Why do I need a police criminal record check?
As part of the registration process, CNO requires all applicants to provide a recent police criminal record check. This requirement helps CNO determine whether we need more information about you to assess your suitability for registration.
CNO only accepts Canadian police criminal record checks from Sterling Backcheck, a First Advantage company. Sterling Backcheck is a secure third-party criminal record check provider. It also provides international police criminal record checks for applicants who need one. (See the table on this page.) Paper criminal record checks or checks from other online sources will not be accepted, except in specific cases where CNO informs you that they are approved.
Note: Your police criminal record check expires six months after the issue date. If your police criminal record check expires before you become registered, you will need to complete another one.
Getting your police criminal record check
To begin your police criminal record check, log in to Maintain Your Membership (MYM). Select “Start my police criminal record check” on the landing page and follow the instructions provided. When you create your account with Sterling Backcheck, you must use the same email address you provided to CNO when you set up your MYM account.
Use the following table to determine what type of police criminal record check (or checks) you need to submit.
What type of police criminal record check do I need?
| Applicant |
Canadian |
International |
|
I have always resided in Canada
|
X
|
|
|
I legally reside in Canada and have not resided in any other country since obtaining status in Canada
|
X
|
|
|
I legally reside in Canada but I have also resided in another international jurisdiction after obtaining status in Canada
|
X
|
X
|
|
I reside outside Canada and have never resided in Canada
|
|
X
|
|
I currently reside outside Canada but I have previously resided in Canada for six months or longer
|
X
|
X
|
Applicants who need to submit both Canadian and international criminal record checks must contact CNO to request a second link for the Sterling Backcheck system.
When to have your police criminal record checked
We recommend that you obtain your criminal record check closer to the end of your registration process. You have 30 days from the start of your police criminal record check process to complete your check. If you do not complete the process in 30 days, you can begin again by logging into Maintain Your Membership and selecting “Start my police criminal record check.”
A criminal record check is valid only for six months after it is issued.
FAQs
For CNO’s purposes, a check from Sterling Backcheck is valid for six months from the date it is issued. If you have a check and it expires before you meet all other registration requirements, then you will have to submit an updated check to complete your registration. Only Sterling Backcheck police criminal record checks are accepted, unless CNO has requested a different source or format.
No. Applicants are not required to provide a check before writing their registration or jurisprudence exams.
No. If you have more than one application open with CNO, you are required to do only one police criminal record check. Once we receive the result of your check, all your open applications will be updated. Police checks are valid for six months from the date of issue. If your check expires while you still have an application open, you will have to submit a new one.
No. Current registrants of the General, Extended, Temporary or Non-Practising class are not required to provide a criminal record check when they apply for or reinstate their registration in another class or category. But if any character or conduct issues are identified during your application process, CNO may ask you to provide more information, which could include a police criminal record check.
Yes. A police criminal record check is required if you are seeking reinstatement and are not registered with CNO. You will also need a criminal record check if you are a former registrant of CNO and you currently live outside Canada.
Yes, you must provide a police criminal record check. See the table on this page to determine whether you need a Canadian or International check, or both. You can complete your police criminal record check through Sterling Backcheck by logging into Maintain Your Membership and selecting “Start my police criminal record check.”