Last updated: July 28, 2026
Background check means something narrower in Canada than in the United States. There is no public court-records industry here: for most jobs, the background check is a criminal record check against the RCMP's CPIC database, sometimes with reference calls and employment verification around it. This guide covers what each tier includes, what it costs on both routes, and the consent rules that apply to every check run in this country.
What a Canadian Background Check Includes
The record half comes in three tiers. A standard criminal record check searches CPIC for criminal convictions and satisfies most employment, housing and licensing requests. The Enhanced CRJMC adds outstanding charges, discharges, warrants, peace bonds and other judicial matters; Ontario security licensing and several regulators require it issued within six months. The vulnerable sector check adds record-suspended sexual offences and is restricted by law to positions of trust over children or vulnerable persons; only the police service where the applicant lives can issue one.
Everything beyond the record is verification work employers do directly or through a screening firm: reference calls, employment and education confirmation, and for some financial roles a credit check. Each of those needs its own consent, and none of them touches a police database. Our guide to the different types of background checks walks through the full menu.
How to Get a Background Check in Canada
Two routes, one database.
- Online, about 15 minutes. A CPIC-based criminal record check through Instant Record Check costs $59.97, verifies your identity electronically, and delivers a result you can download and share. It works from any province or territory, and pricing is published.
- Through your police service. Employment checks run roughly $20 at the RNC in Newfoundland to $81 at York Region in person, with most services between $26 and $75, checked against their own published fees in July 2026. Volunteers pay less or nothing with an agency letter almost everywhere. Waits range from a few business days to several weeks, and there is usually no rush service.
Background Checks for Employers
Written consent is not optional. PIPEDA and its provincial counterparts require informed consent before a record check runs, and human rights law across the provinces limits how a record can be used once you have it; Ontario, for example, protects against discrimination for pardoned convictions. The practical pattern that keeps employers onside: ask every finalist for the same check, tied to the role's actual risk, and let the candidate supply it or authorize it.
For hiring at volume, the business portal runs batch invites with per-check pricing below retail and results in the same roughly 15 minutes; the pre-employment screening guide covers what Canadian employers actually check and in what order. If you are screening a person rather than a hire, a tenant or a contractor, the rules are the same and our guide on how to do a background check on someone covers the consent-first process.
What Shows Up, and How Far Back It Goes
Most checks come back clear. When something does exist, a CRC reports criminal convictions; the CRJMC adds the judicial layer; and disclosure of non-conviction records is tightly limited. Adult convictions have no automatic expiry date; they report until a record suspension seals them. Our guide on how far back a background check goes covers youth records, discharges and the timelines in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a background check cost in Canada?
Online, a CPIC-based criminal record check costs $59.97 and the Enhanced CRJMC $66.97, both with results in about 15 minutes. Police services charge roughly $20 to $81 for employment checks depending on the service, and volunteer rates are set by each service.
How long does a background check take in Canada?
About 15 minutes online, including electronic identity verification. Police services run from a few business days to several weeks: in late July 2026 Toronto Police was processing applications received about two and a half weeks earlier, and the RNC in Newfoundland asks for at least 15 business days.
What shows up on a Canadian background check?
A criminal record check shows criminal convictions from the RCMP's CPIC database. The Enhanced CRJMC adds outstanding charges, discharges, warrants and other judicial matters. The vulnerable sector check, which only police can issue, adds record-suspended sexual offences. Credit history and references are separate checks that need their own consent.
Can an employer run a background check without my consent?
No. Canadian privacy law requires informed consent, and in practice you either provide the check yourself or sign an authorization for the employer to order it. An employer who runs record checks without consent is offside PIPEDA or its provincial equivalents.
Is a background check the same as a criminal record check?
For most Canadian hiring, yes: the criminal record check is the piece employers mean. A fuller screen can add reference calls, employment and education verification, or a credit check for financial roles, each with its own consent. The record check is the only part that searches a police database.
How far back does a background check go in Canada?
Adult convictions stay on record until a record suspension is granted; there is no automatic expiry. Youth records close on their own schedule under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Our guide on how far back checks go covers the details and the exceptions.
Instant Record Check Editorial
Writing on criminal record checks and background screening in Canada.
