What Disclosures Are Included
- Criminal Records – Adult and Youth
- Pending and outstanding charges
- Outstanding warrants for arrest Canada-wide
- Police Files/Information Reports: Relevant occurrences this may include any interactions an individual has had with police as being disclosed, including mental health occurrences, if they are deemed to be relevant. A relevant occurrence may not have resulted in charges being laid, but will be disclosed if relevant or there is a potential risk to public safety
- Records of not criminally responsible by reasons of Mental Disorder pursuant to s.16 cc
- Judicial Orders while in effect: probations, prohibitions, peace bonds and recognizance conditions
- Vulnerable Sector Records
- Absolute Discharge for one year period
- Stay of Proceedings for one year period
- Conditional Discharge for three year period
- Alternative Measures for one year period
Why You Should Get A Local Background Check
If you request a criminal records check from your local police department, you may be surprised to learn that you can also have a background check done on you. A local background check will usually include a search of criminal felony and misdemeanor records, as well as details about the sex offender registry. You can use this information to determine whether or not you should be involved in any legal proceedings or have any contact with the person or entity being audited.
If A Police Clearance Certificate Is Not Available
If you visit the U.S. State Departments website and do not find the country you need a police clearance certificate from, it might not be available. Not every country offers a way to share police records.
If a police clearance certificate is unavailable for your home country or another country you lived in, you will need a personal affidavit. This is a written statement explaining why you could not get a police clearance certificate and listing the attempts you made. You will need to have your statement notarized.
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Australia Post International Police Check
If youve recently returned from a long stint working abroad or are new to Australia, your potential employer may need you to complete international police clearance as part of your pre-employment screening.
An international criminal history check from Australia Post is 100% online, fast and secure. Get police clearance from more than 190 overseas countries and territories, with results typically available in 5-15 business days.5
1 Your police check details will be stored securely for 10 years and can be reused on your next police check.
2 Around 70% of applicants who finalise their application at the Post Office receive their check result within 2 business hours. Online processing times are typically 1 2 business days and may vary depending on demand. More complicated applications may be referred to one or more police agencies for manual processing, which can take 15 or more business days. If your police check has taken more than 15 business days please call us on 13 7678.
3 If youve requested a hard copy of your certificate, allow at least 7 business days for it to arrive via Registered Post before enquiring about its status.
4 If you have a valid Australian Visa and youâre applying online, you donât need to provide a visa document. Weâll validate it using your foreign passport details. If youâre applying in person, youâll need to bring a printed Visa Grant Notice.
Quick links
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How To Order A Criminal Background Check On Yourself
If you are interested in obtaining your criminal record to see what it says about yourself, getting one is fairly easy. Landlords and potential employers order criminal backgrounds all the time to screen the history of potential renters and employees. You can order a background check of yourself online or in person.
State Jurisdictions And Local Records
If you want to order a criminal background check on yourself, some of the best places to check are your local police department or the Department of Justice in your state. Each state in the country stores information regarding criminals. They will usually make a hard copy as well as a digital database.
Each state has a different way that they handle background checks. Youll need to check to see if you must visit the local courthouse, police station in your city or county or the Department of Justice. Fortunately, some states make it easy by offering an online ordering option.
Requesting And Completing An Application
After you have determined where your records are kept, youll be required to request an application. Typically, these applications will ask you for the following information:
Your name Social Security number Drivers license number
Searching For FBI Records
The application from the FBI does require fingerprints. It can be completed at the closest FBI building in your vicinity. The cost for a background check from the FBI is $18, and it typically takes 4 to 6 weeks before you will receive your records.
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How To Do A Free Online Background Check
- Use a Consumer Reporting Agency to do a background check
- Most court information is public record
- Equifax and other sites offer one free credit report per year
Have you done an online background check of yourself lately? There are several reasons you should.
There might be erroneous information about you floating around the Internet or in your credit report. Maybe youll find a picture of yourself or a comment you made years ago somewhere thats a little embarrassing.
These things will pop up and hurt your chances the next time you apply for a loan or a job. Fortunately, you can take steps to correct or remove this damaging information.
Its also a very good idea to do a background check before taking on a roommate or going out on a date with that new crush you met online. You never know what sort of worrying or dangerous details could be lurking in someones past.
Because checking peoples background is such a pressing need, there are dozens of ways to go about this. Fortunately, several ways wont cost you a thing.
