OPP Vulnerable Sector Check: How to Apply, Fees and Fingerprints
If you live in a community policed by the Ontario Provincial Police, your vulnerable sector check comes from the OPP. It is online only, costs $41, and you need a letter from the organization asking for it. Here is how it works, from the OPP's own pages.
How do I get an OPP vulnerable sector check?
If you live in an OPP-policed community, you apply online through the OPP's record check portal. Detachments no longer take applications. The OPP lists record checks at $41, fingerprints at $90 and volunteer checks as free. You need a letter from the organization asking for the check.
- Only for people who live in an area policed by the OPP. Check your address on the OPP map first, because there are no refunds if you apply to the wrong service
- Apply online through the OPP portal at ontario.tritoncanada.ca. Detachments no longer process record checks
- Fee: $41 for the record check; fingerprints, if required, are listed at $90. The OPP lists volunteer checks as free
- You need a letter from the organization: it must confirm that you need a VSC, describe the role and give the hiring manager's name and phone number
- Identity is usually confirmed online through credit-bureau questions (EIV). Some applicants are asked for fingerprints at a detachment
- The OPP does not publish a processing time
If you live in a community policed by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), your vulnerable sector check (VSC) has to come from the OPP. You apply online only, because OPP detachments no longer process record checks. The OPP lists the fee as $41 for a record check and $90 for fingerprints if they are needed, and lists volunteer checks as free. You will need a letter from the organization that asked for the check.
What you get is a vulnerable sector check result that you download from the OPP's online portal. A VSC is Ontario's most detailed police record check. It can include pardoned sex offence records and some non-conviction information that the other two checks do not show. The OPP does not publish a processing time.
One thing to know up front: SafeHire cannot do a vulnerable sector check, and neither can any other online company. Under RCMP policy, a VSC must be done by the police service where you live. If your employer actually only needs a standard criminal record check, see "Do you actually need a vulnerable sector check?" below.
Step 1: Check that the OPP is your police service
The OPP only does record checks for people who live in an OPP-policed community. The OPP says that eligibility "is based on the jurisdiction where you live", not where you work or where the job is.
The OPP is not the police service for large urban centres. It names Ottawa, Toronto, the GTA, Hamilton, Niagara, Sudbury and Thunder Bay, along with York, Durham, Peel, Halton, North Bay, Chatham-Kent and Windsor, and says that list is not complete. If you live in one of those places, apply to your municipal police service.
To check your address:
- Go to the OPP Police Record Checks page.
- Clear your browser cache first, as the OPP recommends.
- Type your address into the map, press enter and click your location. A pop-up shows which police service covers your community.
Do not pick one of the OPP Highway Safety Divisions (Cambridge, Mississauga, Toronto, Niagara, Burlington). People living in those communities have to apply to their local police service.
This matters for your money. If you apply to the OPP but live somewhere policed by another service, the OPP says your application "will not be processed" and you will not get a refund.
Step 2: Confirm which check you need
The OPP offers four types of record check. The organization asking for the check decides which one you need: "The OPP cannot make this decision for you."
The first three come from Ontario's Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015. Section 8(1) of the Act lists the types a police service conducts:
| Check | What it includes (per the OPP) | Typical use (OPP examples) |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Record Check (CRC) | Criminal convictions; findings of guilt under the Youth Criminal Justice Act within the disclosure period | Financial institutions, by-law licences, travel, immigration, retail |
| Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) | Everything in a CRC, plus outstanding charges and warrants, judicial orders, probation and prohibition orders, and absolute or conditional discharges (for one or three years) | Boards of directors, and IT or construction staff at daycares, schools, hospitals and long-term care homes |
| Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) | Everything in a CRJMC, plus peace bonds, Not Criminally Responsible dispositions, some non-conviction charges (stayed, withdrawn, dismissed, not guilty) from local police records, and record suspensions released by the Minister of Public Safety | Doctors, nurses, teachers, early childhood educators, long-term care staff, social workers, taxi drivers, sport coaches |
| OPP Non-Parent Custody Check (LE213) | The equivalent of the Broad Record Check. Fingerprints are always required | Applications under the Children's Law Reform Act, or a Broad Record Check under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act |
If your letter asks for "a criminal record check with a vulnerable sector check", the OPP says to request the Vulnerable Sector Check only, because it already covers the rest.
