All Your Questions About Fingerprint Check in Canada Answered 2026

You have probably been asked to get a fingerprint check and are not sure where to start. Maybe it is for a new job, a visa application, a volunteer role, or a professional licence. Whatever the reason, the process is the same - and it is more straightforward than most people expect.

A fingerprint check in Canada is one of the most accurate ways to verify identity and search criminal records. Because it is biometric, it cannot be faked, shared, or confused with someone who shares your name. This guide answers every common question about fingerprint checks in Canada: what types exist, who carries them out, how long they take, what they cost, and what to do if you are applying from outside Canada.

A fingerprint check - formally known as a Criminal Record Check - is an official search of Canada's National Repository of Criminal Records. It is processed by the RCMP through CCRTIS, the division responsible for managing fingerprint data and criminal record information nationally.

The check confirms two things: who you are, and whether any criminal records exist under your fingerprints. It is more accurate than a name-based search because names can be shared by multiple people, changed over time, or entered with spelling differences. A fingerprint is biologically fixed to one person for life.

The result can show active criminal convictions, absolute or conditional discharges within applicable timeframes, record suspensions in certain cases, and archived records depending on the type of application.

Not every background check requires fingerprinting. A name-based search is sufficient in some situations. A fingerprint-based check is required when accuracy of identity is critical. Common situations include:

• Employment in regulated sectors - Healthcare, education, childcare, finance, government, and law enforcement roles
• Vulnerable sector positions - Any role involving direct contact with, or authority over, children or vulnerable adults
• Immigration and permanent residency - IRCC may request a fingerprint check during the assessment of a permanent residence or citizenship application
• Professional and trade licensing - Many provincial licensing bodies require a certified check before issuing a licence
• International use - Some countries require a Canadian criminal record check as part of their own visa or immigration process
• Legal and court matters - Courts and legal proceedings may request a Criminal Record Check

The organisation requesting your document will tell you which type of check they need. If they specify a fingerprint-based check, name-based results will not be accepted in its place.

RCMP Criminal Record Check

This is the standard fingerprint-based check. It searches the National Repository of Criminal Records and returns any active criminal history, record suspensions, and archived records associated with your fingerprints. It is required for immigration, most employment background checks, and international use.

Vulnerable Sector Check

This is a more thorough check that includes everything in a standard criminal record check, plus a search for record suspensions granted to individuals convicted of sexual offences. It is required for positions involving children or vulnerable adults - teachers, healthcare workers, childcare providers, coaches, and similar roles.

Vulnerable sector checks must be processed through local police services. RCMP-accredited private agencies are not authorised to conduct them.

Name-Based Criminal Record Check

This check searches records by name and date of birth only. No fingerprints are involved. It is faster but less accurate - two people with the same name and similar birth dates can produce overlapping results. Requesting organisations will specify if this level of check is acceptable.

Digital Fingerprinting (Live Scan)

Fingerprints are captured electronically using a scanner and submitted directly to CCRTIS through the agency's secure connection. No ink is used. The quality of each print can be confirmed on screen during the appointment, and poor impressions are retaken immediately. This is the fastest method and the standard for most applicants in Canada.

Ink and Roll Fingerprinting

Each finger is pressed onto an ink pad and rolled onto a fingerprint card - either a C-216C or FD-258 card. The completed card must then be sent to an RCMP-accredited agency in Canada to be digitised and submitted electronically to CCRTIS. This method is used most often by applicants outside Canada who do not have access to a live scan system.

Mobile Fingerprinting

A trained technician travels to the applicant's location - home, workplace, or another agreed site - with all required equipment and card formats. The process and quality standards are identical to a fixed-location appointment. This option suits applicants in regional or remote areas, people with limited mobility, and employers fingerprinting multiple staff at the same site in a single visit.

Step 1 - Confirm the type of check required 

The requesting organisation specifies what they need. Confirm this before booking so you arrive with the right documentation and the agency has the correct submission format ready.

Step 2 - Book an appointment 

Contact an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting agency or, where applicable, a local police service. Bring two pieces of valid government-issued identification - at least one must include a photo, your full name, and date of birth. A passport and driver's licence are the most common combination.

Step 3 - Get fingerprinted 

The technician verifies your identity, captures all ten fingers using the ink method on a C-216C card or live scan methods, and checks each print for quality before the session ends. Most appointments take 15 to 30 minutes. If any print does not meet the required standard, that finger is recaptured during the session.

