Record Check Ordering Made Easy

Waterloo Regional Police Service provides record check services online only. You can apply for various types of police record checks online, including Criminal Record Checks, Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks, and Vulnerable Sector Checks. Whether you need a record check for employment, volunteering, adoption, or other purposes, our streamlined process ensures quick and secure application handling.

Types of Police Record Checks 

The Criminal Record Check is intended for applicants involved as volunteers, employees, or in any situation where a basic check is requested (i.e., retail or immigration). This check is not intended for applicants seeking volunteer and/or employment with direct trust or authority with vulnerable persons.

This check will include the following information, as the record exists on the date of the search:

  • Any criminal convictions from CPIC and/or local databases,
  • Summary convictions for five years, when identified, and
  • For Government Only: Findings of Guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act within the applicable disclosure period.

This check does not include:

  • Outstanding entries, such as charges and warrants,
  • Absolute and conditional discharges,
  • Current judicial orders, including Peace Bonds, Probation and Prohibition orders under the Criminal Code of Canada,
  • Convictions where a record suspension has been granted,
  • Convictions under provincial statutes,
  • Local police contact,
  • Ministry of Transportation information (PARIS),
  • Special Interest Police (SIP) category of CPIC,
  • Family Court Restraining Orders,
  • Foreign information,
  • A Vulnerable Sector (VS) Query of sex offenders who have had their records suspended to ascertain if the applicant has been convicted of and granted a record suspension for any of the sexual offences that are listed in the schedule to the Criminal Records Act (CRA),
  • Any reference to incidents involving mental health contact,
  • Diversions,
  • Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) information beyond the applicable disclosure period,
  • Any reference to contagious diseases, and
  • Dispositions including, but not limited to; Withdrawn, Dismissed, and cases of Not Criminally Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder. test 

The Criminal Record Check and Judicial Matters Check is intended for applicants seeking volunteer and/or employment with agencies that require a record check, which includes convictions, outstanding warrants, charges and judicial orders.  The agency has determined a search of sex offenders with suspended records is not required (i.e., border crossing or visa) therefore this check is NOT intended for applicants who are seeking volunteer and/or employment with direct trust or authority with vulnerable persons.

This check will include the following information, as the record exists on the date of the search:

  • Any criminal convictions from CPIC and/or local databases
  • Summary convictions for five years, when identified
  • Outstanding entries, such as charges and warrants
  • Absolute and conditional discharges
  • For Government Only: Findings of Guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act within the applicable disclosure period

This check does not include:

  • Convictions where a record suspension has been granted
  • Convictions under provincial statutes
  • Local police contact
  • Ministry of Transportation information (PARIS)
  • Special Interest Police (SIP) category of CPIC
  • Family Court Restraining Orders
  • Foreign information
  • A Vulnerable Sector (VS) Query of sex offenders who have had their records suspended to ascertain if the applicant has been convicted of and granted a record suspension for any of the sexual offences that are listed in the schedule to the Criminal Records Act (CRA)
  • Any reference to incidents involving mental health contact
  • Diversions
  • Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) information beyond applicable disclosure period
  • Any reference to contagious diseases
  • Dispositions including, but not limited to; Withdrawn, Dismissed, and cases of Not Criminally Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder.

The Vulnerable Sector Check is restricted to applicants seeking employment and/or volunteering in Canada who are in a position of authority or trust relative to vulnerable individuals. It is a collection of offence information, including convictions, outstanding warrants, charges and judicial orders available from a local police agency's records management system and other systems/records where authorized.

This check will include sexual offence convictions for which the individual has received a record suspension, where authorized by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.  For more information about a vulnerable sector check, visit the RCMP webpage.  

This check will include the following information, as the record exists on the date of the search:

 

  • Criminal convictions from CPIC and/or local databases
  • Summary convictions for five years, when identified
  • Outstanding entries, such as charges and warrants
  • Absolute and conditional discharges
  • In exceptional cases, where it meets the Public Safety Assessment, non-conviction dispositions, including, but not limited to, Dismissed, Not Guilty, Stayed, Withdrawn
  • Not Criminally Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder, and (h) All record suspensions as authorized for release by the Minister of Public Safety.
  • For Government Only: Findings of Guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act within the applicable disclosure period

This check does not include: 

 

  • Convictions under provincial statutes
  • Local police contact
  • Ministry of Transportation information (PARIS)
  • Special Interest Police (SIP) category of CPIC
  • Family Court Restraining Orders
  • Foreign information  
  • Any reference to incidents involving mental health contact
  • Diversions, (i) Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) information beyond the applicable disclosure period
  • Any reference to contagious diseases.

