Licensing & Renewals > Criminal Record Check

Effective October 1, 2011: Certified Criminal Record Check Policy

If you are a first-time applicant in Alberta OR as a previous industry member who has not been registered with a brokerage any time in the past year, you must provide to RECA a current (dated within the last 6 months) original certified criminal record check (CCRC)* in your legal name in a form and manner prescribed by the executive director (section 20(1)(d) of the Real Estate Act Rules).

* A CCRC is a “certified” fingerprint-based criminal record search for non-criminal purposes conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Ottawa, where fingerprints are compared against the central repository of Canadian criminal records held by the RCMP.

If you are applying from outside of Canada, please contact a RECA Information Officer for further information on the criminal record check requirement.

To obtain a CCRC, you must provide your fingerprints to the RCMP Civil Fingerprint Screening Services in Ottawa. Fingerprints can be submitted to the RCMP electronically or in paper-based format. A CCRC can take up to six months to process depending how you submit your fingerprints and whether or not you have a criminal record; this can delay approval of your authorization with RECA. To improve the efficiency of providing the CCRC to RECA, you may opt to submit a “Third-Party Waiver of Consent,” which authorizes the RCMP to release your CCRC directly to RECA. Your fingerprints are not retained by RECA, private fingerprinting firms, the local police or the RCMP.

• If you do not have a criminal record: electronically-submitted fingerprints are typically processed by the RCMP within 72 hours (allow 2 to 3 weeks for the completed CCRC to be returned by mail). Paper-based fingerprint submissions require a great deal of manual processing and it is not uncommon for a criminal record verification using paper-based fingerprint submissions to take up to 180 days to complete.
• If you have a criminal record: your CCRC will be processed manually regardless of how your fingerprints are submitted to the RCMP.

Electronic fingerprint submissions
Step 1                   
Attend at an accredited private fingerprinting agency, such as:

• Canadian Corps of Commissionaires (offices located in Lethbridge, Red Deer, Edmonton, Calgary)
• L-1 Identity Solutions (offices located in Edmonton, Calgary and Fort McMurray)

The agency will complete and submit your fingerprints to the RCMP electronically on your behalf. Note: Fees for electronic fingerprint submission vary and must be paid by the applicant at the time services are performed.

Step 2 (optional)    
Complete a “Third Party Waiver of Consent” form at the agency, which authorizes the RCMP in Ottawa to send your CCRC directly to RECA. If you do not complete a Third Party Waiver of Consent, you must forward your CCRC to RECA once you receive it.

Paper-based fingerprint submissions
Step 1                   
Attend at your local police station or RCMP detachment to obtain a full set of fingerprints using Form C-216C. Note: Fees for fingerprinting vary and must be paid by the applicant at the time services are performed.

Step 2 (optional)    
Complete a “Third Party Waiver of Consent” form, which authorizes the RCMP in Ottawa to send your CCRC directly to RECA. If you do not complete a Third Party Waiver of Consent, you must forward your CCRC to RECA once you receive it.

Step 3                   
Send the original completed Form C-216C, completed “Third Party Waiver of Consent” form (optional) and $25 processing fee by certified cheque or money order payable to the Receiver General for Canada to one of the addresses below (cont’d next page):

Applicant With a Criminal Record
Each applicant with a criminal record is evaluated on his or her own merits and having a criminal record does not necessarily disqualify an individual from being authorized. When a criminal record exists, RECA requires additional documentation [section 20(2)(a) and (b) of the Real Estate Act Rules]. After review of the information provided, the executive director will determine the individual’s suitability for licensing.

Subsequent to issuing a licence the executive director may suspend or cancel a person’s licence when in matters pertaining to licensing, the industry member withholds or provides false and misleading information to the executive director in the process of applying for a licence [section 38.1(3)(a)(i) of the Real Estate Act Rules].

Collection, Use, Disclosure & Retention Policy
As the regulator, RECA has a responsibility to verify the identity and background information of individuals who apply for a licence and/or registration to ensure only competent, ethical practitioners are licensed. Those who apply for a licence consent to the collection of a CCRC by RECA.

RECA uses CCRC information only for the purpose of determining suitability for licensing under the Real Estate Act. The CCRC is held in confidence by RECA and is not disclosed to other parties.

RECA’s Privacy Policy, Practices & Procedures as well as the Real Estate Act Rules are available online at www.reca.ca. For more information about the policies above, please contact an Information Officer at RECA.