Explaining The Cost of Obtaining a Criminal Record Pardon in Canada
A pardon or record suspension will help you move forward with your life if you hold a criminal record in Canada. There are fees associated with this process, and this guide will highlight some helpful information to better understand what the application will cost.
The cost will vary due to multiple different factors including but are not limited to different province document requests, how many convicted offences are on your record and where you have lived over the last five years. The cost of a Pardon, which is now referred to as a Record Suspension, can range from $175 to $225, and as stated it will vary depending on your specific case.
Categories of Costs
The application fee is paid to the Parole Board of Canada in the amount of $50.
Fingerprinting Fees: You will need to pay an accredited fingerprinting company or a police service that will submit your fingerprints to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ottawa and this will range anywhere from $50 to $125.
Court Information Fees: To submit a completed record suspension application, you are required to obtain a court document for each conviction on your criminal record. Some courthouses will do this at no cost and others may charge processing fees. If you have several convictions from multiple provinces this may add up to higher costs to complete this step of the application. For example, BC does not charge to complete this form, however Alberta requires you to pay a processing fee per conviction.
Police Record Check Fees: Every applicant is required to obtain a police record check from every local police station related to your history of addresses from the past five years. Fees will vary depending on your local detachment. You can expect to pay anywhere from $25 to $75. If you've lived in more than one place during the last five years or if you lived in that place for three months or more, your cost will be higher because you will need more than one local police record check.
Timing
Your first payment is made to the fingerprinting company to get your criminal record, after which the second payment will have to be made to the courts to get your Court Information Form completed. This step may be free but again it is dependent on your record and the courthouses that will be completing this form for you. You will then have to make a payment to the police to get your local police record check, and the last fee will have to be paid to the Parole Board of Canada to process your Record Suspension application.
The application fee paid to the Parole Board of Canada is $50 regardless of where you live in Canada and regardless of what your criminal record looks like. Criminal record pardons and Record Suspensions are governed by federal law, not provincial law, and if you only have provincial convictions on your record, you are still applying to the federal government.
Conclusion
Do you need more information regarding costs associated with a criminal record pardon? The John Howard Society of British Columbia can answer any questions you may have about the application process and what to expect when it comes to paying for it.
Contact us today to learn more!