Criminal Record Pardons Information

Last Updated July 17, 2010

1A. What is a Standard Canada Pardon? (aka a Record Suspension)

A Standard Canada pardon is an order by the National Parole Board of Canada that removes your criminal record from CPIC (the Canadian Police Information Center's computer system), which makes it unavailable to all other Canadian police detachments and border officials. As well, your record can no longer be accessed by APIS (Advance Passenger Information System) a computer system used by U.S. Customs airport officials. Once pardoned your criminal record information may still be seen by the arresting police detachment on their internal PIRS or PROS system, however such information is usually not accessed if nothing comes up on CPIC.

1B. What are the new waiting periods regarding Pardon eligibility?

New waiting periods are: 10 years for a personal injury offence, for which a 2 year or more sentence was imposed, and for all indictable sexual offences, and for all long-term, mulitiple serious offenders. 5 years for a summary sexual offence. For more information see: sexual and/or personal injury offences (and all long-term offenders) and Fact Sheet.

2. Do you process out-of-province and out-of-country Canadian Pardon applications?

Yes, we can process applications for Canadians living anywhere in the world, as long as the area receives courier deliveries.

3A. How much does a Standard Canada Pardon cost?

Our standard fee for processing a Canada Pardon application is:$479.00, plus 5% GST ($23.95) = $502.95. Price includes a $253.00 administration fee (also includes free priority service, application tracking, email updates and express courier fees), the $50 National Parole Board filing fee, $50.00 for Document Certification fees, and $126.00 to cover 1 Court and 1 Local Police Record Search fees. Note: There will be a $70.00 biometric fingerprinting fee charged by Alberta Fingerprinting Services (which will speed up the processing of your Certified Record). If you live outside the Edmonton area we will arrange for you to be fingerprinted at the nearest biometric fingerprinting office or your local police station. There you will have to pay between $55 and $70, including the $25.00 mail-in or $35.00 electronic submission fee. Unfortunately, processing times for ink fingerprints are currently 6 to 8 months. Note: Additional fees will be incurred if you have multiple offenses where fines were imposed, or if you have served in the Canadian Military, or if you have lived in more than 1 city within the last 5 years, or if you were convicted of sexual and/or personal injury offences (and all long-term offenders) and you must write a Personal Letter to the NPB. Additional court record, local police record and military record searches are $60.00 each plus GST. Assistance with Personal Letters to the NPB are $120.00 plus GST.

4. How long does it take to process a Pardon application?

For 1 to 3 Summary offenses, it is currently taking about 4 months to assemble a Pardon application and then it takes the National Parole Board about 2 months to process the application and grant a Pardon. If you have 4 or more offenses and/or have committed an Indictable offense(s) or you have recent charges on your Local Police Record Check, it may take up to 10 months to process your application, after it is received by the Board, unless it is prioritized. Of course being biometrically fingerprinted also speeds up application processing times. For the most up-to-date processing times please see Our Current Processing Times.

5. Can you get the NPB to rush my Pardon application, and if so how much more will I have to pay?

Yes, and the fee is $120.00 plus GST. Note: In order to get the National Parole Board to prioritize a Pardon application that would normally take up to 12 months to process, extreme hardship must be shown pending a Pardon, i.e. you are unemployable due to having a record. For more information, CLICK HERE.

6. Am I guaranteed that I will get a Pardon?

We guarantee that you will get a Canada Pardon as long as you are eligible to receive one. This means the RCMP have not stated that a criminal record does not exist, you have not recently committed any offense(s) that would void your eligibility or indicate that you are still deemed to be a high risk to re-offend, you have completed your 3, 5 or 10 year waiting period, and all fines have been paid and all penalties and/or dispositions have been served.

7. Can you help me if I received a Pardon on my own and now wish to enter the U.S.?

Unfortunately, due to the many complications that often arise, we can only provide US Waiver application assistance to you, if required.

8. Does a Pardon allow me to enter the U.S.?

Unfortunately, US Customs does not recognize a Canada Pardon if they become aware of it. If you have never been denied entry, deported or interviewed by US Customs, and US Customs has never accessed your criminal record via CPIC or APIS prior to you being granted a Canada Pardon, and your criminal record was properly sealed, then US Customs will no longer be able to access it on CPIC or APIS. However, U.S. Customs officials have several ways of finding out if you have ever committed a criminal offense, or if you were ever arrested and fingerprinted. If you are not properly prepared to answer their wide assortment of questions you could be denied entry, face property seizures, short-term imprisonment, and be banned from entering the U.S. in the future. Our Standard Canada Pardon removes your criminal record from CPIC and APIS, and includes all the information you will need to navigate U.S. Customs. Note: For old summary illegal possession convictions you may also wish to purchase our File Destruction Service to make a formal request to have your local police records destroyed, along with all trace evidence that you were ever arrested, charged, fingerprinted, photographed, went to court, etc. Note: File Destructions for convictions are usually only granted after 10 years or more have passed without any further charges, investigations or convictions, and if you have multiple convictions or Indictable convictions the police like to see at least 15 years of crime-free activity. Note: If you were at one time involved or suspected of international gang related activities, or you have multiple sexual assault charges, a copy of your record could have been sent to the FBI and/or placed on Interpol. Such records cannot be destroyed via File Destruction.

9. When can I apply for a Pardon?

In order to be eligible to receive a Pardon, you must have completed your sentence and then have waited 3, 5 or 10 years, depending on what is on your record, while being “of good conduct” during the same period. Completion means all fines, surcharges, restitution, etc., has been paid, jail time has been served, and all probation has been completed.

10. Can my Pardon application be denied, and if so would I get a refund?

If you are found to be not of good conduct your application can be denied. There are no refunds once an application has been completed and submitted to the NBP.

11. How do I apply for a Pardon?

You can call our office and apply over the telephone or fill out our secure online application form and submit it to us along with your online payment.

12. Does a Pardon allow me to enter other countries?

Almost all other countries except for the U.S. will not ask you self-incriminating questions if they don't see a conviction on CPIC. Of course if you freely admit to being Pardoned or to having a criminal record in the past, you could be questioned at length and possibly denied entry. For more information on traveling abroad when you still have a criminal record you should contact the Consulate General's office.

13. Do you provide free information to people who are applying for a Pardon on their own?

No. This is due to the many time consuming complications that arise which take our staff away from the duties and responsibilities of serving our clients.

14. Can I be Pardoned for sexual and other injury offenses?

Yes, after being of good conduct for 5 or 10 years. However, your name will be flagged in the Canada National Repository. This means if you are going to work around vulnerable people such as children, seniors or disabled individuals, you will be required to disclose your past criminal history to the employer before commencement of employment.