What is it?

The Vulnerable Sector Check is restricted to applicants seeking employment and/or volunteering in a position of authority or trust relative to vulnerable persons in Canada only.

It is a collection of offence information, including convictions, outstanding warrants, charges, judicial orders and sexual offence convictions for which the individual has received a record suspension where authorized by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Non-conviction information shall be released only when it meets the Exceptional Disclosure Assessment.

A Vulnerable Sector Check will include: 

  • Absolute and conditional discharges from local police held databases.
  • All record suspensions as authorized for release by the Minister of Public Safety.
  • Criminal convictions from CPIC and/or local databases.
  • In exceptional cases, non-conviction dispositions including, but not limited to, Withdrawn and Dismissed.
  • Not Criminally Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder.
  • Outstanding entries, such as charges and warrants, judicial orders, probation and prohibition orders, in accordance with CPIC policy.
  • Summary convictions from CPIC and/or local databases.
  • Youth Criminal Justice Act findings of guilt will be released only for applications to government institutions/organizations.

Due to changes in RCMP query procedures, the Vulnerable Sector (VS) portion of a police check may require having your fingerprints taken.  If this is the case, you will receive a notification from us. The VS query uses your date of birth and your gender only, no name. If this is required, you will be required to attend to the station for fingerprints. Learn more about the fingerprinting process.

A Vulnerable Sector Check will not include: 

  • Any reference regarding mental health.
  • Any reference to contagious diseases.
  • Convictions under provincial statutes.
  • Family court Restraining Orders.
  • Foreign information.
  • Local police contact.
  • Ministry of Transportation information.
  • Suspect information that would hinder an ongoing investigation or where the suspect has not been contacted.
  • Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) charges or information beyond the applicable disclosure period.

For more information about Ontario’s legislation on Record Checks, please see the Police Record Checks Reform Act.