Before I continue, I should point out a tricky fact about background checks. If you are performing a background check as a landlord or employer or for credit, medical or insurance reasons you cant use just any service.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have to use a Consumer Reporting Agency. A CRA has to maintain certain standards for data protection and offer dispute resolution.
Contact An Authorized Agency To Get A Paper Copy Of Your Fingerprints
Contact an authorized agency in the country in which you are situated and request a paper copy of your fingerprints. Examples of authorized agencies:
- embassies / consulates of foreign governments government departments
- notaries of the public
- foreign private fingerprinting company that is subject to a memorandum of understanding with an accredited Canadian private fingerprinting company
- foreign private fingerprinting company that is subject to a memorandum of understanding with a local police service or government department
Make sure the paper copy of your fingerprints has:
- prints of all ten fingers taken in black ink
- name and address of the authorized agency that you visited
- signature and name of the official who took your fingerprints
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Compliance Is In Everything We Do
Certn is SOC 2-, SOC 3-, and ISO 27001-certified and we adhere to Fair Credit Reporting Act and General Data Protection Regulation standards.
Our in-house compliance experts and experienced customer support teams help you maintain a compliant background screening program and ensure your success with our platform.
Why Businesses Should Perform Background Checks
Running a pre-employment background check on a job candidate as a safety net is very common in Canadian employers.
Background checks for employment purposes is very common in Canada. The most important reasons why Canadian employers decide for pre-employment background checks is to flag any previous criminal history of the job applicant. Learning about applicants criminal history, the employers can make an informed final decision. A criminal background check can ensure:Knowledge of Criminal HistoryReduced Liability of negligent hiringWorkplace Safety
CPIC checks or background checks based on the name and date of birth of the potential employees are the most preferred method of criminal background screening by Canadian employers. You may also need a criminal background check for foreign travel, visa, name change, professional licensing, coaching, volunteering and other civil purposes.
A Canadian criminal background check is also referred to as a police record check, criminal history check, police clearance certificate or simply criminal background check. A criminal background check in Canada is a search of the CPIC database, maintained by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police , to find out whether a police record is associated with the applicants name and date of birth. CPIC checks are the most preferred method of criminal background screening by Canadian employers along with other reasons
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Acceptable Forms Of Identification
In order to release or confirm confidential information regarding your criminal record, or lack thereof, we require sufficient proper identification to verify your identity. The applicant must produce two pieces of appropriate identification that confirms their name, date of birth and address. One piece of identification presented must include a photo.
The following is a list of items that are considered acceptable forms of identification.
which provides photo and both the name and date of birth of an individual:
- Driver’s Licence
- Age of Majority Card
- Canadian Citizenship Card
- Firearms Licence
- Government Employment Card
Non-Photo Identification which provides both the name and date of birth of an individual:
- Birth Certificate
- Immigration Papers
- Recent utility bill required to verify current Waterloo Region address if no driver’s licence is available.
- People under 16 can provide school ID, bus pass and/or their parent can provide verification
For further information, please contact 519-570-9777, ext. 8900.
How Do I Get A Police Clearance Certificate Or Criminal Record
There is no such thing as a police clearance certificate in New Zealand. If you are convicted of a crime, a criminal record is created and held in a database by the Ministry of Justice. If you are asked for a police clearance certificate, police record, police file, police check, or criminal check, a copy of your criminal record from the Ministry of Justice should meet the requirements. If you have no convictions, you will receive a letter stating that is the case.
To apply, visit the Ministry of Justice websites section on criminal records.
Police Vetting is only available to approved organisations who meet the Vetting Services approval criteria. A Police vet is sometimes incorrectly called a police clearance or a police check. Find out more about Police vetting.
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Information Access Service Counter
To book an appointment and see current availability, please visit the following link: Toronto Police Service Appointment Booker
Please be advised that the results for Level 1 Criminal Record Checks and Level 2 Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks are emailed to the applicant in a digital PDF form. Should you require a paper copy, please indicate this by writing HARD COPY in the Reason for Request area of the application, and a hard copy will be sent via post to your mailing address.
The Toronto Police Service provides three types of police reference checks, commonly known as background checks:
- Criminal Record Check, which indicates any criminal convictions
- Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, which indicates any criminal convictions as well as any outstanding entries and charges
- Vulnerable Sector Screening, which is intended for individuals seeking employment or volunteer opportunities with vulnerable persons. This search indicates any criminal convictions, outstanding charges or warrants and certain pardoned offences.
