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
How much does a criminal record check cost in Canada?
Anywhere from nothing to more than $100, depending on who runs it and why you need it. The police services we checked charge between $26.72 and $95.90 for a job, and many do volunteer checks for free with a letter. A MyCheck criminal record check is $39 for Level 1 and $49 for Level 2, with identity verification included.
This guide compares what police services charge, the extra costs people miss, and when you can get a check for free. MyCheck is a private Canadian provider, not 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 ConnorToronto, 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
The short answer
Criminal record check costs, at a glance
What you pay depends on three things: who runs the check, why you need it, and whether your identity has to be confirmed with fingerprints. Police services set their own fees, so the same check can cost very different amounts from one city to the next.
| Check | Who runs it | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Name-based criminal record check, online | MyCheck | $39 for Level 1, $49 for Level 2. Identity verification included, no access fee |
| Criminal record check or police information check, for a job | Your local police service | $26.72 to $95.90 at the services we checked. Some add an online service fee |
| Criminal record check, for a volunteer role | Your local police service | Often free with a letter from the organisation. Some services charge $20 to $35 |
| Vulnerable sector check | The police service where you live | From $35 to $74 for a job at the services we checked. Often free or reduced for volunteers |
| Fingerprint-based certified check | Police, or an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company | A $25 federal RCMP fee, plus the fingerprinting fee, which each police service or company sets |
If you live in a city with a low police fee and can wait a week or two, your police service is often the cheapest option, and for most volunteer roles it may be free. MyCheck is for when you need a name-based criminal record check today, from anywhere in Canada.
Police fees from the services listed below, checked 9 to 26 October 2026. Federal fingerprint fee from the RCMP processing times and fees page, checked 26 October 2026.
Police fees
What police services charge for a criminal record check
We checked the fees each police service publishes for a criminal record check or police information check. Most only take applications from people who live in the area they police, so the fee that applies to you depends on your address, not where the job is.
| Police service | For a job | For volunteers | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Police Service | $26.72. Vulnerable sector check $71.72 | Free for a criminal record check with a letter. Vulnerable sector check $26.72 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Peel Regional Police | $35 for each check, including a vulnerable sector check | Level 1 and 2 checks free with a letter. Vulnerable sector check $35 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Ontario Provincial Police | $41 | Free | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Ottawa Police Service | $74 for any type, including a vulnerable sector check | Free with a letter from the organisation | 26 Oct 2026 |
| Calgary Police Service | $75 | $25 with a letter, also for unpaid practicums | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Edmonton Police Service | $80. $55 for post-secondary programs and practicums | $20 with a letter | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Vancouver Police Department | $89, or $114 with fingerprints | Free with a letter | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Surrey Police Service | $95.90, or $120.90 with fingerprints | Not published | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Regina and Saskatoon police services | $45, plus a processing fee of about $10 online | Little or nothing with a letter | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Winnipeg Police Service | $65, taxes included, whatever the purpose | $65 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Halifax Regional Police | $50 in person. Online, $50 plus a service fee and tax | $30 for students and some volunteers | 14 Oct 2026 |
Volunteer rates usually need a letter from the organisation, on its letterhead, saying the role is unpaid. RCMP detachments set their own fees, often through the town: some in Manitoba charge as little as $10, and in Saskatchewan we found $25 in Swift Current and $40 in Yorkton.
Looking for your city? See criminal record checks across Canada, with a guide for each province and major city.
The full price
The costs that are not on the fee schedule
The listed fee is not always what you end up paying. These are the extras that catch people out. With MyCheck, identity verification is included in the $39 or $49 price, and there is no access fee.
Fingerprints after a possible match
If someone with a record shares your name and date of birth, your identity has to be confirmed with fingerprints. That means a police fingerprinting fee, for example $25 in Edmonton, $52 at Peel Regional Police, $56 in Ottawa or $90 at the OPP, plus the $25 federal RCMP fee. Volunteers usually pay neither.
Online service fees and tax
Some police services add a fee to apply online. Halifax Regional Police adds a service fee and tax to its $50 online price, and most Saskatchewan city services add about $10.
Getting to the counter
Where a police service still takes applications in person, there is the trip, the parking and the time off work. Toronto Police says its counter at 40 College Street is closed on Wednesdays.
Waiting for the result
A police check that takes two or three weeks can push back a start date or a placement. For hourly work, a delayed first shift can cost more than the check itself.
Ordering the wrong check
If you order a criminal record check and the organisation needed a vulnerable sector check, you pay twice. Ask exactly which check they need before you order.
Free criminal record checks
Can you get a criminal record check for free?
