Pardon Canada: 5 Things You Need to Know About Fingerprints

Pardon Canada: 5 Things You Need to Know About Fingerprints

• To get a Pardon in Canada, which is now called a Record Suspension, you need to get your criminal record from the RCMP.
• And to get your criminal record, you need to submit your fingerprints.
• Here are 5 things you need to know about getting your fingerprints taken for a Pardon or Record Suspension Application in Canada.

1/ You can get your fingerprints here

• You can go to two places to get your fingerprints.
• Either a local police station or you can go to a private fingerprinting service.
• The main advantages of going to a local police service are costs; they are usually cheaper than a private fingerprinting service.
• And, if you live outside a major city, police stations are quicker to get to compared to a private fingerprinting service.
• The main disadvantage is time. 
• You may need to book an appointment and wait a few days, whereas a private fingerprinting service will usually take you on the same day.

2/ Can you go to any private fingerprinting service?

• No.  You can only go to a private fingerprinting service accredited by the RMCP.
• Accredited means that the RMCP has approved the security and administrative operations of the private fingerprinting service.

3/ Make sure you give the proper reason

• When you get your fingerprints, it’s important to state that you want your criminal record to get a record suspension. 
• The service will record the fact you want your criminal record to get a Pardon in Canada.
• And you know this step was done correctly when you get your criminal record back.
• On the first page of your criminal record, you will see that the application type states “Record Suspension Application.”
• If you do not see the proper application type, you will need to start the process again.

4/ Make sure the returnable address is correct

• When you get your fingerprints taken, the service will ask for an address where you want the RCMP to send your criminal record.
• Make sure this address is correctly entered because it cannot be changed.
• That means the RCMP will send your criminal record to the address entered when you got your fingerprints taken.

5/ How long does it take to get your criminal record?

• The RCMP can take up to 120 business days to process your application.
• The actual time, however, may be much shorter.
• Processing times vary based on the number of applications the RCMP handles at any given time and the amount of manual processing required for your request.