Ontario's police record checks page describes the same three levels and says plainly: "Vulnerable sector checks must be completed by your local police service."
For a fuller comparison of the levels, see vulnerable sector check vs. criminal record check.
Step 3: Get the letter from your organization
You cannot get a VSC from the OPP without a letter from the organization asking for it. The OPP says the letter must include:
- confirmation that you need a vulnerable sector check
- a detailed description of the job or volunteer role, in particular how you will work with vulnerable people
- the hiring manager's name and phone number
You upload the letter with your application. The OPP also notes that VSC results are only released to organizations located in Canada, and that a VSC is done for each agency you work or volunteer with.
Step 4: Apply online and pay
Apply through the OPP's online record check portal at ontario.tritoncanada.ca, which is linked from the OPP page. The OPP uses a third-party vendor to run the front counter. Have these ready:
- your letter from the organization
- a credit card or prepaid credit card
- enough time to answer the identity questions (see below)
OPP fees as listed on opp.ca:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Record checks | $41.00 |
| Fingerprints | $90.00 |
| Volunteer checks | Free |
The OPP does not list a separate price for each check type. Check your application carefully, because the OPP says "no refunds can be issued" for mistakes.
Volunteers: the OPP lists volunteer checks as free. Ontario law (section 7(6) of the Act) only guarantees a free check for volunteers on the first two levels, a CRC or CRJMC. Ontario's own page adds that "volunteers are still required to pay any fees charged by police services for a vulnerable sector check." So if you are applying for a volunteer VSC, confirm the price shown in the OPP portal before you pay. You can also call OPP record check customer service at 1-833-909-0057.
Step 5: Verify your identity
Most applicants verify their identity online through Electronic Identity Verification (EIV). You answer four questions drawn from your credit history and personal details. The OPP says this is not a credit report and does not affect your credit score. Unless the portal asks for it, do not upload photo ID.
If EIV does not work, there is a second online option using one piece of government-issued photo ID. If that does not work either, the OPP will send instructions for showing your ID in person.
You will need to attend a detachment in person if you need fingerprints, if you are picking up a paper copy, or if you are under 16 (with a parent or guardian).
Accepted photo ID includes a driver's licence, passport, Ontario Photo Card, Permanent Resident Card, Canadian Citizenship Card, Indian Status Card, NEXUS card and LCBO BYID card, among others on the OPP's list.
Deadline: if you have not completed identity verification or fingerprinting within 60 days, the OPP treats the application as abandoned.
When the OPP asks for fingerprints
The OPP lists three situations that require fingerprints:
- you have no credit history or government ID to verify your identity
- the OPP cannot confirm your identity from your name and date of birth alone
- some vulnerable sector checks
The third one surprises people. Since 2010, the RCMP's search of its pardoned sex offender database flags a possible match on name, or on gender and date of birth regardless of name. That way it catches people who changed their name after a pardon. The OPP says that anyone with the same date of birth and gender as a pardoned sex offender will get a potential "hit" and "will be asked to submit fingerprints" to confirm whether a record is actually on file.
A fingerprint request does not mean you have a record. In this case it only means your gender and birth date match someone else's. You will be told during the application and given details for booking at your local detachment. The OPP lists fingerprints at $90.
Applicants under 18 do not get a pardoned sex offender database search. The VSC form is marked to show that this search was not done.
Getting your results
You download your results from the online portal. To comply with RCMP policy, the OPP limits how many times you can download them. If you click download and nothing seems to happen, check your downloads folder before trying again.
