Last updated: July 30, 2026
Calgary residents encounter several kinds of screening requests, but the wording on a job letter matters. A Calgary Police Service Police Information Check is broader than a basic name-based criminal record check. A vulnerable sector search is a separate level of screening with narrower eligibility rules.
Provincial context is available in the Alberta criminal record check guide.
What a Calgary Police Information Check Is
A Calgary Police Service Police Information Check, usually shortened to PIC, searches police and court information for employment, volunteer work, adoption, immigration, and other approved purposes. The result is provided to the applicant on a Calgary Police Service certificate letter. CPS does not disclose the result directly to a third party.
CPS identifies three search mechanisms in its online application information, per the Calgary Police Service, July 2026:
- S.E.N.T.R.Y. searches local records of the applicant's involvement with Calgary Police Service.
- J.O.I.N. searches Alberta's Justice Online Information Network for provincial court records.
- C.P.I.C. searches the Canadian Police Information Centre system and the RCMP National Repository in Ottawa.
Disclosure can include Canada-wide criminal record history, pending charges, outstanding warrants, relevant local police information, and active judicial orders. Vulnerable sector records are included only when that search is required and CPS confirms the position is eligible.
Police clearance, criminal record check, and background check all get used loosely for this category, but they are not interchangeable on an employer's request. The document named in the request determines the screening level.
How Much a Calgary Police Check Costs
The following prices are current CPS fees, per the Calgary Police Service, July 2026, alongside Instant Record Check's online products.
| Provider and check | Purpose | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary Police Service general PIC | Employment, adoption, immigration, or other | $75.00 |
| Calgary Police Service volunteer or unpaid practicum PIC | Qualifying application with an organization letter | $25.00 |
| Calgary Police Service outside-Alberta PIC | Eligible applicants who previously lived in Calgary, or Calgary residents away for an extended period | $80.00 |
| Calgary Police Service record suspension check | Record suspension, formerly called a pardon | $80.00 |
| Instant Record Check CRC | Online Criminal Record Check | $59.97 |
| Instant Record Check CRJMC | Online Enhanced Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check | $66.97 |
The $25 volunteer or unpaid practicum rate requires a letter dated within six months of the application. It must be on the organization's letterhead, state the applicant's full name and volunteer or unpaid-practicum status, and carry the signature of an agency official.
The outside-Alberta service is limited. It applies when the person previously resided in Calgary, or currently resides in Calgary and is away for an extended period. The two Instant Record Check products and their full charges are also listed on the pricing page.
Price is not the whole comparison. Instant Record Check works with police partners across the country who process checks on its behalf. It belongs to the Professional Background Screening Association and is a BBB Accredited Business. When an employer, licensing body or immigration office accepts a name-based check but needs paper rather than a PDF, Instant Record Check can mail an official police-stamped hard copy, embossed and sealed.
Processing Time
CPS says Police Information Checks are "processed in date order", that it is "currently experiencing high volumes", and that applications "will not be processed immediately or expedited". These statements appear in the CPS online application guidance, per the Calgary Police Service, July 2026.
CPS publishes no fixed turnaround for a standard Calgary police information check. Processing depends on the application queue and whether CPS sends further instructions that require a response from the applicant.
Once a CPS application is complete, its result remains in the applicant's portal account for 90 days. That window describes access to a completed certificate, not the time CPS will take to process a new application.
Instant Record Check uses a different workflow for a CRC or CRJMC. Results typically return in about 15 minutes after identity verification. That timing is Instant Record Check's service guidance, not a CPS turnaround estimate. The how it works page explains the online steps.
Applying Through the CPS Portal
CPS's official online application channel is operated at policesolutions.ca. It replaced the older ePIC system. The ePIC name still circulates in older guidance, but there is no separate ePIC service to sign in to.
A standard CPS online application requires two pieces of original government-issued identification, and one must include a photo. Acceptable photo identification includes a driver's licence, provincial photo card, passport, permanent resident card, firearms licence, Nexus card, or another type listed by CPS. An interim driver's licence is not accepted. Identification issued outside Calgary requires proof of residency.
Online payments accept AMEX, Visa, MasterCard, and Interac/Debit. In-person payments accept the same methods plus cash. The application may generate further instructions, including an attend letter when CPS needs an in-person follow-up.
Completed results remain in the portal account for 90 days. Questions about a CPS application can be sent to cps-picunit@calgarypolice.ca. The vulnerable sector search has a different channel and cannot be completed through the CPS website.
Vulnerable Sector Checks in Calgary
A vulnerable sector search is intended for a position of trust or authority over children, older adults, people with disabilities, patients in care, or another vulnerable population. CPS, not the employer, determines whether the position meets the criteria. An employer's internal screening policy does not obligate police to perform this level of search.