If you’re unsure of what type of check you require, contact the agency/organization requesting the check so they can clarify. The Toronto Police Service does not make the decision on behalf of the organization.
The TPS will also conduct police record checks to enable various other services:
Who Can Check Your Criminal Record
Employers can check your criminal record no matter what role you apply for. This is called a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
For certain roles an employer can request a more detailed DBS check, for example if youll be working with children or in healthcare.
Your employer can still request a basic check if they cannot get a more detailed check for your role.
There are different rules for getting a criminal record check in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Other Piece Of Identification
- Health insurance card
- Certificate of Indian status card
- Birth Certificate
- Citizenship Card
- Confirmation of Permanent Residence
- Work Permit or Study Permit issued by the Government of Canada
- Single Journey Travel Document issued by the Government of Canada
- Social Insurance Card
- Firearms License for Possession & Acquisition
- Military Service Identification Card
- Manitoba Metis Federation Card
The Police Information Check Unit will not disclose to a third party â any specific information will be disclosed to the applicant only.
How Long Will The Process Take
Customer service representatives strive to complete record checks within two business days. Delays may occur if an applicant is required to attend for fingerprints, we are awaiting responses from the RCMP or another agency or if we are experiencing a greater volume of requests.
For applicants whose identity cannot be verified online, additional time is required to deliver the completed police record check to the pick-up location.
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Identity History Summary Checks For Employment Or Licensing
If you are requesting a background check for employment or licensing within the U.S., you may be required by state statute or federal law to submit your request through your state identification bureau, the requesting federal agency, or another authorized channeling agency.
The FBIs authority to conduct an Identity History Summary check for noncriminal justice purposes is based upon Public Law 92-544. Pursuant to that law, the FBI is empowered to exchange Identity History Summary information with officials of state and local governments for employment, licensingwhich includes volunteersand other similar noncriminal justice purposes, if authorized by a state statute which has been approved by the Attorney General of the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice has advised that the state statute establishing guidelines for a category of employment or the issuance of a license must, in itself, require fingerprinting and authorize the governmental licensing or employing agency to exchange fingerprint data directly with the FBI.
You should contact the agency requiring the fingerprinting or the appropriate state identification bureau for the correct procedures to follow.
Which Are The Common Police Background Check Disqualifiers
As you can see, the areas covered by the police background investigation deal with all spheres of your life. There are many things that are considered a serious disqualifier and will prevent you from taking the job of a law enforcement officer. Here is a list of the most common disqualifiers included in the police background check:
- Felony convictions
- Current drug use or past drug abuse
- Dishonorable discharge from military service
- Bad credit history
- Past or current gang affiliations
- Poor employment record
- Incorrect, false or incomplete information given on the application form
You can use the above list as a guide whether you can become a law enforcement office or not. If you have any of the given disqualifiers in your past it may be wise to abandon the idea of becoming a police officer and focus on some other career.
One other common disqualifier, that is worth mentioning, is having tattoos that depict offensive language or symbols. Tattoos, in general, are accepted by most agencies nowadays, especially when they are not on a visible part of the body, such as the face. You may need to check with the department you are applying for, if they have any specific requirements, such as wearing long sleeves all the time.
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Police Background Check: What Do They Look For
There is something that you need to understand and remember: the background investigation starts at the very moment you submit your application form. As the hiring process is lengthy, it is possible that you might have changed your current address, phone, job or any other information provided in the original application. If this happens, make sure to notify the agency immediately. This will score a point in your favor as it shows that you are responsible and you are able to follow up on a task you have started without being prompted. In addition, that will save time, since the investigators wont have to go back and forth until they reach the needed destination.
So, which are the main areas that the police background investigation covers:
Ordering A Texas Background Check Online
Texas online background checks may be conducted by members of the public on subjects of their choosing. The requestor must supply identification details about the individual he or she wishes to investigate to ensure that their results pertain to the subject in question.
To conduct a background, check online in TX, the following information is needed:
- The subjects last, first, and middle name.
- The subjects maiden name, if applicable.
- The subjects month, day and year of birth.
- The subjects Social Security Number.
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How Can An Organization Confirm The Validity Of A Police Record Check
All police record checks performed by York Regional Police are issued on letterhead.
If the police record check was issued in hardcopy, it will include an embossment in the bottom right corner. Organizations are encouraged to accept only the original copy.
Electronic police record checks include a QR code. Scan the QR code to ensure the personal information and serial code on the letter correspond with the information contained in our records.