Ontario recognises three police record checks with different scopes. Here is how they differ and when each one applies.
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Ontario formally names three police record checks. A criminal record check reports convictions only. A Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, often labelled Level II, adds judicial matters such as outstanding charges and court orders. A vulnerable sector check is a separate, restricted type that only police services issue, and it depends on eligibility rather than being right for everyone. Do not assume one is simply better; each covers different ground. Order the exact check named in your request and follow the requesting organisation's current instructions.
The criminal record check is the most basic of Ontario's three formally named checks. It searches for criminal convictions and, in limited circumstances, findings of guilt that are still disclosable. It does not report outstanding charges or the judicial matters found in a CRJMC.
Organisations use it when they only need to confirm the presence or absence of convictions and do not require the fuller judicial picture.
The CRJMC, commonly called a Level II check, includes what a criminal record check shows and adds judicial matters. That is the practical difference many licensing bodies and employers are looking for.
Level II is a police-service label; the CRJMC name in your request is what controls.
A vulnerable sector check is a distinct, more restricted type that only a police service can issue. It is not accurately described as merely 'more comprehensive', and it is not automatically required for everyone who works with vulnerable people.
Whether a VSC applies turns on eligibility — typically a position of trust or authority over children or vulnerable adults — and on the direction of the organisation requesting the check. If a role does not meet those conditions, a VSC may not be available or appropriate.
The three checks are not a simple ladder from weakest to strongest; they serve different purposes. Reaching for a broader check when a narrower one is requested can cause delays or an unusable result.
The safest approach is to order exactly what the organisation names and to follow their current instructions. If the request is ambiguous, ask them directly before you proceed.
Provincial overview of the three formally named check types and their differing scopes.
The statute defining each check type and the rules for disclosure, including vulnerable sector checks.
National guidance on criminal record and vulnerable sector checks.
Begin online, then allow time for processing. Confirm the requested check, issuer, format, recency, and acceptance before ordering.
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