The vulnerable sector search cannot be completed through the CPS website, and Instant Record Check cannot issue one either. The local police service where the applicant lives must run it, and in Calgary that is CPS. Beyond ruling out the website, CPS does not publish the intake route on its police information check pages, so confirm the current one with the Police Information Check Unit at cps-picunit@calgarypolice.ca. The vulnerable sector check guide explains how this screening differs from a CRC or CRJMC.
These steps follow the CPS vulnerable sector guidance, per the Calgary Police Service, July 2026. Once CPS has the completed application it checks name, date of birth, and gender against national, provincial, and Calgary police records, and queries the RCMP pardoned sex offender database through CPIC and the Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Service. A possible match does not establish that the applicant has a pardoned offence: it triggers verification. CPS sends an attend letter, and the applicant books a fingerprint appointment at Westwinds Headquarters, offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with no walk-ins. Where fingerprints are not matched CPS estimates about two weeks, and where they are matched or manual verification is needed the estimate runs beyond 120 days.
A vulnerable sector search for employment or an unpaid practicum costs $25. Fingerprinting, when required, costs $25. A volunteer letter must be on the agency or organization's official letterhead and identify the applicant and the specific duties connected with the vulnerable sector.
Calgary Police vs Online
The right route follows the document named by the requesting organization. CPS offers its Police Information Check, which searches local Calgary records, Alberta court records, and CPIC or RCMP national data. Its general fee is $75, and CPS provides no fixed processing time.
Instant Record Check provides an online CRC for $59.97 and an Enhanced Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check for $66.97. These checks use the same RCMP and CPIC data for criminal record screening. Identity verification is handled through TransUnion, with Stripe Identity as backup, and results typically return in about 15 minutes.
The scope is not identical to a CPS PIC. A CPS PIC searches local police information and Alberta court records in addition to the national criminal record data. Instant Record Check cannot issue a vulnerable sector check. The applicant's request letter should name the required check, and a CRC should not be substituted when the organization specifically requires a PIC or vulnerable sector search.
The one case no online route serves is a confirmed vulnerable sector requirement, because that search is unavailable through both the CPS website and Instant Record Check. An attend letter or an unresolved identification issue can also require a visit to Westwinds.
In-Person Location
Calgary Police Service handles in-person Police Information Check matters at:
Westwinds Headquarters
5111 47 St NE
Calgary AB T3J 3R2
Hours:
- Monday to Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Thursday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Closed weekends and statutory holidays
Vulnerable sector fingerprint appointments are booked when CPS directs the applicant to attend. The Police Information Check Unit can answer case-specific questions at cps-picunit@calgarypolice.ca.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Calgary police check cost?
A general Calgary Police Service Police Information Check costs $75. The volunteer or unpaid practicum rate is $25 with a qualifying organization letter, an eligible outside-Alberta application costs $80, and a record suspension check costs $80. Instant Record Check charges $59.97 for a CRC and $66.97 for a CRJMC.
How long does a Calgary police check take?
For a standard police information check CPS publishes no fixed turnaround, and states that applications are processed in date order, high volumes are occurring, and applications are not processed immediately or expedited. A vulnerable sector search is different: CPS estimates about two weeks, or beyond 120 days when fingerprint verification is needed. Instant Record Check results typically return in about 15 minutes after identity verification.
Can I get a Calgary police check online?
Yes. CPS accepts standard Police Information Check applications through its official policesolutions.ca channel. Instant Record Check offers CRCs and CRJMCs online. A vulnerable sector search cannot be completed through the CPS website or Instant Record Check.
Do I need a vulnerable sector check for my job?
CPS determines whether a position meets vulnerable sector criteria based on trust or authority over a vulnerable person. An employer's internal policy does not require CPS to run the search. Instant Record Check cannot issue a vulnerable sector check.
What happened to Calgary's ePIC system?
CPS's older ePIC system was replaced by its current online application channel at policesolutions.ca. Applications and account access now go through that portal.
Is a police clearance the same as a Calgary police information check?
Police clearance is a common name for a police information check or criminal record check. In Calgary, the exact CPS product is called a Police Information Check. The required screening level still depends on the requesting organization and role.
Related Pages
- Police Record Check Canada
- Police Clearance Certificate
- Criminal Record Check Canada
- Types of Background Checks in Canada
- Online Criminal Record Check
- Criminal Record Check Alberta
- Criminal Record Check Edmonton
- Vulnerable Sector Check
- Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check
- Pricing
- How It Works
Featured Image: Unsplash
Instant Record Check Editorial
Writing on criminal record checks and background screening in Canada.
