How much does it cost to apply for a record suspension?

In detail

The regulated fee was reduced to $50 on January 1, 2022. It had previously been more than $600, which was a major obstacle.

That $50 covers the Parole Board of Canada's processing of the application. Other costs can come up along the way: fingerprinting, obtaining court documents and local police checks. Those fees are charged by the organizations that provide those services, not by the Board.

Private companies offer to prepare the application for you, for several hundred dollars. That is not required: the Board publishes an application guide and the necessary forms, and it is possible to go through the process on your own.

An incomplete application is sent back, which lengthens the process considerably. The hard part is usually not the form, but gathering the documents.

What to document

Open a single file for the application: a list of all your court files with their numbers and judicial districts, the court documents you obtain, proof that fines and victim surcharges were paid, and the dates your sentence and probation ended. Note every document you request, the date you requested it and the date you received it. Keep proof that you paid the fee.

Official sources

• Apply for a record suspension — Parole Board of Canada
• Criminal Records Act — Justice Laws Website

Related questions

• Does a record suspension erase my criminal record?
• Who is not eligible for a record suspension?
• Can I travel to the United States with a criminal record?
• Can the public see my criminal file at the courthouse?
• Can my name be published in the media if I am a victim?

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