Your criminal record will be kept separate and apart from other records in the CPIC database, effectively removing your record and helping you gain employment, education, volunteering and other opportunities.
While your record will be set aside, it doesn’t erase the fact you were convicted, and US Customs and Border Protection does not recognize a Canadian pardon. Depending on the nature of your criminal record, you may need to apply for a US entry waiver.
The PBC application fee is $50. You are also responsible for fingerprinting, court and local police fees (approximately $150).
Our fee will depend on:
the number of court locations you have been convicted in
amount of cities you have resided in during the past 5 years
Determining eligibility can be confusing due to legislative changes and court rulings.
Eligibility ranges from 3, 5 to 10 years and depends on:
when the most recent offence was committed
date when the sentence was fully completed
nature of the offence(s)
A court order that prohibits you from driving or owning a firearm is not considered as part of a sentence.
Once received by the Parole Board of Canada (PBC), summary offences will be processed within 6 months while indictable offences take 12 months.
The Parole Board of Canada is the only official agency that is involved in the processing of pardon and record suspension applications for convictions in Canada.
Yes, if you’re:
convicted of a new offence
no longer maintaining a crime free lifestyle
found to have withheld information when you applied
If a pardon is revoked the offence(s) will be added back into the CPIC database.
On March 13, 2012 the government's amendments to the CRA went into effect. Changes included a symbolic renaming from pardons to record suspensions, as well as increasing the time before an applicant is eligible to apply. Certain sexual offences and individuals convicted of more than three indictable offences and who received a prison sentence of two or more years were also deemed ineligible.
Documentation can include:
RCMP criminal record
Court information
Local police records check
Military conduct sheet
Measurable benefit form
Record suspension application form
Because nearly 30% of all pardon applications were returned incomplete.
Of the 17,572 applications that the Board received during the last fiscal period, only 12,785 were completed properly.
We will prepare your documents, make sure every detail is in order and submit your application quickly, ensuring that it’s approved sooner.
Identification documents
collected during an arrest can
be destroyed if the charge(s)
didn't result in a conviction.
If you’ve ever been arrested and charged with a crime the police have your information on file - even if the charges were stayed, withdrawn, dismissed or discharged. The same is true if you entered into a peace bond or diversion program.
You now have a non-conviction criminal record that you’ll need to destroy.
We contact the arresting police service and submit a file destruction request on your behalf. After the arresting police approve the request, they contact the RCMP Identification Services and request the destruction of the non-conviction information.
All identification documents, including those, submitted to the RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records are destroyed.
Your criminal record history that was entered into the CPIC database held at the RCMP Repository is deleted and, most importantly, your FPS number is canceled.
FPS stands for Fingerprint Section number and is a unique number assigned to an individual that has been fingerprinted. FPS numbers are shared with the United States and are accessible by US Customs and Border Protection. As part of our file destruction request we ensure the arresting police service cancels your FPS number.
Yes, general time frames include:
stay of proceedings: 1 year
peace bond: after the expiration
withdrawn, dismissed, acquitted: 1-6 months
Each police service sets its own guidelines about when you can apply. We will provide specific details surrounding your file destruction timeline and eligibility.
Yes, absolute and conditional charges are automatically removed one and three years, respectively, after being sentenced. However, the local police have your fingerprints and photos on file, which you can request be destroyed.
No, RCMP fingerprints are not required. If you’re told fingerprints are required as part of the process contact us, and we’ll submit your request immediately.
The average cost of having your criminal file destroyed is $240, depending upon:
the disposition of the charge(s)
having non-conviction records with multiple police services
whether the files still exist
the police charging a service fee
Since 2007 we have assisted clients successfully and we can help you too.
If you would like to start your application or have any questions, please call: