Record Checks

New Guidelines for Record Checks

On July 25, 2011 the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police introduced new guidelines for Police Record Checks. The guidelines are intended to promote consistency in processing methods, terminology, and access throughout Ontario.

The new guidelines introduce three levels of police record checks:

Police Criminal Record Check – intended for applicants who are involved as a volunteer, employee or in any situation where a basic PCRC is requested. (i.e. retail, or immigration)

Police Information Check – intended for applicants who are seeking employment and /or volunteering with agencies who require a criminal record check along with local police involvement. The agency has determined that a search of pardoned sex offenders, or contact relating to mental health is not required.

Police Vulnerable Sector Check – intended for applicants who are seeking employment and/or volunteering with vulnerable individuals. It is a collection of offence information, including convictions, non-convictions and other relevant police contact information, as well as a check of pardoned sex offenders and mental health contact.

Vulnerable persons are described in the Criminal Records Act as:

“Persons who, because of their age, a disability or other circumstance, whether temporary or permanent,

a) Are in a position of dependence on others; or

b) Are otherwise at a greater risk than the general population of being harmed by persons in a position of authority of trust relative to them”

Please see the links below for further information:

Police Check –Applicant Fact Sheet 
Police Check – Agency Fact Sheet

Self Declaration - More Info - a process wherby the Applicant declares their adult criminal convictions to the Police Service. In order to release criminal convictions identified through a name based query, the Police Service must be satisfied that the Applicant’s declared criminal record information is a match to their registered criminal record held at the RCMP.

Reconsideration Process - More Info - an Applicant who has had a record check completed, may wish to have information excluded from the results. A reconsideration request may be submitted by the Applicant in writing to the police service for review.

Changes to Vulnerable Sector (VS) Screening Procedures

On July 19, 2010, the RCMP instituted enhancements to the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) system, which broadened the scope for VS potential matches. When performing a VS query, the CPIC system initially attempts to identify a possible match to a sexual offence for which a Pardon has been granted, based initially on the surname and given name of the individual. If this query does not identify the possible existence of a record, the system now performs a subsequent query based on the sex and birth date of the individual. If this query locates similar biographical data in criminal files it may trigger the CPIC system to prompt for the submission of fingerprints to verify or refute the existence of pardoned sex offender records.

With these recent enhancements to the VS search we are now seeing an increase in the number of returns we are deeming as "Inconclusive".

If the results of the Vulnerable Sector Screening are returned as being inconclusive, the applicant will be directed to attend the police station in order to be fingerprinted. The fingerprints will then be forwarded to the RCMP, who will then complete the screening process.

We are currently seeing a turnaround time of approximately 10-12 weeks for this process to be completed.

For further information, please visit the RCMP’s website at www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca.  


Applying for a Record Check:  

Members of the public are able to apply for Records Checks Monday to Thursday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm and Friday 8:30 am - 1:30 pm (with the exception of statutory holidays). Once the Record Check is completed and paid for in advance through the 3rd floor clerks it will be stored at the Alternative Response Unit (ARU) desk in the main lobby for pickup.

Members of the public will be able to pick up their completed Record Checks from the ARU officers 24/7. The Lakefield office will continue to accept applications and release them Monday to Friday as per past practices.   Completed checks may only be picked up by the applicant.

To be eligible to have a Police Record Check done by our service, applicants must be residents of the City of Peterborough or Village of Lakefield.  However, an exception to this is for students who have a temporary address in the City. They must provide a valid student card or documentation to support that they are in fact currently registered in a school program in the City.

The cost of a Police Record Check for employment or personal use is $34.85. For Volunteers, the cost is $6.34.  A "Volunteer Letter" from the organization you are volunteering with is required and must be presented at the time your application is filed - No Exceptions. For students there is also a reduced fee of $6.34 for Police Record Checks required for their school program only.  A valid student card or proof of enrolment is required at the time of filing - No Exceptions.

Identification Requirements:

Photo Identification is required.  Identification must also confirm your name, date of birth and address.  If Identification does not show an address; proof of address must be presented (piece of mail addressed to applicant, rent/lease receipt/agreement, etc.).    Acceptable forms of identification include drivers licence, photo health card, passport, birth certificate, BYID, Resident Card, etc.  Non-photo health cards and social insurance cards are not acceptable for identification purposes.  

Please be sure to apply early as processing can take up to two weeks, and sometimes longer in peak periods.

Please note that Applicants MUST appear in person to fill out the forms. As well, the Applicant is also required to attend in person and produce identification to pick up completed checks.

Organizations and groups requiring their volunteers and/or employees to have Police Record Checks are encouraged to contact the Police Service to arrange Record Check workshops at their location.

Please Note:  Individuals residing outside of Canada are required to contact the Canadian Consulate or Embassy office in their locale for assistance in obtaining a Record Check directly through the RCMP.    We are not able to process applications for applicants residing outside of Canada. 

If you have any questions or require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.