You get a criminal record check in Canada from your local police service or from an online screening company, and you get a vulnerable sector check only from the police service where you live. As listed in October 2026, a police check for employment costs $80 in Edmonton, a personal online check costs $64.99 at MyCRC, employers pay screening companies from about $25 a check, and a fingerprint-based check adds a $25 federal fee. Which one an employer accepts depends on the role, so ask which check they want before you pay for anything.
The main types of background check
Basic criminal record check
This is what most employers mean by a background check. It searches the national police database, the Canadian Police Information Centre, for adult convictions using your name and date of birth. Police services offer it, and so do online companies such as MyCRC, which says it connects to that database and other police databases. For most office, retail and tech roles, it is enough.
Enhanced criminal record check
Certn's Enhanced check adds searches of the CPIC investigative data bank and the Police Information Portal, which go beyond the convictions a basic check covers. A police check covers similar ground: an Edmonton Police Information Check adds pending charges and court orders from Alberta's court database. Employers in finance, security and regulated work tend to ask for this level.
Vulnerable sector check
A vulnerable sector check is a criminal record check plus a search for record suspensions for sexual offences. The RCMP states that it must be done by the local police service where you live. In British Columbia, the Criminal Records Review Program is the authorized body. Edmonton Police adds a review of local police records for patterns of behaviour. It applies to positions of trust or authority over children, older adults or people with disabilities, not casual contact.
Certified criminal record check with fingerprints
A name-based check cannot fully confirm who you are. The RCMP asks for fingerprints when your details resemble someone with a record, and requires them for some federal government jobs, high-security roles and record suspensions. You give prints at a police service or an RCMP-authorized fingerprinting company, and the RCMP runs the certified check.
Credit, employment and education checks
Screening companies run these for employers. A credit check for hiring shows your credit history but, per Certn, not your credit score. Employment and education verification means contacting your former employers and schools to confirm dates, titles and credentials. Credit checks come up most in banking, accounting and roles handling money.
Driver abstract
Your provincial licensing office issues this record of licence status, demerit points and convictions. In Ontario, a 3-year driver record costs $12 uncertified, sent as a PDF by email, or $18 certified. Driving and delivery jobs ask for one.
Costs and turnaround at a glance
| Check type | Who issues it | Typical cost, as listed October 2026 | Turnaround if published | When employers ask for it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic criminal record check | Police service or online provider | Edmonton Police $80 for employment; MyCRC $64.99; Certn $24.99 | Edmonton 5 to 10 business days; MyCRC as little as 15 minutes; Certn 4 to 72 hours | Most jobs |
| Enhanced criminal record check | Online provider | Certn $29.99 | Certn 4 to 72 hours | Finance, security, regulated roles |
| Vulnerable sector check | Local police service only | Edmonton lists $80 for an employment police information check, plus a $25 fingerprint fee for vulnerable sector checks, waived for volunteers | Not published | Work with children, older adults, people with disabilities |
| Certified check with fingerprints | Police or RCMP-authorized fingerprinting company, processed by the RCMP | $25 federal fee plus local fee, e.g. Edmonton $50 for the first set | 3 business days or less with no match; 120 business days if manual | Immigration, visas, federal and high-security jobs |
| Credit check | Credit bureaus through a screening company | Certn $12.99; your own report is free | Certn instant | Banking, accounting, money handling |
| Employment or education verification | Screening company contacting the source | Certn $29.99 each, plus possible pass-through fees | Depends on the source | Professional and regulated roles |
| Driver abstract | Provincial licensing office | Ontario $12 uncertified, $18 certified; Certn $35.99, not available in Alberta | Ontario certified within 15 business days | Driving roles |
Sources: Edmonton Police fees, fingerprinting and timing; RCMP; MyCRC; Certn. Police fees vary by city, so check your own.
Online options you can order yourself
Certn publishes per-check prices for organizations, and notes that employment and education checks may carry pass-through access fees. For a personal check, Certn points individuals to MyCRC, which lists a criminal record check at $64.99 with results in as little as 15 minutes. MyCRC states that its checks cannot be used as vulnerable sector checks.
myBackCheck, powered by Sterling Backcheck, offers a self-serve check you can share where you work or volunteer. Its home page doesn't list a price.
Self Check Verification through START, run with Canpro Technologies, covers basic and enhanced criminal record checks, Canadian sanctions, ID verification, a credit summary, e-reference, credential, employment and education verification, driver licence and provincial driver abstract, a social media check and SIN validation. You pay for the checks, and Canpro holds the reports.
Why run your own check before you apply
Most people see their background check only after an employer has read it. That's backwards. Run it first and you see what the employer will see, with time to act.
Errors happen. A former employer may have closed, a school may list you under a former name, or a name-based search may match someone with a similar name and birth date. Fixing that takes time a hiring process rarely gives you.
If something real is on your record, a short explanation prepared in advance lands far better than a surprised one in a final interview. Newcomers have one more reason: a Canadian check only covers Canadian records, and IRCC asks for a police certificate from countries you lived in. Some employers and regulators may ask for one too.
A background check proves your history. It says nothing about whether you can do the job. For how employers check that side, see how employers verify candidate skills.
If something shows up: record suspensions
A record suspension, formerly called a pardon, sets a criminal record apart and removes it from the CPIC database, so a standard check won't show it. The Parole Board of Canada handles applications, and the application fee is $50. For offences committed on or after March 13, 2012, the waiting period is 5 years for summary offences and 10 for indictable ones, counted after your whole sentence is finished. One exception: a vulnerable sector check will still show a suspended conviction for a sexual offence.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a criminal record check cost in Canada?
As listed in October 2026, Edmonton Police charges $80 for an employment check and $20 for volunteers. MyCRC lists $64.99 for a personal online check. A fingerprint-based check adds a $25 RCMP fee plus the local fingerprinting fee, $50 at Edmonton Police.
What is a vulnerable sector check?
It is a criminal record check plus a search for record suspensions for sexual offences, required for roles with trust or authority over children, older adults or people with disabilities. Only your local police service can do it, or in BC the Criminal Records Review Program.
Can I get a vulnerable sector check online?
Not from a private company. Some police services, Edmonton among them, take police information check applications online, but a vulnerable sector check is still done by police, and you may need to give fingerprints in person.
How long is a criminal record check valid?
Edmonton Police says a check is no longer valid after its issue date, because it only shows your record as of that day. Employers set their own limits, so ask how recent a check they accept.
Do employers accept online background checks?
Each organization sets its own screening rules, as the RCMP notes. Ask which check and provider the employer accepts before you pay, and never offer an online check where a vulnerable sector check is required.
Running a check on yourself is cheap insurance against a surprise late in hiring. Self Check Verification lets you order the same kinds of checks employers use and review the results first, and pairing it with a START verified professional profile shows employers both your background and your skills.
START Canada Team
The START Canada Team shares current information about the projects, training, and career-readiness tools described on startnew.ca.