Processing Time: How long does it take to process a police reference check?
The estimated response time for applications is 7-10 business days but may fluctuate due to volume and time of year. Please see our up-to-date processing timelines for information on when you can expect to receive your completed record check results or check the progress of your application after accessing your account.
When I try to log in I get the message "Unable to locate account"?
Your user name and password are case sensitive; please ensure that you type the username and password exactly as shown in the email you received when you registered your account.
The Police Service does not have access to password information and cannot reset a password. Please use the "Forgot Password?" link on the Secure Login page or in the upper right corner of the Police Solutions website. To reset your password, you will need your User Name, Email Address and the answer to one of the Security Questions you selected when you registered your account.
I do not have a credit card. Can I use my parent's credit card?
Yes. The payment process is handled through our partner Moneris Solutions Canada. The name on the payment card does not have to be the same as the name on the record check.
However, the authentication process will not be successful if you do not have an established personal credit history in Canada. Credit history can be established through credit cards, bank loans, cell phones, chequing accounts, car loans, etc. If an applicant fails the online authentication process they must attend in person to verify their ID.
The authentication process will not be successful if you do not have an established personal credit history in Canada. Credit history can be established through credit cards, bank loans, cell phones, chequing accounts, car loans, etc. The questions and answers are generated based on information on your credit file held by TransUnion.
There can be many reasons for authentication failure, such as incorrect answer, no credit history or not enough of a credit history, navigating away from the question pages or session time out, or if you are a new resident to Canada. Further, each question is individually timed, and failing to answer the question in a timely manner may result in an authentication failure.
Authentication failures may be viewed as an opportunity to ensure the data in your credit file is up-to-date and correct. Concerns regarding the accuracy of information on your consumer credit report should be addressed with TransUnion.
You can obtain a copy of your personal credit report for review and corrections, please contact TransUnion at 1-800-663-9980 or visit www.transunion.ca. Once you have verified your identity with them, they can help you understand why information has appeared.
Do I have to attend in person at 40 College Street, Toronto, to verify my ID if I fail the online authentication process?
No, you're not required to attend in person to verify your ID but may do so if you wish. Alternatively, our staff upon dealing with your application, will send you a message to upload two pieces of government issued ID (one with a photo and your signature and one with your full name and date of birth) and a clear picture of you holding both of them beside your unobstructed face. You will also be asked to include proof of residency if different from your identification.
My PDF reference check results are password protected; how do I access it?
The PDF results are automatically locked for security reasons. Instructions on how to unlock your PDF PIC results were provided in the email you received. The password is your DOB in the following format: YYYYMMDD. Please note if you applied with the wrong DOB the password will be that wrong DOB.
The new online Police Record Check application process is account based which will provide a more secure way of applying for and sharing your Police Record Check results. It will also assist you when applying for future Police Record Checks by auto filling some of the application information.
As you will need access to your account to retrieve your reference check results, it is strongly recommended that you remember:
It's been longer than 31 days since my Police Record Check was completed, why can't I access my results?
Your Police Record Certificate is only available in the system for 31 days from the date it was completed. Police Record Checks are a picture in time and have the potential to change in the future. To maintain a balance between convenience and public safety the results will only be available for 31 days.
We recommend you download and save a copy so you can continue to access it after it is no longer available in the system.
I forgot my username for my account, what can I do?
Please use the "Forgot Username?" link on the Secure Login page or in the upper right corner of the Police Solutions website. To retrieve your username, you will need your email address and the answer to one of the Security Questions you selected when you registered your account.
Where can I get a Criminal Record Check, Criminal Record Check & Judicial Matters Check or Vulnerable Sector Check?
Applications can be made online or in person at TPS Headquarters – 40 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2J3. We will also temporarily accept mailed in applications with the correct fee (if any).
I was charged by a Police Service and my charge was withdrawn/dismissed. Can I still get a Criminal Record Check?
A non-conviction would NOT be disclosed on a Criminal Record Check. However, an additional step of identity verification may be required. Please see the Fingerprint Requirements section at Requirement for Fingerprints- Toronto Police Service.
Can a background check be scanned and emailed to the Reference Check Program?
No. A Criminal Record Check, Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check or Vulnerable Sector Check can be applied for either online or in person at Police HQ, 40 College Street.
We will also, until further notice, accept these 3 types of police checks (with the appropriate fee, if any) by mail at:
Toronto Police Headquarters Information Access 40 College St., 4th Floor Toronto, ON M5G 2J3
I live out of the country. How can I apply for a CRC or CRJMC?
The Toronto Police Service no longer processes police record checks for individuals living outside of Canada. If you live out of the country, and need confirmation that you have no criminal record in Canada, you may obtain a copy of your Canadian Criminal Record through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Please visit the RCMP website for detailed instructions and costs: https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/criminal-record-checks.
Can I submit a Vulnerable Sector Screen Check (VSC) through the mail?
Yes. The Police Reference Check Program will continue to receive applications submitted through the mail (with appropriate fee, if any) but would recommend it be done online.
You will require the application and agency code from a TPS-approved VSC agency in order to proceed. Please visit the Toronto Police Service Record Checks website and Links found on it to review the requirements carefully and ensure there are no processing delays because of incomplete information.
An individual can apply online or by mail for a VSC but only if it is requested by a TPS-approved VSC organization. Completed applications (along with appropriate payment, if any and photocopies of ID) may be dropped off at TPS HQ Drop Box, 40 College Street. You will require and agency code (and also the application, if applying by mail) from said TPS-approved VSC agency in order to proceed. Please visit the Toronto Police Service Record Checks website and Links found on it for more information, as well as to review the requirements carefully and ensure there are no processing delays because of incomplete information.
Can a YOUTH (anyone below the age of 18 years) get a police reference check?
Yes, but ONLY if it is for employment or volunteering with the federal, provincial or municipal government of Canada.
Youth applying for Vulnerable Sector Checks must use the agency code provided to them by the Governmental Agency requesting the check.
Youth CRC and CRJMC applications when volunteering with a Canadian governmental agency and accompanied with a signed letter on organization's letterhead indicating your volunteering status, are processed free of charge. Youth CRC and CRJMC applications for employment with a Canadian governmental agency are processed without the normal fee, however a $6.72 administrative fee for every application is required.
Youth applications where employment or volunteering is with a non-governmental agency will NOT be processed.
Please visit the Toronto Police Service Record Checks website for more information and to determine what a governmental agency is before submitting your application, as any fee charged is non-refundable.
