Information Requests

Online Applications: The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is pleased to offer online records check submissions to members of the public. If you would like to apply online, please visit our Online Records Check page. Priority will be given to online applications. Once the search is completed, the results will be mailed to you directly or they can be picked up at the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service's building, 580 Second Line East.

Attend in person: Please download the form(s) below on letter sized paper (8.5" x 11") and fill them out prior to attending at the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service's building. This will save time. Fees are payable by cash, credit, or debit.

Records Check Application Form

Self-Declaration Form (please complete this form if you have an existing criminal record only)

• Please remember to bring two forms of government-issued identification (one of which must contain your photo). Please see Appendix A for further acceptable identification.
• Provide any other names (maiden name, legal name change, etc.)
• You must be a resident of Sault Ste. Marie or Prince Township to have your records check completed - proof of residency may be required.
• All record checks will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Currently our turn-around-time is 3 business days; however, priority will be given to online applications.

(Please note walk-applications during August-October may take approximately one week to process as this is one of our busiest seasons for record check requests.)

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions section at the bottom of this page for more information.

As per the Police Records Check Reform Act of Ontario, the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service offers three (3) types of police record checks:

• Police Criminal Records Check (PCRC)
• Police Criminal Records and Judicial Matters Check (PCRJMC)
• Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC)

Your employer and/or volunteer organization will confirm for you what type of police records check is required.

Police Criminal Records Check (PCRC) or the basic criminal record check for employment purposes - cost is $40.00 (includes HST) which is payable at the time of submitting your application. You must produce government-issued photo identification. (See Appendix A for acceptable identification.)

This check is intended for applicants who are involved as a volunteer, employee or in any situation where a basic PCRC is requested (i.e. immigration, general labour, truck driving, warehouse, retail, etc.). This check is NOT intended for applicants who are seeking to volunteer and/or be employed with vulnerable persons.

This search is based on a query of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's National Repository for Criminal Records in Canada. It is based upon photo identification only and, therefore, is not confirmed by fingerprints. The completed check indicating the results of the criminal record search shall include the corporate seal of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service as proof of authenticity.

If an applicant has a criminal conviction, this check can only be provided by the local Police Service where the applicant resides. If the person lives out of town and has a criminal conviction, again the check must be completed in the city in which they reside.

Police Criminal Records and Judicial Matters Check (PCRJMC - level two) is intended for applicants who are seeking to volunteer or be employed with agencies who require a PCRC (level one) along with a local police involvement and other systems/records where authorized - employment, volunteers, or student placement purposes where the position does not qualify for the vulnerable position screening:

Employment: cost is $40.00 (includes HST). This search is intended for individuals who will be employed in positions such as car sales, park wardens, Drive Seat (as D.D.), firefighters, etc.

Volunteers and Students (placement purposes only): cost is $15.00 (includes HST).

Police Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC- level three) is restricted to applicants seeking employment and/or volunteering with vulnerable individuals. It includes student placements.

Employment: cost is $40.00 (includes HST). This search is intended for individuals who will be employed in vulnerable positions such as: day care centres, nursing, social workers, teaching, etc. This search is required when working with children (persons under 18 years of age), the elderly, sick, or infirm. This is available only to residents of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service does not provide record checks to people living outside of Canada. (For more information, please refer to our FAQ below.)

Volunteers and students (placement purposes only): cost is $15.00 (includes HST). This search is also for individuals who will be volunteering in vulnerable positions such as the: Children's Aid Society, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Meals on Wheels, boys and girls clubs, etc. This is required when volunteering with children (persons under 18 years of age), the elderly, sick, or infirm. This is available to residents of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Volunteers who require fingerprints to confirm their identity as required by the R.C.M.P.: You must provide AN ACCOMPANYING LETTER from the organization in which you will be volunteering, otherwise your application will not be processed.

Students: If you are in Sault Ste. Marie attending school, and you are able to prove a Sault Ste. Marie/Prince Township residency, ie. a bill or lease document, you may have your search done here.

The Police Record Checks Reform Act 2015, came into force on November 1, 2018 and it establishes clear and consistent rules to govern police record checks in the province to protect public safety and strengthen individual civil liberties by removing unnecessary barriers to employment, education, and volunteer opportunities.  It prevents the disclosure of unnecessary information and standardizes the process by clearly defining three types of police record checks.

Additionally, you can download these documents to assist with the new requirements for these checks.

Public Education Document

PRCRA - Fact Sheet - Individuals

PRCRA - Fact Sheet - Requestors

Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services - Police Record Checks in Ontario

Most organizations are not legally obligated to request police record checks when screening individuals.  If a record check is necessary for a position, it should only be done as the last step in the hiring process – after the standard screening tools have identified an individual as a suitable candidate for an employment or volunteer opportunity.

