Record Checks

The Brantford Police Service requires 2 pieces of government issued identification in order to process police check applications.

Examples of acceptable identification are:

• Valid Driver's License
• Valid Passport
• Citizenship Card
• Birth Certificate
• Immigration Documents
• Native Status Card
• Marriage Certificate
• Baptismal Certificate
• Ontario Age of Majority Card
• Valid Firearms License
• Student Card (with photo)
• Ontario Photo Card

This check is intended for applicants who are involved as a volunteer, employee, or in any situation where a basic Police Criminal Record Check is requested (i.e. retail or immigration). This check is NOT intended for applicants who are seeking volunteer and/or employment with vulnerable persons.

Criminal Record Check (CRC) will include:

• Criminal convictions
• Summary convictions (for five years), when identified
• Findings of Guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act within the applicable disclosure period (only if requested in accordance with YCJA 119(1)(o))

Criminal Record Check (CRC) will 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
• Family Court Restraining Orders
• Foreign information
• A vulnerable sector query of sex offenders with a record suspension 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
• Any reference to incidents involving mental health contact
• Diversions will not be released as police contact and no reference to the occurrence is permitted
• Youth Criminal Justice Act information unless requested in accordance with YCJA 119(1)(o)
• Dispositions including, but not limited to, Withdrawn, Dismissed, and cases of Not Criminally Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder

This check is intended for applicants who are seeking volunteer and/or employment with agencies who require a criminal record check along with outstanding charges and outstanding warrants. This check is NOT intended for applicants who are seeking volunteer and/or employment in a position of authority and trust relative to vulnerable persons.

Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) will include:

• Criminal convictions
• Summary convictions (for five years), when identified
• Findings of Guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act within the applicable disclosure period (only if requested in accordance with YCJA 119(1)(o)
• Outstanding entries, such as charges, warrants, judicial orders, peace bonds, probation and prohibition orders
• Absolute and Conditional Discharges (for 1 or 3 years respectively)

Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check will NOT include:

• Convictions where a records suspension has been granted
• Convictions under provincial statutes
• Local police contact
• Ministry of Transportation Information
• Family Court Restraining Orders
• Foreign information
• A vulnerable sector query of sex offenders with a record suspension 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
• Any reference to incidents involving mental health contact
• Diversions will not be released as police contact and no reference to the occurrence is permitted
• Youth Criminal Justice Act information unless requested in accordance with YCJA 119(1)(o)
• Dispositions including, but not limited to, Withdrawn, Dismissed, and cases of Not Criminally Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder

This check is restricted to applicants seeking employment and/or volunteering in a position of authority or trust relative to vulnerable persons in Canada only. It is a collection of offence information, including convictions, outstanding warrants, charges, judicial orders, and sexual offence convictions for which the individual has received a record suspension where authorized by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Non-conviction information shall be released only when it meets the Exceptional Disclosure. This check can only be completed by police in the jurisdiction where the applicant resides.

Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) will include:

• Criminal convictions
• Summary convictions (for five years), when identified
• Findings of Guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act within the applicable disclosure period (only if requested in accordance with YCJA 119(1)(o)
• Outstanding entries, such as charges, warrants, judicial orders, peace bonds, probation and prohibition orders
• Absolute and Conditional Discharges (for 1 or 3 years respectively)
• In exceptional cases, where it meets the Exceptional Disclosure, non-conviction dispositions including, but not limited to withdrawn and dismissed.
• Not Criminal Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder
• All record suspensions as authorized for release by the Minister of Public Safety

Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) will NOT include:

• Convictions under provincial statutes
• Local police contact
• Ministry of Transportation information
• Family Court Restraining Orders
• Foreign information
• Any reference to incidents involving mental health contact
• Diversions will not be released as police contact and no reference to the occurrence is permitted
• Youth Criminal Justice Act information unless requested in accordance with YCJA 119(1)(o)

A specific police record check is required for all non-parents seeking a court order for decision-making responsibilities (formerly custody). Ontario Regulation 24/10 under the Children’s Law Reform Act (CLRA) determines the scope of police record check that is required for non-parents.

This type of check is different from a police vulnerable sector check as it does NOT include a search for pardoned sex offences. To clarify, vulnerable sector screening will not be completed, and fingerprints are not required for this purpose. The Criminal Records Act is clear that parenting applications do not meet the legislative criteria for completing the vulnerable sector record check.

The consent form  indicates the information that will be released on a completed police record check under the CLRA. Consent is required for all applicants.

Courts will only accept this form of police check as part of the non-parent application.

How do I apply for this type of police check?

• The non-parent applicant must attend the Brantford Police Service to apply for this police record check. 
• The applicant may either download the consent form from the Brantford Police Service website or attend in person to complete the required consent form.
• Two pieces of identification are required, to verify identity. Please see Acceptable Identification (above).

Applicable fees will apply.

The applicant will receive an exempted broad record check upon completion. 

If the police service requires fingerprints or is not satisfied that your (self) declaration is a match to a criminal record held at the RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records, fingerprints must be submitted to the RCMP.

If you are seeking employment and/or volunteering in a position of authority and trust relative to vulnerable persons, you may be required to submit fingerprints to verify whether you have been convicted of and received a record suspension for a sexual offence contained within the RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records.

The Brantford Police Service will provide the results of a completed Criminal Record Check and Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check to the applicant only.

It is the choice of the applicant to decide whether he/she wants to share the results of the Police Record Check with the requesting agency. The agency is responsible for determining the suitability of the applicant for the position. The result of any Police Record Check is just one component of the information available to and evaluated by the agency.

The Brantford Police Service will complete a Vulnerable Sector Check based on the applicant’s name and date of birth, as well as, gender and date of birth. If no record is located, a completed Police Vulnerable Sector Check will be provided to the applicant.

If the Vulnerable Sector search is inconclusive a fingerprint based search will be required. If the RCMP confirms that the applicant has a sex offence with a records suspension, the information will be forwarded to the Minister of Public Safety to authorize disclosure of all or part of the information contained in the file.  When the information is authorized for disclosure by the Minister, the criminal record associated with the applicant’s fingerprints will be returned to the Brantford Police Service and will include the sexual offence with record suspension information. At this point, the Brantford Police Service will be required to obtain the applicant’s consent in writing for disclosure of the record(s). When the applicant has signed the form giving consent to release the record(s) the Brantford Police Service must forward the information to the requesting agency (employer or volunteer agency).

If the applicant chooses not to disclose their record(s) the Brantford Police Service will contact the requesting agency in writing indicating that the Service is unable to complete the Vulnerable Sector Check.

Police Criminal Records will only be conducted for paid or unpaid positions with the federal, provincial, or municipal government. Non-government agencies are not authorized to receive any results. To require applicants to apply and pay for a Police Record Check when no results will be disclosed is not in the best interest of applicants, the police service, or the community.