Get your criminal record check for Hamilton online — no appointment, no trip to the station. Results in 15 minutes or less.
Average processing time
CPIC database search
No in-person visits
No need to visit a police station or wait in line. Complete your criminal record check from anywhere in Hamilton. Most checks are processed in 15 minutes or less during business hours.
Your personal information is protected with bank-level encryption. All data is stored in secure Canadian data centers and handled in full compliance with federal and provincial privacy laws.
Bridgewater Police Service searches the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database to provide accurate and comprehensive results. Same quality as in-person checks from local police services.
Our criminal record checks are accepted by employers, landlords, volunteer organizations, and licensing bodies across Ontario and all of Canada.
Click "Start Your Check Now" and fill out your personal information. Takes about 3 minutes. You'll need a valid government-issued ID.
Pay with your credit card through our secure payment system. Add rush service for $10 to skip the queue during busy periods.
Bridgewater Police Service searches the CPIC database on your behalf. Our system works 24/7 to deliver fast results.
Your criminal record check arrives in your email inbox. Most Hamilton residents receive results within 15 minutes during business hours.
Many Hamilton employers require background checks for new hires, especially in healthcare, education, finance, and security sectors.
Schools, sports organizations, and non-profits in Hamilton often require criminal record checks for volunteers working with vulnerable populations.
Landlords in Hamilton may request a criminal record check as part of the rental application process.
Many professional licensing bodies in Ontario require criminal record checks for certification and renewal.
Immigration applications usually need an RCMP-certified check based on fingerprints, taken by an accredited fingerprinting company in Hamilton. An online name-based check like ours does not meet that requirement.
Many Hamilton residents order checks for their own peace of mind or to maintain personal records.
Hamilton Police Service handles police record checks for City of Hamilton residents, offering a Criminal Record Check, a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, and a Vulnerable Sector Check. Each costs $55 for employment (plus a $9.95 processing fee plus tax online), and the online portal estimates 14 calendar days for employment checks and 30 for volunteer and student checks. Roles in a position of trust or authority over vulnerable people need the police's Vulnerable Sector Check, which SafeHire does not provide. In-person applications go to the Records Business Centre at Central Station, 155 King William Street, open Monday to Friday 8:30 to 4:30.
| Comparison | SafeHire (online) | Hamilton Police Service |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $64.99 | Criminal Record Check, Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check and Vulnerable Sector Check are $55 each for employment and $28 for unpaid student placement; volunteer CRC and CRJMC are free with an organization letter and volunteer VSC is $28; online applications add a non-refundable $9.95 processing/authentication fee plus tax; VSC fingerprinting is $25. |
| Turnaround | Most results in 15 minutes | The online portal estimates 14 calendar days for employment checks and 30 calendar days for volunteer and unpaid student placement checks, with no guarantee; there is no rush service. |
| How to apply | Online, 24/7, from any device | Online through the Hamilton Police Service portal on policesolutions.ca, or in person at the Records Business Centre, Central Station, 155 King William Street, Hamilton, Monday to Friday 8:30 to 4:30 (closed statutory holidays), paying by cash, debit or credit card. |
| Who can apply | Anyone living in Canada | Hamilton Police Service provides screening checks only for Hamilton residents (post-secondary students with a Hamilton address and student card are accepted); under-18s only for government positions; people living outside Canada must submit fingerprints to the RCMP. |
| ID | Government photo ID, verified with your phone camera | Two unexpired pieces of government-issued ID, one with a photo; health cards and SIN cards are not accepted; proof of Hamilton residence is required for a VSC or CRJMC; online applicants also need Visa or Mastercard. |
| Vulnerable sector check | Not available — see below | Offered only for positions of trust or authority over vulnerable persons, and the applicant must give the position description, organization name and details of the vulnerable persons; if fingerprints are needed the online process stops and the applicant attends Central Station, with a $25 fingerprinting fee. |
| Result | PDF emailed to you | Results are released only to the applicant; the police website says completed results may be mailed or picked up at the Records Business Centre, and results not picked up within 90 days are purged. |
Hamilton Police Service details from Hamilton Police Service — Get a Background Check and Hamilton Police Service online portal (policesolutions.ca) — Fees and turnaround times and Hamilton Police Service online portal — About Us (release of results) and Hamilton Police Service online portal — Vulnerable Sector Scan and Hamilton Police Service online portal — FAQ and Ontario e-Laws — O. Reg. 246/22 (Fixing Long-Term Care Act), s. 252 and Ontario e-Laws — O. Reg. 166/11 (Retirement Homes Act), s. 13 and Ontario e-Laws — O. Reg. 137/15 (Child Care and Early Years Act), ss. 59-60, checked September 2026. Fees and times change — confirm with the police service before you apply there.
Ask whoever requested the check which type they need before you order. The difference matters: an online check is a standard criminal record check, and some roles in Ontario require a vulnerable sector check that only the police can do.
SafeHire can’t issue a vulnerable sector check, and neither can any other online provider. It has to come from Hamilton Police Service. Here is what they require.
Offered only for positions of trust or authority over vulnerable persons, and the applicant must give the position description, organization name and details of the vulnerable persons; if fingerprints are needed the online process stops and the applicant attends Central Station, with a $25 fingerprinting fee.
From Hamilton Police Service, checked September 2026. Confirm before you apply.
Not sure which one you need? Compare a vulnerable sector check with a standard criminal record check.
Hamilton Police Service charges $55 for a Criminal Record Check, Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check or Vulnerable Sector Check for employment, and $28 for unpaid student placements. Volunteer CRC and CRJMC checks are free with an organization letter, while a volunteer VSC is $28, and online applications add a $9.95 processing fee plus tax. SafeHire offers a standard criminal record check online for $64.99 (rush service $10 more), with most results in about 15 minutes; it is an RCMP CPIC national database search conducted by Bridgewater Police Service, available 24/7 to anyone living in Canada.
The Hamilton Police Service online portal estimates 14 calendar days for employment checks and 30 calendar days for volunteer and unpaid student placement checks, and says these times are not guaranteed. It has no rush service. SafeHire returns most standard criminal record check results in about 15 minutes.
No. Hamilton Police Service provides screening checks only for Hamilton residents, though post-secondary students living in Hamilton can apply with a student card and proof of local address. Everyone else should apply to the police service where they live, and people living outside Canada must submit fingerprints to the RCMP. SafeHire's online standard check is available to anyone living in Canada.
If you will be in a position of trust or authority over children or other vulnerable persons, you need Hamilton Police Service's Vulnerable Sector Check, which must be done by the police where you live. It costs $55 for employment and may need fingerprints. SafeHire's check is a standard criminal record check, not a vulnerable sector check.
Most criminal record checks for Hamilton residents are completed within 15 minutes during business hours. Some checks may take up to 24 hours depending on database availability. Rush service is available for priority processing.
Standard criminal record checks are priced competitively. Rush service is available for an additional $10. We offer transparent pricing with no hidden fees. See our pricing page for current rates.
No. Our standard criminal record checks cannot be used for vulnerable sector screening. Vulnerable sector checks require fingerprinting and must be done in person through local police services.
Yes. Our criminal record checks are conducted by Bridgewater Police Service using the CPIC database and are accepted by employers, landlords, and organizations across Hamilton, Ontario, and all of Canada.
The check shows any convictions without pardons as of the search date. It does not include juvenile records, pardoned convictions, absolute or conditional discharges, or outstanding charges that haven't resulted in conviction.
Hamilton employers across various industries require background checks. Find requirements specific to your field.
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