Record Checks

Incomplete applications will remain active for 14 days.  If the applicant does not provide all requested documentation or confirmation of requested information within 14 days of the application date, the record check will be closed and no refund will be provided.

1. Do you live within our jurisdiction (City of Peterborough, Village of Lakefield, Township of Cavan-Monaghan)? Map   Unsure? The OPP have an interactive map here.

2. Do you have the required identification?

• Two pieces of Government issued ID
  • Photo identification that includes your name, date of birth and address is required.  Acceptable forms of identification include drivers licence, photo health card, passport, birth certificate, Ontario photo card, permanent residence card, etc.
• International students who do not have Canadian identification are required to provide a valid passport, study/work permit and student card
  
  
• If identification does not show an address
• Proof of current address within our jurisdiction must be presented (piece of mail addressed to applicant, rent/lease receipt/agreement, etc.)
• Non-photo health cards and social insurance cards are not acceptable for identification purposes

3. Are you over the age of eighteen (18)?

4. Have you been advised that you require a "Certified Criminal Record Check" or fingerprints?

5. Are you applying as a volunteer?

Volunteer positions are considered positions where you do not receive any compensation and are willingly offering your time to the organization. 

*Volunteer Firefighters, court ordered community service hours, and those residing within the residence of home daycares or foster children do not qualify as volunteer positions.*

6. Are you applying for a student placement?
Please make sure you are aware if you are being financially compensated for your placement hours, or if they are unpaid. There are different fees depending on whether you are being paid or not.

7. Are you applying for a Vulnerable Sector Check?

8. Are you applying for a Broad Record Check?

Applying for a Police Record Check In Person

We will not accept walk-ins who have not made an appointment, or those attending outside of their scheduled appointment times.  

If you miss your appointment or missing any required documentation, you will need to schedule another appointment. We cannot guarantee wait times for appointments.

The public is reminded that within peak periods there may be a delay in processing.

The public is reminded that within peak periods there may be a delay in processing.

What is it?
The Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) screens those working or volunteering with vulnerable persons.

A vulnerable person is someone who is:

• in a position of dependence on others
• at a greater risk than the general population of being harmed by a person in a position of authority or trust due to their age, a disability or other circumstances (temporary or permanent)

Fingerprints are required for some VSCs.

What does this check cover?

• criminal convictions
• findings of guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) within the applicable disclosure period
• outstanding entries, such as charges, warrants, judicial orders, Peace Bonds, Probation and Prohibition Orders
• absolute and conditional discharges for one or three years respectively
• disposition of Not Criminally Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder
• criminal charges resulting in dispositions and non-conviction including (but not limited to): Stayed, Withdrawn, Dismissed, Not Guilty, and cases of not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder as listed on local police indices in accordance with federal and provincial legislation
• all record suspensions authorized for release by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Examples of positions that may potentially qualify (based upon the description of duties supplied in the agency letter)

A VSC may be required for doctors, nurses, dentists, teachers, early childcare educators, daycare employees, employees in long-term care facilities (who provide direct one on one health services to vulnerable adults), social workers, taxi drivers, sport coaches, etc.

In order to apply for a VSC:

To receive a VSC, you must provide a letter from the requesting agency or organization which provides the following: 

• The letter must be on the organization’s letterhead and must be signed by an authorized representative of the organization with their contact information
• Must list your name
• The letter must be dated within thirty (30) days of the application
• State the level of record check being requested
• Provide the title of your role and your specific duties
• Indicate if the position is paid or unpaid

You will be required to include the letter from the agency/organization when you submit your application.

Additional Information for Vulnerable Sector Checks

Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) Dissemination of Criminal Record Information policy stipulates that the Vulnerable Sector Checks (VSC) MUST be completed by the police service of local jurisdiction where the applicant resides and for each agency the applicant is working or volunteering.

Results of a VSC are only made available to organizations located in Canada. Fingerprints are required for some VSC checks.

In 2010, the RCMP changed the way that Pardon Sex Offender Database (PSOD) checks are completed. The changes mean that “hits” or matches in the database are indicated if:

• there is a name match; and/or,
• there is a gender and date of birth match, regardless of name.

The purpose of this change is to capture, during a VSC, any pardoned sex offenders who have subsequently obtained a legal name change. This means that, any person who has the same date of birth and gender as a pardoned sex offender will also get a potential “hit” to the PSOD. These individuals will be asked to submit fingerprints for processing in order to confirm whether or not there is a pardoned sex offence on file.

Applicants under the age of 18 do not qualify to have a search of the PSOD. In this case, a Vulnerable Sector form is filled out; however, the section with results for PSOD will be marked to indicate that a search of the PSOD was not conducted.

What is a Broad Record Check?

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services has approved regulatory amendments under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (CYFSA) and the Intercountry Adoption Act, 1998 (IAA) to establish consistent police record check (PRC) requirements for the child and youth sector that are intended to improve the safety of children and youth who are in care or receiving services under these acts. The amendments will take effect on January 1, 2025.