Yes, if it is for unpaid volunteer work. Many police services do volunteer checks for free with a letter from the organisation, including the Toronto, Peel, Ottawa and Vancouver police and the OPP. Others charge a reduced rate, such as $20 in Edmonton and $25 in Calgary. The RCMP also waives its $25 federal fingerprint fee for volunteers.
Often free or reduced
Police checks for unpaid roles
- Unpaid volunteer roles, with a letter from the organisation
- Some student placements and practicums, depending on the police service
- Fingerprint fees for volunteers, at most services we checked
Usually paid
Everything else
- Checks for paid work, a staffing agency or a new job
- Checks for a lease, a licence or an adoption
- Volunteer work ordered by a court
A free volunteer check comes from the police service where you live, and only for the role in the letter. MyCheck does not offer free checks. If you need a check for paid work, or need it today, a MyCheck check is $39. Running a volunteer organisation? See our guide for organisations.
Start to certificate
How to get a criminal record 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 criminal record 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. Only the police service where you live can do it, and fees range from free for some volunteers to about $75 for a job.
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
Criminal record check cost questions, answered
How much is a criminal record check in Canada?
It depends on who runs it. The police services we checked in October 2026 charge between $26.72 and $95.90 for a job, and many do volunteer checks for free. A MyCheck criminal record check is $39 for Level 1 and $49 for Level 2, with identity verification included and no access fee.
How much is a police check in Ontario?
Toronto Police charges $26.72, Peel Regional Police $35, the OPP $41 and Ottawa Police $74 for a job, and all four do most volunteer checks for free. MyCheck is $39 for Level 1 and $49 for Level 2. See criminal record checks in Ontario.
How much is a police check in Alberta?
The Calgary Police Service charges $75 for a job and $25 for volunteers with a letter. The Edmonton Police Service charges $80 for a job, $55 for post-secondary programs and practicums, and $20 for volunteers. MyCheck is $39 for Level 1 and $49 for Level 2. See criminal record checks in Alberta.
How much is a criminal record check in BC?
The Vancouver Police Department charges $89 for a job, or $114 with fingerprints, and nothing for volunteers with a letter. Surrey Police Service charges $95.90. MyCheck is $39 for Level 1 and $49 for Level 2. See criminal record checks in BC.
How much does a vulnerable sector check cost?
At the police services we checked, a vulnerable sector check for a job costs from $35 at Peel Regional Police to $74 at the Ottawa Police Service, with Toronto at $71.72 and Winnipeg at $65. Volunteers often pay less or nothing. Only police can do a vulnerable sector check, and MyCheck does not offer one. Read our guide to vulnerable sector checks.
Can I get a criminal record check for free?
Usually only for unpaid volunteer work, with a letter from the organisation. The Toronto, Peel, Ottawa and Vancouver police and the OPP do most volunteer checks for free, and others charge a reduced rate. Checks for paid work are rarely free. MyCheck does not offer free checks.
How much does an RCMP fingerprint check cost?
The RCMP charges a federal fee of $25 for each fingerprint-based check, collected by the police service or accredited company that takes your fingerprints. Their own fingerprinting fee is extra. The federal fee is waived for volunteers and for citizenship and immigration applications.
Who pays for a criminal record check, me or the employer?
It depends on the employer. Some pay for the check or order it for you, and others ask you to bring your own. Ask before you order, so you know which check they want and whether they will reimburse you.
Why is MyCheck more expensive than my local police?
Sometimes it is not: Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver police all charge more than $39 for a job. Where your police fee is lower, you pay the difference for speed and convenience. Most MyCheck checks complete in minutes, from anywhere in Canada, and identity verification is included.
What is the difference between the $39 and $49 checks?
Level 1, at $39, shows criminal convictions where no record suspension has been granted. Level 2, at $49, adds outstanding charges and warrants, discharges, Youth Criminal Justice Act findings and court orders. Ask which level you need. See the levels of criminal record checks.
Do I have to pay again for each new job?
Often, yes. A criminal record check has no expiry date, but each employer, agency or landlord decides how recent it must be, so ask before you reuse an old one. For how long each kind takes, see how long a criminal record check takes.
Paying for checks as an employer?
Credibled runs the same criminal record check for employers and staffing agencies, alongside reference checks, employment and education verification. Identity verification is included in the price, and duplicate orders across your recruiters are flagged before you pay twice. Pay per check, no contract.
Need your criminal record check today?
From $39. Most checks complete in minutes. Police-issued certificate in your inbox.
Start my criminal record checkNot sure which check you need? Check before you order.
MyCheck is a private Canadian provider and is not affiliated with any police service or the RCMP. Checks are non-refundable once submitted. Not a vulnerable sector check, and not suitable for immigration or visa applications.