There are many reasons you might need a Calgary criminal record check. These include:

  • Applying for jobs
  • Volunteering
  • Attending certain college or university programs
  • Getting a licence for types of employment such as taxi driver or security guard
  • Record Suspension or US Entry Waiver
  • Immigration

How to get a Calgary criminal record check online

Many organizations and employers have signed up for the online Calgary criminal record check system. This system is called ePIC.

If you do not have a credit history (for example, you have never owned a credit card), you cannot use the online system because it uses Equifax, a credit reporting agency, to verify your identity. This is not a credit check. It won’t affect your rating and your credit rating will not show up in the results.

It is up to each individual agency to establish their own policies around criminal record checks. Some agencies will not hire a person with a criminal record to work or volunteer. Others will determine whether the record is related to the job or volunteer role at hand. If it is not, they may allow you to work or volunteer with a record.

If you have a record, you can self-declare it and the record check will simply establish if the details you gave were accurate. If you have already talked to the agency about your record, this may be all they need. You will save time by declaring your criminal record, because the results can then be mailed to you. If you don’t declare it, you will need to pick the results up in person.

After viewing your results, you can share them with the organization requesting the check.

Police station record checks

The online record check system is only for registered organizations to screen their employees and volunteers. All others need to attend in person at the police station. Reasons you would need to go to the police station to get your police check include:

  • The organization or employer requesting the check is not registered with the online system
  • You have lived in Canada for less than a year
  • You need it for immigration purposes
  • You need it for a Record Suspension or US Entry Waiver
  • You want to find out if information is showing on your record

Although the RCMP will remove your criminal record when you get a Record Suspension, it is voluntary for the local police to do so. Most police forces will have no problem doing this unless they have a very good reason not to remove it. However, it may not happen right away, so you may want to check before you apply for an important position.

As well, if you have ever had police contact that didn’t result in a conviction, you might want to check your record to make sure it doesn’t show up at the US border or during an employment background check.

Some things that might show up in a Calgary criminal record check are:

  • Outstanding charges that have not been dealt with by the courts
  • Outstanding warrants
  • Police incidents
  • Stays and diversions (for one year)
  • Absolute discharges (for one year) and conditional discharges (for three years)

Vulnerable Sector Check: A Vulnerable Sector Check will disclose sexual offences even if a pardon has been received. This is only required for positions working with children and vulnerable adults.

Private agencies

You can get a record check from registered private agencies.

Certified Criminal Record

If you need a Certified Criminal Record in Calgary, you must go to an accredited company for fingerprinting. You may need a Certified Criminal Record if you are applying for a:

  • Record Suspension
  • US Entry Waiver

When you go to the fingerprinting agency, let them know which application you are making. These days fingerprints are taken electronically and then transferred directly to the RCMP. The RCMP is the agency responsible for managing Canada’s national police database, which is called CPIC. CPIC stands for Canadian Police Information Centre.

The RCMP will search the database and use your fingerprints to verify your identity with what is on file. It takes about four months to return the record.

If you are applying for a US Entry Waiver or Record Suspension, there will be many documents that you need to collect, including local criminal record checks and the certified criminal record. If you need assistance with the process, contact us today for a free consultation at 1-866-972-7366.