Frequently Asked Questions

All types of record checks are $40. If you require the record check for a volunteer position, WRPS provides a special discounted rate. You will be required to upload a volunteer letter when applying to receive the discount. Volunteer rates:

 

  • Criminal Record Check - Free
  • Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check - Free
  • Vulnerable Sector Check - $20

Sex assigned at birth is necessary to identify applicants requiring fingerprints for a vulnerable sector check. For all types of record checks, sex assigned at birth acts as a filter when querying police databases and allows for quicker processing times.  Sex assigned at birth is not added to the final document.

Record check results will be provided in electronic format.  The digital verification is a unique identifier that certifies the PDF is original and authentic.

Record checks can only be authenticated on a computer.  The authentication signature does not work on a mobile device. 

  1. Open the record check with Adobe Acrobat; please note other PDF readers will not work.
  2. Confirm the name, date of birth and type of record check are correct.
  3. At the top of the page you will see the signature panel shown here:

     
  4. At the bottom of the page you will see the digital verification box shown here: 

     
  5. Select Click to verify to validate the record check. This will open a 'Signature Validation Status' box as shown below. This certifies the record check is authentic.

 

 

 

Please review our page on acceptable forms of identification. 

Check your spam folder for your login code. If you are still having issues, please contact technical support using the contact information at the bottom of this page. 

Credit cards and debit cards containing the Visa or Mastercard logo are accepted online. Payment is required at the time of application. 

Please contact the Record Check Unit using the information at the bottom of this page. 

Please contact the technical support vendor using the contact information at the bottom of this page. 

Record checks are delivered within 3-5 business days; however, this is dependent on the volume of applications at a given time. 

Fingerprinting may be required depending on your application, but typically for one of these reasons:

 

  • You have a criminal record.
  • Your date of birth and gender match that of a person who has received a record suspension for a sexual offence conviction and fingerprints are required to determine identity.
  • Fingerprints are required as part of the adoption or non-parent decision making record check applications. 

If fingerprints are required, we will email you the steps that must be followed. You will be required to attend the Police Reporting Centre at 150 Maple Grove Road, Cambridge, to have your fingerprints taken. 

 

  • Please be sure to have two pieces of government issued identification (one with photo) ready to present at the counter.
  • Identification confirming residence within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Fingerprinting services are provided to citizens living in the Region of Waterloo only. 

After three months, if you have not attended for identity verification or fingerprinting, your application will be considered abandoned and will no longer be available.

 

Fingerprints for Canadian citizenship, Immigration, record suspension applications, U.S. waiver applications, FBI ink fingerprinting and employment purposes, without a police record check are not available through the Waterloo Regional Police Service.  Please see the list of RCMP accredited fingerprint specialists, on the RCMP website.  Costs of service may vary depending on the provider.

 

Accredited fingerprinting companies available in Waterloo Region:

 

DC Clinics, 8-31 McBrine Drive, Kitchener 

Visit the Driver Check website
Tel: 519-748-4658

 

Frontier One, 210-871 Victoria St. North, Kitchener

Visit the Frontier One website

Tel: 1-905-247-3868

Please call or email ahead for an appointment.

 

FAST Fingerprint Services Inc., 1770 King St. East, Kitchener

Visit the FAST Fingerprint Services website

Tel: 519-208-8868

Completed record checks are sent to the applicant’s email address as a PDF attachment. Detailed instructions on how to view the PDF are provided in the email. Printed copies are no longer available.

No. Printing the PDF document will void the digital verification, which certifies the PDF as original and authentic.

Yes! Agencies may use the WRPS Volunteer Letter or follow the letter formatting to create their own. 

According to the Federal Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) we are not allowed to release records related to youth.  Authorized release of a record check containing youth records is legislated for federal, provincial or municipal governments only.  Police services will only provide record checks to applicants under the age of 18 for government positions or specific agencies with legislated exemptions.

Enter your name only in the surname field of the application.  The first name field can be left blank. 

