---
title: "RCMP certified criminal record check: choose the fingerprint route"
description: "Find the RCMP fingerprint-based certified criminal record check route inside or outside Canada and distinguish it from a vulnerable sector check."
canonical: "https://dokus.app/en-ca/rcmp-certified-criminal-record-check-fingerprints/"
lang: "en-CA"
category: "Official documents"
reviewed: "2026-10-25"
app_store: "https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709"
translations:
  en-CA: "https://dokus.app/en-ca/rcmp-certified-criminal-record-check-fingerprints/"
---

# RCMP certified criminal record check: choose the fingerprint route

For an RCMP certified criminal record check, use the fingerprint route appropriate to your location. Inside Canada, contact local police or an RCMP-accredited fingerprint company; outside Canada, paper fingerprints must be converted and submitted electronically by an accredited Canadian company.

A request for a police check is not precise enough to select a service. Ask the requesting organisation whether it requires a fingerprint-based certified check or another type. The [RCMP overview](https://rcmp.ca/en/criminal-records/criminal-record-checks) explains the identity-confirmation role of fingerprints.

## Follow the route for your location

| Where you are | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Inside Canada | Local police service or RCMP-accredited fingerprint company |
| Outside Canada | Authorised local fingerprint agency, then an accredited company in Canada |
| A vulnerable sector check is required | Your local police service; private accredited companies do not provide it |

1. Confirm the exact check and purpose with the recipient.
2. Open [the RCMP location instructions](https://rcmp.ca/en/criminal-records/criminal-record-checks/where-go).
3. Check the provider’s appointment, identity and consent requirements before attending.
4. Keep the submission reference and the delivery instructions with your application record.

Keep the issued record and application reference in Dokus behind Face ID or Touch ID, separate from fingerprint forms and identity attachments. 4.8 out of 5 stars [Free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709)

## Applying from outside Canada

The RCMP instructs overseas applicants to obtain a paper fingerprint record through an authorised agency. It must contain prints of all ten fingers in black ink, the agency’s name and address, and the fingerprinting official’s name and signature.

Contact an accredited company in Canada to convert that paper record and submit electronically to CCRTIS. Do not mail the fingerprints or application directly to CCRTIS: the RCMP says those submissions are not accepted.

A phone photograph or browser-converted PDF does not perform the accredited conversion. Keep fingerprint material separate from ordinary ID reference copies. For an identity attachment requested by the provider, confirm its permitted format before preparing or editing it.

When the result arrives, retain the issued document unchanged and confirm any recipient-specific original, delivery or authentication requirement. The [Canadian sharing guide](https://dokus.app/en-ca/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/) helps you assess separate requests for ID copies.

## Questions about RCMP checks

### Can an accredited company provide a vulnerable sector check?

The RCMP says vulnerable sector checks must go through the local police service. Accredited private fingerprint companies do not provide them.

### Can I send overseas fingerprints directly to CCRTIS?

No. Follow the RCMP route through an accredited Canadian company, which converts the paper record and submits electronically.

### Can a browser tool convert my fingerprints for submission?

An ordinary image or PDF conversion is not the accredited fingerprint conversion required by the RCMP process.

## Sources

Reviewed on October 25, 2026

- [RCMP: Criminal record checks](https://rcmp.ca/en/criminal-records/criminal-record-checks)
- [RCMP: Where to go for fingerprint-based checks](https://rcmp.ca/en/criminal-records/criminal-record-checks/where-go)