Police record checks in Canada

Vulnerable sector checks: what they are and how to get one

A vulnerable sector check (VSC) is the police record check for roles working with children or vulnerable people. This page covers what it searches, who can ask for one, how long it takes, and what to order when a VSC is not the right check.

Find the check you need Read the FAQ

The short version

Last reviewed September 2026

Who issues it: The police service where you live. In British Columbia, the Criminal Records Review Program.
Who requests it: The organisation, for a role with trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons.
How long it takes: Days to weeks. Longer if fingerprints are needed.
What it costs: Set by each police service. Some reduce or waive it for volunteers.
How long it is valid: No expiry in law. Each organisation sets its own policy.
Who sees the result: In Ontario, you first. The organisation only with your written consent.

Which check do you need?

Most people searching for a vulnerable sector check need one of three things. Start from your situation.

If the role involves care, supervision or authority over children or vulnerable people

Your local police service

You need a vulnerable sector check from police

Apply to the police service where you live, using the details the organisation gives you. No private provider can issue it.

How to get one

If you were asked for a police check or criminal record check, not a VSC

Order your own check online with MyCheck

Level 1 at $39 or Level 2 at $49, identity verification included. Most results within 4 hours. Confirm the level and that a third-party check is accepted first, because checks are non-refundable.

Start your check

If you are hiring for roles that do not meet the VSC test

Run a Level 2 check through Credibled

Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, searched through accredited police partners. Results in about 15 minutes, identity verification included in the price.

Create your account

What a vulnerable sector check searches, compared with a Level 2

A VSC is not a different database. It is a Level 2 search with extra layers that only police can access. Those layers are narrow, and they come with stricter legal thresholds.

Information returned by each check.
Record type	Level 2Criminal Record and Judicial Matters	Vulnerable sector checkLevel 3 in Ontario
In both checks
Criminal convictions with no record suspension	Included	Included
Youth Criminal Justice Act findings of guilt, within disclosure windows	Included	Included
Outstanding charges and warrants to arrest	Included	Included
Absolute discharges (1-year window) and conditional discharges (3-year window)	Included	Included
Court orders against the individual	Included	Included
Only in a vulnerable sector check
Record suspensions (pardons) for listed sexual offences	Not included	Included
Not criminally responsible findings for certain offences, within disclosure windows	Not included	Included
Non-conviction information from local police records	Not included	Rare. Only where a strict legal test is met
In neither check
Sex-related offences committed outside Canada	Not included	Not included

How they differ in practice

Typical turnaround

Level 2

15 minutes to a few hours

Vulnerable sector check

Usually 2 weeks or more, longer with fingerprints

Process differences between the two checks.
In practice	Level 2	Vulnerable sector check
Where you get it	Accredited providers, or police	Local police only, or the BC Criminal Records Review Program
Candidate experience	Fully online, from a phone	Online in many areas. Fingerprinting is in person
Hiring across provinces	One national workflow	Each candidate applies to their own local police
Reuse across roles	Reusable within your policy	Requested for a specific position
Sharing results outside Canada	Possible with consent	Released only to organisations in Canada

Level 1 is narrower than both. Level 1 versus Level 2, explained

Does the role qualify for a vulnerable sector check?

Under section 6.3 of the Criminal Records Act

A VSC is only for a position of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons.

A vulnerable person

is someone who, because of age, disability or other circumstances, depends on others or is at higher risk of harm from a person in authority.

The organisation must request it, and the applicant must consent.

The RCMP notes that conducting a VSC for a position that does not meet the test is an offence.

The test is about the role, not the industry.

When in doubt, ask the police service before sending the candidate.

Roles that usually qualify

Childcare and early childhood education
Teachers and education assistants
Personal support workers and home care
Long-term care and hospital roles with patient contact
Youth coaches, camp staff and leaders
Volunteers working one-on-one with children or vulnerable adults

Roles that usually do not

Warehouse, logistics and manufacturing
Office and administration
Retail and hospitality
IT, finance and professional services
Construction and skilled trades

For these, a Level 2 criminal record check is the most complete check available.

How to get a vulnerable sector check

The steps are similar everywhere. The forms, fees and timelines depend on your police service.

Get the details from the organisation
Their name, the position, and confirmation the role involves children or vulnerable persons. Some police services ask for a letter or an organisation code.
Apply to the police service where you live
Not where the job is. In British Columbia, apply through the Criminal Records Review Program. Many services accept online applications.
Verify your identity
With government ID. If your name, sex and date of birth match a flagged record, you will be asked for fingerprints, in person.
Receive and share your result
In Ontario, results go to you first. They reach the organisation only with your written consent.

Official guidance: RCMP, vulnerable sector checks

For employers: screening while you wait on a VSC

A VSC can take weeks, and it has to come from each candidate's own police service. Most of your hiring does not need one at all.

Use a Level 2 for every role that does not meet the VSC test. For roles that do, some organisations run a Level 2 at the offer stage and collect the VSC before unsupervised work begins. Your policy, and any regulator in your sector, decides what is acceptable.

Create your account

Level 2 at the offer, VSC before unsupervised work

Offer Unsupervised work begins

Level 2About 15 minutes

Vulnerable sector checkDays to weeks, from the candidate's own police service

What you get with Credibled

Level 2 in about 15 minutes. Searched through accredited police partners against the RCMP National Repository.
Identity verification included. Not billed on top of the check.
Duplicate detection. Two recruiters cannot order the same check twice.
A real person to call. Every account has a dedicated contact, whatever its size.
Pay per check. No subscription.