What other screening tools can an organization use?

• Resumé
• Personal reference checks
• Interviews
• Orientation sessions
• Job shadowing
• Follow up reviews
• Feedback from clients

Other assessments as appropriate (e.g., some professions, such as policing and aviation, require medical examinations to assess physical and mental health).

Police Records Check for Employment or Volunteer Opportunities: The employer or volunteer agency plays an integral role in the initial stages of the hiring process and the records check should only be one piece of their recruiting process.

For further information on selecting employees or volunteers, please refer to the 10 Step Guideline and Screening Handbook at Volunteer Canada.

Youth applicants or volunteers under the age of 18: As of November 1, 2018, community organizations, charities, and sport groups will no longer be entitled to use police checks as a screening tool when considering youth for employment or volunteer work.  In accordance with Ontario's Police Record Checks Reform Act and the Youth Criminal Justice Act, Police Services can only provide record checks to applicants who are under the age of 18 and applying for positions with municipal, provincial, or federal governments.

As a result, police are not permitted to provide record checks for youths seeking a position with non-government organizations, such as sports groups, not-for-profit agencies, charities, hospitals, and school boards.  This also includes organizations that may receive government funding but are not a government department.

This communication is intended to educate non-government organizations about changes to record checks pertaining to youth under the age of 18 as a result of the Police Record Checks Reform Act.  Non-government agencies will now have to proceed with alternative application steps such as interviews and references for youths and not rely on a police records check as they may have in the past.

This request is for individuals requiring fingerprints for a Criminal Record Check only related to employment, volunteering, and/or adoption/foster parent applications.

You must attend at the Front Desk of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, 580 Second Line East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to book a fingerprint appointment between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. - closed on statutory holidays.  Currently the Service offers these fingerprint services on a limited basis on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Service's administrative fee is $30.00 (includes HST) payable at the time of booking your appointment for individuals requiring fingerprints for a criminal record check.  Further, dependant upon the reason for the fingerprints, there is an additional administrative charge of $25.00 that we must collect and remit to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  Fees are payable by cash, debit, or credit. The fingerprint appointment may only be booked by the requestor.

If you cancel your appointment 24 hours in advance, a refund will be issued provided you bring in your original receipt.  Otherwise, no refund will be granted. Valid government-issued photo identification is required when you attend for your prints.

See the “Frequently Asked Questions” section for acceptable forms of identification.

Adults who have appeared in court and who have had a charge by the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service either withdrawn, dismissed, quashed, or acquitted (absolute or conditional discharge) MAY apply to have their fingerprints destroyed.

If charges were initiated by another Police Service, please contact them directly as we can only process charges generated by the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.

Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
(closed all statutory holidays)

Written Request:  Individuals wishing to request information under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act must do so by submitting a Request Form.  All requests must include the requestor's name, full address, date of birth, and telephone number. Identify the specific record(s) requested or provide sufficient details to enable your record to be identified.

Your request must be submitted to:
Information Services – F.O.I./R.O.I. Office
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service
580 Second Line East
Sault Ste. Marie ON  P6B 4K1

A $5.00 application fee (cash, certified cheque, or money order) must accompany all requests.

The processing of this request will not begin until this fee has been received.  In addition to the application fee, there is a legislated fee schedule for the processing of access requests, which includes photocopying, searching, and preparing records.

Note:  Information available through the report request procedures is not subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.  Please see the Service’s Fee Schedule for these costs.

Access and Privacy Section for Access / Correction

General records:  all records are subject to access requests, except records to which mandatory and discretionary exemptions apply under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.  In addition to the application fee, there is a legislated fee schedule for the processing of access requests for general records (other computer-related fees may also apply).

Personal information records:  information relating to the requestor themselves is referred to as personal information.  Similar to general records, mandatory and discretionary exemptions may apply.

Identification must be provided in order for the release of personal information.  A charge ($.20 per photocopy) as well as other computer-related fees may apply.

Privacy

The Act has privacy protection provisions concerning the collection, use, disclosure, retention, and disposal of personal information.  Access to another individual's personal information may be restricted without consent from that person. If you are requesting information on behalf of someone else, or wish to obtain information about another person, you must supply the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service with signed authorization from that individual.

How to make an access/correction request:
Make your request in person to the F.O.I/R.O.I. Office.
Fill out the form provided as legibly as possible.
Pay the NON-WAIVABLE $5.00 fee.  (Cash, certified cheque, or money order accepted.)

PLEASE NOTE:  IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACT, REQUESTS UNDER THE ACCESS AND PRIVACY SECTION MAY TAKE UP TO 30 DAYS TO PROCESS AND COMPLY UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REQUEST.