Criminal Record Check Without Fingerprints — What It Is and Who Needs One
If you’ve been asked for a criminal record check and are wondering whether you need to be fingerprinted, the short answer is: usually not. Most criminal record checks in Canada — for employment, volunteering, and many licensing purposes — are name-based, meaning they search the national CPIC database using your name, date of birth, and identification, not your fingerprints.
What Is a Name-Based Criminal Record Check?
A name-based check compares your identifying information against records held in the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database. Depending on the type of check requested, it can show:
- Criminal convictions
- Outstanding charges and warrants (for enhanced checks)
- Court orders, peace bonds, and probation conditions (for enhanced checks)
- Absolute or conditional discharges within their disclosure period
This is different from a fingerprint-based check, which physically confirms your identity using your fingerprints rather than just your name and date of birth.
When Are Fingerprints Actually Required?
Fingerprints become necessary in a few specific situations:
- A partial name/DOB match. If your name and date of birth are similar to another individual’s record in the database, fingerprints are the only reliable way to confirm which record actually belongs to you.
- Applications from outside Canada. If you previously lived in Canada and now live abroad, a fingerprint-based check is generally required because it’s harder to verify identity remotely without them. Read about our service for applicants living outside Canada.
- Specific request types. Some immigration, government security clearance, or first-time BC Security Worker Licence applications specify fingerprint-based checks by default.
For everything else — most employment screening, volunteer positions, and many provincial licensing renewals — a name-based check without fingerprints is what’s actually required, even if the paperwork uses an unfamiliar term.
Why the Terminology Gets Confusing
The same underlying name-based CPIC search goes by different names depending on where you are and who’s asking:
| Term | Where It’s Used |
|---|---|
| CPIC check | General term, most of Canada |
| CRJMC (Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check) | Ontario security guard/investigator licensing |
| Police Information Check (PIC) | British Columbia |
| Criminal Record Check (CRC) | Alberta, Manitoba, and general use |
| Police Record Check | Various police services |
If you’ve been told you need one of these by name, it’s worth confirming with the requesting organization exactly which level of check they mean — a basic conviction search, or the enhanced version that also covers outstanding charges and judicial matters.
How to Get a Name-Based Check
Because no fingerprints are involved in most cases, you don’t need to visit a specific location in person:
- Confirm which check type is required (basic or enhanced) with the organization requesting it.
- Apply online or by mail with an RCMP-accredited provider, along with two pieces of government-issued ID.
- Your details are searched against the CPIC database.
- If there’s no match requiring further verification, your certificate is typically ready within 15 minutes to 48 hours.
Pricing
- Basic CPIC (name-based) check: $40 + tax
- Enhanced CRJMC-level check: $50 + tax
Surrey Fingerprint Company is an RCMP-accredited agency processing these checks for clients across Canada, not only in British Columbia. See our full CPIC and CRJMC page for details on both check types.
Get Started
Not sure which check you need? Contact us and we’ll help you confirm before you apply.
📞 (604) 825-8882 | ✉️ info@surreyfingerprint.com