Police Check Ontario: Which Check You Need and How to Get One

A police check in Ontario is an official search of police records, done with your consent. Since 2018, the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 allows three types: a Criminal Record Check, a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, and a Vulnerable Sector Check. This guide explains what each one shows, which one you are likely to need, what it costs, how long it takes and how to apply. You will often see the terms “police check”, “police record check”, “criminal record check” and “background check” used to mean the same thing. They overlap, but the check type you order matters: each type discloses a different set of information, and the organization asking for the check decides which type it accepts.

The 3 types of police check in Ontario

The Act sets out exactly what each type of check can disclose. The table below summarizes the three types, based on the Government of Ontario’s police record checks page and the Act.

Criminal Record Check (Level 1). The narrowest check. It is name-based, using your name and date of birth, and shows convictions only. See Level 1 vs Level 2 checks for how it compares with the next level.

Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (Level 2). Adds matters that are still before the courts or recently resolved, such as outstanding charges, warrants and discharges within their disclosure periods (discharge periods as summarized by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association). Read more about the Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC).

Vulnerable Sector Check (Level 3). The most detailed check, reserved for positions of trust or authority with children or vulnerable persons. It must be done by the police service where you live. Find out when you need a vulnerable sector check, or compare check types side by side.

Which police check do I need?

The organization asking for the check decides which type it accepts. Ask them first, ideally in writing, and order exactly the type they name. As a rough guide, these are the check types commonly associated with each situation — in every case, confirm with them:

• Retail or office job: often a Criminal Record Check (Level 1) or a CRJMC. Confirm with them.
• Cash handling, finance or security role: often a CRJMC, because outstanding charges can be relevant. Confirm with them.
• Rideshare or delivery driver: often a Level 1 check or a CRJMC, sometimes alongside a driver’s abstract. Confirm with them.
• Tenancy application: a landlord may ask for a Level 1 check or a CRJMC; you are not obliged to provide more than you consent to. Confirm with them.
• Volunteering with children or seniors: usually a Vulnerable Sector Check from your local police service. Confirm with them.
• Healthcare or education placement: usually a Vulnerable Sector Check, as these roles involve vulnerable people. Confirm with them.
• Professional licensing: varies by regulator; some require a Vulnerable Sector Check or a fingerprint-based check. Confirm with them.

If you order the wrong type, you may need to pay for a second check, so a quick question up front saves time and money.

How to get a police check in Ontario

Through your local police service or the OPP

Police services process checks for people who live in their area. If your community is policed by the Ontario Provincial Police, apply through the OPP record checks page. Large municipal services run their own processes, for example Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police (Mississauga and Brampton residents), York Regional Police and Ottawa Police Service. Several of them accept applications online with electronic identity verification; York Regional Police, for instance, uses an online identity check based on your financial history that its page describes as not being a credit check. A police service is the only route for a Vulnerable Sector Check.

Through a private online provider

Some Level 1 and Level 2 checks can be completed by third-party providers, as the Government of Ontario notes; the province does not license or endorse these providers, and they cannot provide a Vulnerable Sector Check. Providers typically verify your identity online and deliver results digitally. Ontario Criminal Record Check is one such provider, offering Level 1 checks and CRJMCs online — see compare check types.

What you’ll need

• Your full legal name and any former names (for example, a maiden name)
• Your date of birth
• Your current address and recent address history
• Government-issued photo ID, or the ability to pass online identity verification
• The exact check type the organization asked for
• A payment method (unless your check qualifies for a volunteer fee waiver)
• For a Vulnerable Sector Check: the organization’s name and the purpose of the role, and in some services an agency code or letter

How much does a police check cost in Ontario?

At Ontario’s large police services, an employment police check costs about $26.72 to $92 as of October 27, 2026, and volunteer checks are often free with a letter from the organization. Fees are set by each police service and change from time to time; the figures below were checked on the official pages on October 27, 2026. Always confirm the current fee before you apply.