The amendments introduce new PRC standards which will establish consistency and clarity in regulation for the child and youth sector, including roles that require checks, as well as their type and frequency. Additionally, the requirements establish practices and procedures to follow when a PRC is required.

Who is impacted by the requirements?

The changes will apply to applicants, employees, volunteers, students, board members and external contractors of service providers, licensees, and caregivers (including prospective caregivers) and prospective adoptive parents listed O. Reg. 155/18 under the CYFSA and O. Reg. 200/99 under the IAA.

The regulations include requirements for specific individuals to provide a Broad Record Check (BRC) which is a request for disclosure of additional types of information than what is generally available through a Vulnerable Sector Level Check.

Application Process

You will be required to provide the police service with the following information: 

• A letter must be provided on the organization’s letterhead and must be signed by an authorized representative of the organization with their contact information
• Must list your name
• The letter must be dated within thirty (30) days of the application
• The letter must state that a Broad Record Check is being requested
• Provide the title of your role and your specific duties
• Indicate if the position is paid or unpaid

Types of information disclosed in a Broad Record Check

• Criminal convictions for which a pardon has not been issued or granted.
• Findings of guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act during the applicable period of access under the Act.
• Absolute discharges during the applicable period of access.
• Every criminal offence of which the individual has been found guilty and received a conditional discharge on conditions set out in a probation order during the applicable period of access.
• Every criminal offence for where there is an outstanding charge or warrant to arrest.
• Every outstanding order made against the person in respect of a criminal matter including probation orders, or prohibition order.
• Every court order made against the individual including, restraining orders under Sec. 46 of the Family Law Act, under Sec. 35 of the Children’s Law Reform Act or 137 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017.
• Every criminal offence with which the individual has been charged and resulted in a finding of not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder.
• Any conviction for which a pardon has been granted if authorized under the Criminal Records Act (Canada).
• Any non-conviction information where criminal charges against the person resulted in a stay of proceedings, dismissal, or withdrawal.
• Every contact where actions were taken against the person under the Mental Health Act as it was determined that the person was suffering or apparently suffering from a mental disorder of a nature or quality that would likely result in serious bodily harm to them or another person, or in serious physical impairment of themselves.
• Information about every contact between the person and a police service where there is a written record UNLESS disclosing the information could interfere with a law enforcement matter; person is unaware of the contact, person was a minor at the time of the contact, or information is not relevant to the person’s suitability to perform caregiving duties for a child or to reside in a place where a child is residing and receiving care.

Civilian fingerprinting is offered to the public on an appointment only basis. Please call 705-876-1122 ext. 288 to request an appointment. 

This process does not apply to individuals requiring fingerprints for criminal charges.

Please refer to the below table for services offered and fees:

As appointments may be outside of the Records Unit hours, it is requested that payment be made in exact cash.

Things to know before booking an appointment:

1. Were you given a form that needs to be stamped by Peterborough Police Service? Are you being asked to provide a DCN number? If “Yes” - All paperwork needs to be brought with you to your appointment
2. You must know where your fingerprint results from the RCMP are coming back to (ex. Individual, 3rd party address etc.)
3. You do not need to be a resident of our policing area to obtain civilian fingerprints (record check/vulnerable sector checks excluded) 

*** NOTE: fingerprints are taken digitally - unless you require ink. Our system does NOT go from ORI to ORI. Fingerprints are sent electronically to the RCMP, the RCMP processes your fingerprints and mails your results via Canada Post regular mail to the address given at the time of fingerprints ***

Please refer to the RCMP website for processing times - https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/processing-times-and-fees

Police Check – Agency Fact Sheet

Police Check – Applicant checklist

Fingerprint Requirements – Fingerprints will be required for record release purposes if the applicant has convictions on file with any police service other than the Peterborough Police Service.  If the applicant has applied for a Vulnerable Sector level check, fingerprints will be required if there is a potential match to a registered criminal record held at the RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records.

Reconsideration Process – Reconsideration Document – An Applicant may wish to have certain information excluded from the results. A reconsideration request may be submitted in writing to the Police Service for review. The reconsideration process is only applicable to non-conviction information which has been released on a Vulnerable Sector Check.

For further information, please visit the RCMP’s website.

Please visit the Government of Canada website to obtain full information on the Record Suspension Process:

https://www.canada.ca/en/parole-board/services/record-suspensions.html

Downloadable Record Suspension Guide – PBC Record Suspension Application Guide 2022

If you have begun the process and require fingerprints (step #1), please call (705) 876-1122 ext. 288 to make an appointment.

If you are at the Local Police Check stage (step #4), please email foi@peterborough.ca to make an appointment.  Please advise in the email that it is for a Record Suspension.

Record Suspension applications do not qualify for on-the-spot processing.

If you have any questions about the Record Suspension process or for further information, please email the Peterborough Police Service FOI Analyst at foi@peterborough.ca or call 705-876-1122 ext. 213.

Fee for Record Suspension: $50