The OPP does not publish a standard processing time or say how long a result stays valid. How old a check can be is up to the organization that asked for it.
Do you actually need a vulnerable sector check?
A VSC is only for people working or volunteering with vulnerable people, such as children, older adults and people with disabilities, in a position of trust. Plenty of jobs ask for a "police check" and only need a standard criminal record check.
Ask the employer or organization in writing which level it needs: CRC, CRJMC or VSC. The OPP cannot decide this for you, and neither can SafeHire.
Also need a criminal record check?
If your employer confirms that a standard criminal record check is enough, you do not have to go through your police service. SafeHire runs an online Canadian criminal record check. It is a name and date of birth search of the RCMP's CPIC database, done with a police service. It costs $64.99, needs no appointment, and you do not have to live in a particular area. Start your check online.
To be clear: this is not a vulnerable sector check, and it cannot replace one. If your role needs a VSC, apply to the OPP or your local police service as described above.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an OPP vulnerable sector check if I work in an OPP area but live in a city?
No. Eligibility depends on where you live. If you live in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton or another municipally policed area, you apply to that police service, even if the job is in OPP territory.
Can I apply at my local OPP detachment?
No. The OPP says record checks are "no longer completed at the Detachment". You must apply online. You only go to a detachment if you are asked to: for fingerprints, to pick up a paper copy, if you are under 16, or if you cannot verify your ID online. The exception is a Local Police Record Check for a record suspension (pardon), a US waiver or an RCMP certified fingerprint-based result. For those, the OPP says to contact your local detachment and not to apply online.
What if I don't have a computer?
The OPP suggests using a device at the organization asking for the check, or at a public library. If neither is possible, you can call 1-833-909-0057 or email opp.virtualdesk@tritoncanada.ca and ask for a paper application to be mailed to you.
How long does an OPP vulnerable sector check take?
The OPP does not publish a processing time. It does set a 60-day limit for you to complete identity verification or fingerprinting before the application is abandoned. If you are asked for fingerprints, expect it to take longer, because you will need to book a detachment appointment.
Can an online company do my OPP vulnerable sector check?
No. Ontario says VSCs "must be completed by your local police service". The OPP says RCMP policy requires a VSC to be done by the police service where you live. Online companies, including SafeHire, can only provide criminal record checks.
Is the OPP check the same as an RCMP check?
No. The OPP is Ontario's provincial police service, and its VSC is an Ontario police record check under the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015. It does search the RCMP's national databases as part of the process.
Where can I read more about vulnerable sector checks in Ontario?
See our Ontario vulnerable sector check guide and our Ontario criminal record check page.
Sources
- Ontario Provincial Police, Police Record Checks (how to apply, eligibility map, fees, 60-day rule, downloads): https://www.opp.ca/index.php?id=147&lng=en (checked 2026-10-17)
- Ontario Provincial Police, Types of Record Checks (CRC, CRJMC, VSC, LE213, VSC letter, pardoned sex offender database and fingerprints): https://www.opp.ca/index.php?id=115&entryid=629619ca3a4235763e007f73&lng=en (checked 2026-10-17)
- Ontario Provincial Police, Verifying your Identity (EIV, accepted ID): https://www.opp.ca/index.php?id=115&entryid=629619f0bedda3154d6a3923&lng=en (checked 2026-10-17)
- Ontario Provincial Police, Frequently Asked Questions (fingerprint circumstances, detachment visits, paper applications): https://www.opp.ca/index.php?id=115&entryid=62961b96e0b889259f1ec533&lng=en (checked 2026-10-17)
- OPP online record check portal: https://ontario.tritoncanada.ca/customerlanding/ontarioprovincialpolice (linked from opp.ca, checked 2026-10-17)
- Government of Ontario, Police record checks: https://www.ontario.ca/page/police-record-checks (checked 2026-10-17)
- Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015, S.O. 2015, c. 30 (sections 7(6) and 8(1)): https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/15p30 (checked 2026-10-17)
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