There are many reasons why you might need to get a criminal record check in BC. Whether you are looking to start a new job, volunteer, adopt or travel to a foreign country, you may need a background report. If, however, you are concerned by what it will show, the information below is for you.
What information is on a criminal record check in Canada?
First of all, there are different types of criminal record check in Canada. The amount of information provided in a police check depends on the type and level of check requested. A full record check will show if a person has any criminal convictions as well as any charges that did not lead to a conviction. It is possible to request only the conviction history or simply a statement that says if a criminal record does or does not exist.
Name-based checks show criminal history from the RCMP’s Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) linked to a person’s name and date of birth. For more definitive results, there are certified criminal record checks which confirm a person’s identity using their fingerprints. Certified checks are required for things like adopting a child, or applying for citizenship, a visa, or a work permit.
Then there are vulnerable sector checks. These are usually mandatory for volunteer programs and workplaces where children are present, such as hospitals, schools, daycares, and long-term care facilities. As well as showing charges and convictions, vulnerable sector checks also contain any record suspensions for sexual offences, assaults, or abuse of children that would not appear on a standard criminal record check.
How to get a criminal record check in BC
There are several ways to get a criminal record check in BC. You can get in touch with your local police force. You can also apply for a criminal record check online. To request a background report, or to share the result with another person or organisation, go to the BC government website.
Access to CPIC’s database is available to anyone. Landlords or employers can carry out their own criminal history checks on prospective tenants or employees.
Record Suspensions
Criminal convictions and charges remain on your record for life. The only way to prevent them from appearing on CPIC searches is to obtain a record suspension, also known as a pardon. To be eligible for a record suspension, a person must have completed their sentence, including any fines, and demonstrate to the Canadian government they are a law-abiding citizen. The waiting period for record suspension of a summary offence is five years, while for indictable offences it’s 10 years.
Acumen Law Corporation handles record suspensions. To find out more, see our page on pardons and waivers.
Traveling to the United States
The CPIC database is available to law enforcement organisations around the world, including Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security in the United States. If you have any convictions, there is a chance you may get turned away at the US border or, worse, banned from ever entering the country.
One way around this, other than a record suspension, is a US entry waiver. A wavier provides details about a person’s criminal record to the U.S. government. If granted by the Department of Homeland Security in the United States, a person will be permitted to enter the country for a certain amount of time. Once it expires, the person would have to apply for another waiver if they wanted to travel to the US again.
The only way to stop convictions, dismissed charges, or conditional discharges from appearing on a criminal record check in BC is to obtain a record suspension. Acumen Law Corporation can help you to get over mistakes from your past and get on with your life. Call us for a free consultation at 604-685-8889.