How Long Is a Criminal Record Check Valid in Canada? (2026)
Police checks in Canada do not expire, but most employers and regulators set their own limit. Here is what police services say, and the real limits used by teacher regulators, health employers, school boards and child care.
How long is a criminal record check valid in Canada?
There is no legal expiry date. Canadian police services say a check is only valid on the day it is issued — it is a snapshot in time — and the employer or organization that asked for it decides how recent it must be. In practice most accept a check up to 3–6 months old, and many regulated jobs set a firm limit.
- No Canadian law sets a general expiry date for criminal record checks
- Common limits: 90 days (Alberta Health Services), 3 months (Alberta College of Social Workers), 6 months (Ontario College of Teachers, Nova Scotia Health)
- Work with children in Ontario schools, Ontario child care and BC regulated roles: a new check at least every 5 years
- A vulnerable sector check is tied to the specific employer and position it was done for
Short answer: a check doesn't expire — the organization decides
A criminal record check shows what was on record on the day it was run. Canadian police services are consistent about this:
- Ottawa Police Service: "Police records checks are a point-in-time search and only valid on the day they are issued since information can change daily. The police service does not determine an expiry date; this is up to the agency/employer." (source)
- Winnipeg Police Service: asked whether checks expire, it says "They do not expire, however it is up to the applicant to check with the agency on their policy." (source)
- Calgary Police Service: "The police do not determine an expiry date; it is up to the agency/employer to decide how long they are willing to accept a police information check." (source)
- Edmonton Police Service goes further, recommending that dated checks not be accepted: "A Police Information Check is no longer valid after its issued date." (source)
We found no federal or provincial law that sets a general expiry period. Every limit below is either a sector-specific law or an organization's own policy.
What most employers accept
Barrie Police Service describes the practical norm: "most employers will ask for a new screening check if the current one is beyond 6 months, and almost certainly if it's older than one year. However, this is entirely at the discretion of the agency/employer." (source) Regina and Saskatoon police say some organizations "might accept a police check that is 3-6 months old, while others may want a new one."
The only reliable answer for your situation is to ask whoever requested the check. If they haven't said, a check issued within the last 3 months is almost always accepted.
Real limits set by regulators and employers
| Organization | Province | How recent the check must be |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta Health Services (all positions) | Alberta | Dated no more than 90 days before the written job offer |
| Alberta College of Social Workers | Alberta | Produced within the last 3 months, and still under 3 months when registration is approved |
| Ontario College of Teachers | Ontario | Not older than 6 months |
| Ontario licensed child care | Ontario | Prepared no more than 6 months before the licensee obtains it |
| Nova Scotia Health (new hires) | Nova Scotia | Criminal record and vulnerable sector check issued within the last 6 months |
| Nova Scotia Nursing and Midwifery Regulator | Nova Scotia | Issued within the last 6 months (applicants not licensed elsewhere in Canada) |
| Ontario school boards | Ontario | A new check every 5 years, performed within 6 months of the due date, with an offence declaration in the years between |
| BC workers with children or vulnerable adults | British Columbia | A new check at least once every 5 years under the Criminal Records Review Act |
| BC certified teachers | British Columbia | A new check every 5 years, even if you recently had one elsewhere |
Sources: Alberta Health Services procedure #1161, Alberta College of Social Workers, Ontario College of Teachers, O. Reg. 137/15 (Ontario child care), Nova Scotia Health, Nova Scotia Nursing and Midwifery Regulator, O. Reg. 521/01 (Ontario school boards), BC Criminal Records Review Act, BC Ministry of Education and Child Care.
Note that several of these (Ontario schools and child care, Nova Scotia Health, BC's Criminal Records Review Program) require a vulnerable sector check or a provincial check, which only police or the province can provide. An online check doesn't meet those requirements. See what a vulnerable sector check is.
Vulnerable sector checks can't be reused
A vulnerable sector check is tied to the job it was done for. Ottawa Police Service: "Vulnerable Sector screening checks are only valid for the specific employer/position for which it was conducted ... and are not likely to be accepted by another Vulnerable Sector employer." (source) If you change employers, expect to get a new one.
Immigration is different
Immigration applications use police certificates, and IRCC sets its own rule: "The police certificate for the country where you currently reside must be issued no more than 6 months before the date you submit your application." Express Entry candidates have 60 days to submit their certificates. IRCC also says you don't need police certificates "for time spent in Canada". (source) If you do need a Canadian check for immigration, it is usually an RCMP fingerprint-based check, not an online name-based check.
Don't confuse "valid" with "available to download"
Many police services' online portals let you download your certificate for a limited time — for example 31 days in Edmonton, 60 days in Lethbridge and 90 days in Calgary and Winnipeg. That is how long the file stays in your account, not how long the check is valid. Save a copy as soon as it's ready.
When to get a new check
- The employer or regulator has a stated limit and your check is older than it.
- You're starting a new job that needs a vulnerable sector check.
- Your circumstances have changed — a new charge or conviction won't appear on a check issued before it.
- It's been more than 6 months and the organization hasn't told you otherwise.
If you need a standard criminal record check quickly, SafeHire returns most results in about 15 minutes, for $64.99, anywhere in Canada. For how long the police take in your city, see how long a criminal record check takes.
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