Newfoundland and Labrador
Online RCMP-based criminal record checks for Newfoundland and Labrador residents in about 15 minutes, plus current RNC certificate types, fees and processing times.
Start Your CheckLast updated: July 2026
A criminal record check in Newfoundland and Labrador is a name-based search of the RCMP's national CPIC database, and there are two ways to get one. The online route through Instant Record Check returns results in about 15 minutes from $59.97, from anywhere in the province. The police route depends on where you live: the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary serves St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise and the northeast Avalon, the Corner Brook area, and Labrador West, while the rest of the province is policed by the RCMP through local detachments.
The RNC calls its check a Criminal Record Screening Certificate, applies a $20 fee for employment, and asks applicants to allow at least 15 business days for processing. That timeline matters here more than in most provinces: employers in screening-heavy sectors such as healthcare, education, offshore energy and mining often want a check in hand before a start date that is days away, not weeks.
For other provinces and cities, see the popular locations directory, the neighbouring Nova Scotia guide, or read how the online process works.
Simple Process
Sign up online with your name, date of birth, and Newfoundland and Labrador address.
Complete a quick identity verification step. Your information is checked against the RCMP's CPIC national criminal records database.
Most results are delivered within about 15 minutes. Download your check and share it with employers, landlords, or volunteer organizations.
Verified fees as of July 2026, from the RNC's own application portal. Compare against the online check.
| Method | Cost | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Online (Instant Record Check) | From $59.97 | About 15 minutes |
| RNC Criminal Record Screening Certificate (employment) | $20 | At least 15 business days |
| RNC certificate with vulnerable sector (CRSCVS) | $20 | Longer if fingerprints needed (+$25) |
The RNC issues three certificate types through one online application: the standard Criminal Record Screening Certificate, the CRSCPE covering pending investigations and charges, and the CRSCVS which adds vulnerable sector screening. Every version includes a check of pending investigations and charges. The process runs electronically end to end on the RNC record check portal, including identity verification and payment; paper applications with two pieces of ID and a $20 cheque or money order can still go to RNC headquarters at 1 Fort Townshend in St. John's. Apply only if you live in an RNC-policed community, and only once per position; a false address ends the application and forfeits the fee.
Most of the island and the majority of Labrador are policed by the RCMP, and residents there apply for record checks through their local detachment. Bring two pieces of government identification, and a letter from your organization if you are applying as a volunteer. For anyone living or working outside Canada, the route is a certified criminal record check through the RCMP by fingerprint submission.
Vulnerable sector screening in this province comes as the RNC's combined CRSCVS certificate, or through your RCMP detachment outside RNC territory. The RNC charges $20, and adds $25 only if fingerprints are needed to confirm identity. No online provider can issue vulnerable sector screening, Instant Record Check included; if your role is not a position of trust over children or vulnerable persons, a standard check usually covers it. Our vulnerable sector check guide explains who qualifies and what is disclosed.
Geography decides this one more than anything. The RNC's 15-business-day standard turnaround is a three-week wait for a job that may start Monday, and outside RNC territory the nearest detachment can be a long drive on winter roads, from the Great Northern Peninsula to the Labrador coast. An online criminal record check completes the entire process, identity verification included, in about 15 minutes from any community with an internet connection.
The distinction that matters: if your position needs vulnerable sector screening, only the RNC or the RCMP can issue it. For most other purposes, employment, housing and licensing among them, organizations accept a CRC or Enhanced CRC from Instant Record Check, which searches the same RCMP CPIC database a police check does.
For employers managing multiple hires, the business portal offers bulk rates and centralized results.
Common Questions
Two routes. Online through Instant Record Check, the whole process takes about 15 minutes from $59.97, from anywhere in the province. Through the police, RNC-area residents apply on the RNC's online portal for a Criminal Record Screening Certificate ($20, normally 15 business days or more), and everyone else applies at their local RCMP detachment.
The RNC charges $20 for an employment Criminal Record Screening Certificate, with a $25 fee added if fingerprints are required. Online through Instant Record Check, a criminal record check is $59.97 with results in about 15 minutes; see the pricing page.
The RNC asks applicants to allow at least 15 business days, and warns that incomplete applications take longer. An online check through Instant Record Check searches the same national CPIC database and typically returns results in about 15 minutes.
It is the RNC's name for its police record check. Three versions exist: the standard CRSC, the CRSCPE which adds pending investigations and charges, and the CRSCVS which adds vulnerable sector screening. Every version includes a check of pending investigations and charges, and all three are applied for through the same RNC portal.
Only through the police. In RNC territory the CRSCVS combines the criminal record and vulnerable sector screening in one $20 application on the RNC portal; elsewhere the local RCMP detachment handles it. No online company can issue vulnerable sector screening, Instant Record Check included.
