCMP, the Canadian Police Information Centre or any police service. Checks are non-refundable once submitted. Not a vulnerable sector check, and not suitable for immigration or visa applications.