Learn more about our identity verification. 

No, the Waterloo Regional Police Service does not provide police record checks to people living outside of Canada. 

 

However, you may be able to obtain a copy of your Canadian Criminal Record through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Please visit the RCMP’s Criminal Record Checks website for more information. 

The Waterloo Regional Police Service offers a Reconsideration Process to applicants who have received a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC). This process is unavailable for the Criminal Record Check or the Criminal and Judicial Matters Check.

 

Request for Reconsideration

 

If you wish to request the removal or amendment of information listed on your police record check, you may apply as follows:

  • The applicant shall complete the Reconsideration Request form, which is available online and at the Police Reporting Centre at 150 Maple Grove Road, Cambridge.
  • The reconsideration request must state the specific reason(s) why the Waterloo Regional Police Service should reconsider its decision to include information relating to non-conviction dispositions.
  • Convictions cannot be reconsidered.
  • A maximum of five pages of supporting documentation may be included with your request.
  • No oral representations or hearings will take place.
  • The applicant must submit the request form with a $30 application fee + HST = $33.90 payable by cash, debit, credit or certified cheque.
  • The fee is not refundable.
  • The completed request form, supporting documentation and the fee may be dropped off at the Police Reporting Centre or mailed to:

Record Check Reconsideration

Waterloo Regional Police Service

150 Maple Grove Road

Cambridge, Ontario N3H 5M1

 

Requests for reconsideration must be made in writing within 35 days of the completion of the applicant’s Police Record Check.

A: Reconsideration Process

The following will, if applicable, be considered in the reconsideration process:

 

  1. The applicant’s written submission and supporting documentation:
  2. Whether the information meets the criteria for release as outlined on the CRC, CJMC, VSC forms or the OACP Guideline for Police Record Checks;
  3. Nature and circumstances of the incident based on both the applicant’s submission and police/Crown notes;
  4. Date of incident and length of time that has passed;
  5. The age of the applicant at the time of the incident;
  6. Police records, investigating officer input and Crown input;
  7. All entries in the applicant’s criminal record file and the nature of these entries;
  8. Whether occurrences or police contacts show a pattern of behaviour (i.e., domestic disputes, threats of violence, assaults, sexual or predatory behaviour, etc.);
  9. Whether the requester continues to present a substantial risk to the community;
  10. Any other relevant information.

B: Criminal Dispositions

If you have concerns regarding criminal dispositions included on your Police Record Check, refer to our brochure File Closure of Fingerprints and Dispositions. Criminal convictions cannot be reconsidered in this process.

 

C: Copies of Police Reports

There may be times when obtaining a copy of a police report will assist you in recalling the event or in presenting the information on your Police Record Check to your employer. If you need to obtain a copy of a police report, submit an Access/Correction Request.

 

D: Approved Reconsideration

Once the application is received, it will be reviewed by the Waterloo Regional Police Service’s Reconsideration Panel within 30 days to determine if it meets the criteria for reconsideration. If approval to remove or amend the information in question is granted, the applicant will be contacted to pick up a new Police Record Check at no additional cost. A letter confirming the Reconsideration Panel’s decision will be sent to the applicant.

 

E: Denied Reconsideration

If the Reconsideration Panel determines that all or part of the request should be denied, a denial letter will be sent to the applicant. The letter will state why the request was denied unless stating the reason for denial would jeopardize an ongoing or open investigation or intelligence gathering, potentially endanger a person or property, be contrary to a privilege or be against public policy (i.e., fall under public immunity privilege).

 

F: Extension of Timelines

If, in extenuating circumstances, the Waterloo Regional Police Service cannot meet the timelines indicated in this process, the applicant will be notified of the applicable extensions as required.

Still need assistance?

Technical Web App Questions

For questions about the account activation code, difficulty logging in or online payment issues, email wrpssupport@onlinepolicecheck.ca or leave a voicemail at 519-804-9586. You will receive a response within 24 business hours. WRPS provides monitored access to some personal information to the vendor for support and maintenance. The vendor adheres to the same MFIPPA requirements as WRPS.

Process or Specific Field Questions

If you have questions about the process or specific application fields, email recordchecks@wrps.on.ca or call 519-570-9777, extension 8900. Responses will be provided during business hours.