York Regional Police states that HST applies to its fees unless otherwise stated.

Volunteer checks are often free or reduced at police services: the OPP lists volunteer checks as free; Toronto charges no fee for Level 1 or CRJMC volunteer checks with a signed letter on the organization’s letterhead; Peel’s Level 1 and Level 2 checks are free with a volunteer agency letter; and Ottawa charges $0 for volunteer checks with a sponsor letter ($74 without one). If fingerprints are needed, the RCMP charges a federal fee of $25 (waived for some volunteer work), and police services add their own fingerprinting fee — for example $90 at the OPP, $52 at Peel and $56 at Ottawa for employment.

How long does a police check take?

Ontario police services typically publish processing times of about 10 to 15 business days, and longer when fingerprints are needed or there is a backlog. Published figures, checked on October 27, 2026:

• Peel Regional Police: online applications take “approximately 10 business days” to process (source).
• York Regional Police: aims to complete checks within 10 to 15 business days (source).
• Toronto Police Service: as of October 27, 2026 it was processing Level 1 checks received October 19, Vulnerable Sector Checks received October 13 and CRJMCs received October 9 — roughly one to three weeks behind (source).

When fingerprints are needed

Level 1 and Level 2 checks are name-based. If your name and date of birth possibly match someone with a record, the police service may ask for fingerprints to confirm your identity; fingerprint-based checks cannot be completed online at York Regional Police, for example. The RCMP states that electronic fingerprint submissions with no match take about 3 business days, but a possible match goes to manual processing that can take up to 120 business days (RCMP processing times). A match does not mean you have a record; it means identity must be confirmed before a result can be released.

Your rights when you get a police check

• A police check can only be done with your consent, for that specific check.
• Results are released to you first, so you can confirm they are correct.
• You decide whether to share the results with the organization that asked for them.
• Only the information the Act allows for that type of check can be disclosed.

These protections come from the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015; the Government of Ontario’s guide summarizes them in plain language.

How long is a police check valid?

A police check has no legal expiry date in Ontario; each organization decides how recent it must be. Peel Regional Police notes that a check is only accurate on the day it is issued, and that some organizations accept a check that is three to six months old while others ask for a new one (source).

Police check FAQs

Can I get a vulnerable sector check online?

Not from a private provider. A Vulnerable Sector Check must be done by the police service where you live (Government of Ontario). Some police services accept the application online — York Regional Police lists an online VSC fee — but the check itself is still done by that police service.

Will an employer accept an online check?

It depends on the employer. Each organization decides which check types and providers it accepts. Before you order, ask whether it accepts a check from a private online provider, which type it needs and how recent it must be.

Will a pardon show up?

Convictions for which a record suspension (pardon) has been granted are not disclosed in a Level 1 check or a CRJMC. A Vulnerable Sector Check can include certain pardoned sexual offences (Government of Ontario).

Do withdrawn charges show up?

A Level 1 check shows convictions, and a CRJMC adds charges that are still outstanding. Charges that are no longer outstanding and did not lead to a conviction are non-conviction information, which the Act allows only in a Vulnerable Sector Check when a strict test is met (Government of Ontario).

Can I get one if I live outside Ontario?

Police services check people who live in their area, so apply to the police service where you live now. Canadian citizens and permanent residents living outside Canada can contact the RCMP (Government of Ontario).

Sources

• Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 (Ontario e-Laws)
• Police record checks — Government of Ontario
• Ontario Provincial Police — Police record checks
• Toronto Police Service — Police Record Checks
• Peel Regional Police — Record checks and suspensions
• York Regional Police — Service fees and how to apply
• Ottawa Police Service — Fees and police record checks
• RCMP — Processing times and fees
• Canadian Civil Liberties Association — Police Record Checks Reform Act

Written by the Ontario Criminal Record Check editorial team · Published Oct 27, 2026 · Updated Oct 27, 2026

Ontario Criminal Record Check is a private online service and is not affiliated with any government or police service.