Step 4 - Electronic submission to CCRTIS 

The accredited agency submits your fingerprints electronically to CCRTIS. Individuals cannot submit directly to CCRTIS electronically - this step must go through an accredited agency. For applicants outside Canada with ink fingerprints, the card must first be mailed to a Canadian accredited agency like Globeia Incorporated in Scarborough, Ontario, which then digitises and submits it.

Step 5 - RCMP processes the check 

CCRTIS searches the National Repository of Criminal Records against your fingerprints. If no record is found, results are processed in three business days or less. If manual review is needed or a possible record match is identified, processing can take up to 120 business days.

Step 6 - Results are mailed 

CCRTIS mails the certified result to the address provided on the application. Canada Post delivery time is additional. Build this into your timeline - especially if you have a visa or employment deadline.

Applicants living outside Canada follow a different path. Electronic fingerprint submissions to CCRTIS are not available directly from outside Canada, so the process requires an extra step through a Canadian accredited agency.

First, contact an authorised fingerprinting authority in your country - a local police service, foreign government embassy or consulate, government department, or a private fingerprinting agency with a memorandum of understanding with a Canadian accredited agency. Have your fingerprints taken on a C-216C or FD-258 fingerprint card. The card must include ten black ink fingerprints, the name and address of the authority that took them, and the officer's signature and stamp.

Once the card is ready, send it to an RCMP-accredited agency in Canada using a tracked international courier. The Canadian agency digitises your fingerprints and submits them electronically to CCRTIS. CCRTIS then processes the check and mails the result to the address on your application.

Before sending your card, make sure:

• Only C-216C or FD-258 card formats are accepted - other formats will be rejected
• Every field on the card is completed - missing information causes delays
• All names and dates match your identification documents exactly
• The card is sent flat in a rigid envelope to prevent damage in transit
• A tracked international courier is used - untracked mail cannot be followed up if lost
• Copies of all documents are kept before the originals are sent

Note: Citizenship fingerprints required by IRCC must be collected inside Canada. This is a separate requirement from a criminal record check and follows a different process.

Official RCMP processing times from date of electronic submission:

These times begin from the date CCRTIS receives the electronic submission - not from the date of your appointment. Canada Post delivery time for the mailed result is additional. During high-demand periods, delays beyond the standard timeframe can occur.

Fees to budget for:

Immigration biometric appointments - where fingerprints and a photo are collected for a visa or immigration application - involve a separate IRCC biometric fee. This is a different service from a criminal record check and involves its own fee structure.

The content of the result depends on the type of check and the reason for the application. A standard Criminal Record Check may include active criminal convictions, absolute and conditional discharges within legally defined timeframes, record suspensions in specific circumstances, and archived records. A vulnerable sector check includes all of the above, plus a search for record suspensions related to sexual offences that would not appear on a standard check. Results are mailed to the address on the application. The requesting organisation may ask you to send the result directly to them or to bring the original document.

Private agencies must be accredited by CCRTIS before they can submit fingerprints electronically to the RCMP network. Accreditation involves a security assessment of both physical premises and IT systems. Only after passing this assessment is an agency authorised to connect to the Real Time Identification (RTID) system. Accredited agencies provide faster electronic submissions than direct mail, follow strict identity and security protocols, and check for common errors before submitting.

A rejected submission requires the full process to restart - new fingerprinting, a new card, and resubmission. Most rejections are preventable with an experienced provider who reviews quality before sending.

Globeia Incorporated, based in Scarborough, Ontario, is an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting service. Globeia also offers mobile fingerprinting across Australia, the UK, India, Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Switzerland, and other European countries. For applicants outside Canada, Globeia captures fingerprints on the correct card formats, mail them to its accredited location in Ontario, and submits them electronically to CCRTIS.

Every set of prints is reviewed for quality before submission. Globeia also provides application guidance, SmartPortal tracking so applicants can monitor progress, and apostille assistance for countries where authentication of the result is required. Completed certificates are delivered to the applicant's address.

A fingerprint check in Canada is one of the most accurate identity verification tools available. The process is the same whether you are inside Canada or applying internationally - the right fingerprint card, an accredited agency, and a complete application form are what determine whether your submission moves through smoothly or gets returned.

Processing takes three business days or less when no criminal record is found. Allow significantly more time if manual review may be involved, and always add Canada Post delivery time on top of processing. Apply early. Most delays come from mistakes that are easy to prevent.