Want to know if this changes?

Today, a vulnerable sector check means dealing with your local police service directly. We are working on ways to make the process easier within the rules that govern it. We cannot give a date. If anything changes, this page will say so first, and we will email the people who asked.

Get updates for myself Get updates for my organisation

Vulnerable sector check questions

01About the vulnerable sector check

What is a vulnerable sector check?

A vulnerable sector check (VSC) is a police record check for people applying to positions of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons. It returns everything a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (Level 2) returns, plus a search for record suspensions (pardons) for certain sexual offences and, in limited cases, non-conviction information. It is governed by section 6.3 of the Criminal Records Act. In Ontario it is called a Level 3 check.

Who needs a vulnerable sector check?

People applying for paid or volunteer roles with care, supervision or authority over children or vulnerable persons. Common examples are childcare and early childhood education, teaching and education assistance, personal support and home care, long-term care and patient care, and youth coaching and camps. The test is about the role, not the industry, so the organisation and the police service decide whether a specific position qualifies.

What is a Level 3 check?

Level 3 is the name Ontario uses for a vulnerable sector check under the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015. Level 1 is a criminal record check and Level 2 is a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check. Other provinces use different names, such as police information check, but the vulnerable sector search itself comes from the same federal law.

Why am I being asked for fingerprints?

When the name, sex and date of birth you provide match a record in the database of pardoned sexual offences, fingerprints are needed to confirm you are not that person. It happens to people with no record at all. It does not mean you have a record, but it does add time, and fingerprinting is done in person.

02Getting one

Can I get a vulnerable sector check online?

It depends on the police service where you live. Many larger police services accept online applications, and some of those platforms are run by private companies on the police service's behalf. The police service still conducts the check and issues the result. If fingerprints are needed, that step is done in person.

How long does a vulnerable sector check take?

It depends on the police service and its volume. Name-based results can come back within days. If fingerprints are required, expect several weeks. Apply as early as you can, and check your police service's website for current processing times.

How much does a vulnerable sector check cost?

Each police service sets its own fee, so the price depends on where you live. Some police services reduce or waive the fee for volunteer positions. Check your local police service's website for the current amount.

How long is a vulnerable sector check valid?

There is no expiry date set in law. A vulnerable sector check reflects the records on the day it was searched. Each organisation sets its own policy on how recent it must be and how often it must be renewed, so ask the organisation that requested it.

Can I request a vulnerable sector check for myself?

Not on your own. The check has to be requested by the organisation you are applying to, for a position that meets the legal test. You then apply to your local police service with that information. If you only want a copy of your own record, a criminal record check is the right tool.

Can I use the same vulnerable sector check for another job?

Usually not. A vulnerable sector check is requested for a specific position with a specific organisation, and a new organisation will normally ask for a new one.

03Compared with other checks

What is the difference between a vulnerable sector check and a criminal record check?

Both search the RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records. A Level 2 Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check returns convictions without a record suspension, outstanding charges and warrants, discharges and Youth Criminal Justice Act findings within their disclosure windows, and court orders. A vulnerable sector check returns the same, plus pardoned sexual offences, certain not criminally responsible findings, and in rare cases non-conviction information. A Level 2 can be completed online through an accredited provider, often within minutes. A vulnerable sector check comes only from police and usually takes days or weeks.

Can an employer ask for a vulnerable sector check for any job?

No. It is only for positions of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons. The RCMP notes that it is an offence to conduct a vulnerable sector check for a position that does not meet the requirements of the Criminal Records Act. For other roles, a Level 2 check is the most complete criminal record check available.

Is a Level 2 check enough instead of a vulnerable sector check?

Not if the role qualifies for a vulnerable sector check and your policy or regulator requires one. A Level 2 does not include pardoned sexual offences. If the role does not qualify, a Level 2 is the right check, and a vulnerable sector check should not be requested.

Can vulnerable sector check results be sent outside Canada?

No. The RCMP releases vulnerable sector check results only to organisations located in Canada. Level 2 results can be shared with a parent or partner organisation outside Canada, subject to the candidate's consent.

How does it work in British Columbia?

In British Columbia, the Criminal Records Review Program is the authorised body for vulnerable sector checks, rather than the local police service.

04Credibled and the VSC

Can Credibled or MyCheck do my vulnerable sector check?

Not today. Only a police service, or the Criminal Records Review Program in British Columbia, can conduct a vulnerable sector check, and no private screening company can issue one. We are working on ways to make the process easier within the rules that govern it. If that changes, this page will say so first.

Does a Credibled criminal record check show pardoned sexual offences?

No. Record suspensions for sexual offences are only searched in a vulnerable sector check. A Credibled Level 2 check returns everything a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check covers, with identity verification included.

I was asked for a police check, not a vulnerable sector check. What should I order?

Ask the organisation which level they need. If they accept a check from an accredited provider, MyCheck lets you order a Level 1 ($39) or Level 2 ($49) online, with identity verification included. Most results come back within 4 hours. Checks are non-refundable once submitted, so confirm first.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].

Not a VSC? You can have your check today.

Individuals from $39. Employers get Level 2 results in about 15 minutes.

Order MyCheck Create a business account

Checks

Solutions

Resources

Company