The Parole Board of Canada (PBC is the official and only federal agency for ordering, denying and revoking record suspensions under the Criminal Records Act (CRA). A police agency cannot grant a Record Suspension.
Record Suspensions (Pardons)
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for record suspensions?
A record suspension (formerly referred to as a Pardon) allows people with a criminal record to have it set aside. This helps them access employment and educational opportunities and to reintegrate back into society.
A record suspension removes a person’s criminal record from the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database. This means that a search of CPIC will not show that you have a criminal record or a record suspension.
The Criminal Records Act applies only to records kept by federal organizations, but most provincial and municipal criminal justice agencies also restrict access to their records once they are told that a record suspension has been ordered.
Limits of a record suspension:
• Does not erase a convicted offence, but sets it aside
• Does not guarantee entry or via privileges to another country
• Suspended records of former sexual offenders are flagged in CPIC in order to conduct a vulnerable sector check should they apply to work or volunteer in such a sector
Who can apply for a record suspension?
You can apply for a record suspension if you were:
• Convicted of an offence, in Canada, under a Canadian federal act or regulation; or
• Convicted of an offence in another country and transferred to Canada
Are any offences ineligible for a record suspension?
Yes. You are not eligible if you have been convicted of:
• A Schedule 1 Offence (sexual offence involving a child) under the Criminal Records Act;
• More than three (3) offences prosecuted by indictment each with a prison sentence of two (2) years or more.
A person must have completed all sentences which includes:
• All fines, surcharges, costs, restitution and compensation orders
• All sentences of imprisonment, conditional sentence order;
• Any probation order(s).
Followed by a waiting period:
• For summary offences: 5 years;
• For indictable offences: 10 years;
Please visit the Parole Board of Canada web site.
How much does it cost to apply?
The PBC charges $50 to process a record suspension application.
You are also responsible for additional fees related to getting the following:
• Fingerprints
• Copy of your criminal record
• Court documents
• Local police record checks (each jurisdiction you resided in the past 5 years)
Can a record suspension be revoked or cease to have effect?
Yes. If you are:
• Convicted of a new indictable offence, or, in some cases, a summary offence;
• Found to be no longer be of good conduct; or,
• Found to have made a false or misleading statement, or hidden information when you applied.
A record suspension allows people who were convicted of a criminal offence, but have completed their sentence and demonstrated that they are law-abiding citizens for a prescribed number of years, to have their criminal record kept separate and apart from other criminal records.
You can apply directly to the Parole Board of Canada for a Record Suspension.
Using a third-party service provider will not:
- Guarantee you a record suspension
- Accelerate the review of your application; or
- Give your application a special status.
For more information or help with your application, contact :
The Parole Board of Canada:
1-800-874-2652
suspension@pbc-clcc.gc.ca
canada.ca/en/parole-board/services/record-suspensions.html
Local Police Records Check
Local police records checks are part of Step 4 in your Record Suspension Package. You must get a local police records check for:
- The city or town where you live now (your current address); and
- Each city or town where you lived during the last 5 years (if you lived in that place for 3 months or more).
How To Apply:
To apply for your local police record check as part of your record suspension package you need to
download the local police form and complete it.
Once you have completed that form you can apply for your local police records check online
Be prepared to upload your completed local police form in adobe format and provide proof of identification.
You can also mail in your completed local record check form, along with payment of $100.00 payable to Durham Regional Police Service via certified cheque or money order to:
Durham Regional Police Service
Criminal Records Unit
605 Rossland Road East, PO Box 911
Whitby, Ontario L1N 0B8
Contact Us
Durham Regional Police Service
605 Rossland Rd. E.,
Box 911, Whitby, ON
L1N 0B8
webmaster@drps.ca (Please use this email for website feedback ONLY, NOT crime reporting)