Canada Checks
Background Checks in Canada
Run PIPEDA-compliant CPIC criminal record checks in as fast as 15 minutes. MVR, education, employment, and credit verification. All from a single platform built for speed and compliance.
Canadian Background Check Services
Criminal records, driving history, education, employment, identity, credit, and global sanctions. All accessible from one platform.
CPIC Criminal Record Check (Standard)
Searches the RCMP's Canadian Police Information Centre database for criminal convictions, outstanding warrants, and judicial orders. The standard level of disclosure for most employment purposes.
- ⏱️ As fast as 15 min
CPIC Criminal Record Check (Enhanced)
Includes everything in the Standard check plus additional records such as pardoned sexual offences, not-guilty findings, and local police records. Required for positions working with vulnerable populations.
- ⏱️ 1–3 business days
MVR / Driver's Abstract
Retrieves a candidate's provincial driving record including licence status, demerit points, suspensions, and traffic convictions. Essential for roles involving driving or fleet management.
- ⏱️ 1–5 business days
Education Verification
Confirms degrees, diplomas, certificates, and dates of attendance directly with Canadian and international educational institutions. Verifies the credentials candidates claim on their resumes.
- ⏱️ 1–9 business days
Employment Verification
Confirms past job titles, employment dates, and eligibility for rehire with previous employers. Helps validate work history and identify resume discrepancies before making a hiring decision.
- ⏱️ 1–9 business days
Identity Verification
Verifies candidate identity using government-issued ID documents and biometric matching. Confirms that the person being screened is who they claim to be, a critical first step in any background check.
- ⏱️ Instant
Credit Check
Reviews a candidate's credit history including outstanding debts, bankruptcies, and payment patterns. Applicable for positions with financial responsibility. Requires explicit consent and a permissible purpose under Canadian law.
- ⏱️ 1–3 business days
Global Watchlist & Sanctions
OFAC, PEP databases, global terrorist registries, sex offender registries, and adverse media sources. All in a single check.
- ⏱️ Instant
How Turn Ensures Compliance in Canada
Canada's federal and provincial privacy laws set strict requirements for how personal information is collected and used in background screening. Turn's platform is built to meet them.
Written consent collection
PIPEDA requires informed, written consent before initiating any background check. Turn's candidate portal automates compliant consent capture with clear disclosure language.
Purpose limitation
Personal information collected during a background check may only be used for the stated purpose. Turn's workflows enforce purpose-limited data handling to prevent scope creep.
Provincial privacy laws (PIPA)
Alberta and British Columbia enforce the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and Quebec has its own private-sector privacy legislation. Turn's platform adapts to provincial requirements automatically.
Data residency considerations
Turn maintains data handling practices designed to address Canadian data residency expectations, with infrastructure and processes that respect cross-border data transfer requirements.
RCMP/CPIC access protocols
CPIC criminal record checks are processed through authorized channels following RCMP access protocols, ensuring results are legitimate and audit-ready.
SOC 2 Type II + ISO 27001-aligned workflows
Turn holds SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 certifications and maintains ISO 27001-aligned information security workflows, providing enterprise-grade data protection for every Canadian background check.
Three Steps to Screen in Canada
Get from check initiation to verified results in minutes, not days.
Initiate the Check: Select the screening package for your Canadian candidate. CPIC criminal, MVR, education, employment, credit, or any combination. Order directly from your dashboard or through your ATS integration.
Candidate Completes Consent: Your candidate receives a mobile-friendly invitation to provide PIPEDA-compliant consent, verify their identity, and supply any required information. The process takes just a few minutes.
Get Verified Results: Results are delivered to your dashboard as they clear. CPIC Standard checks in as fast as 15 minutes. Review findings, adjudicate, and move forward with confidence.
Why Turn for Canadian Background Checks
Purpose-built for speed, compliance, and scale, whether you're screening 10 or 10,000 candidates across Canada.
15-Minute CPIC Results Turn delivers CPIC Standard criminal check results in as fast as 15 minutes, compared to the 1–2 business days typical of legacy providers. Faster results mean faster hiring decisions.
One Platform, Global Reach Screen candidates in Canada, the US, and 200+ countries from a single dashboard. No need to juggle multiple vendors or platforms. Turn handles criminal, identity, education, and employment checks worldwide.
PIPEDA Compliance Built In Turn automates PIPEDA-compliant consent collection, purpose-limited data handling, and provincial privacy law requirements. SOC 2 Type II certified and ISO 27001-aligned workflows ensure your data is protected at every step.
ATS & HRIS Integration Order checks, track progress, and receive results without leaving your existing workflow. Turn integrates with Fountain, Lever, Greenhouse, Rippling, and iCIMS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CPIC background check?
A CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre) background check searches the RCMP's national database for criminal records, outstanding warrants, charges, judicial orders, and peace bonds. It is the standard criminal record check used by Canadian employers for pre-employment screening. CPIC checks are available at Standard and Enhanced levels depending on the depth of disclosure required for the role.
How fast can I get CPIC criminal check results through Turn?
Turn delivers CPIC Standard criminal check results in as fast as 15 minutes, significantly faster than the industry average of 1–2 business days. Enhanced CPIC checks, which require additional verification steps, typically take 1–3 business days.
Is PIPEDA compliance required for background checks in Canada?
Yes. The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) governs how private-sector organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information during background checks. Employers must obtain informed, written consent before initiating any check, clearly state the purpose of the collection, and limit data collection to what is relevant to the position. Turn's platform automates PIPEDA-compliant consent collection and data handling to keep you compliant.
Can I run credit checks on candidates in Canada?
Yes, Turn supports credit checks for Canadian candidates. However, credit checks in Canada are subject to strict regulations. Employers must have a permissible purpose, obtain explicit written consent, and the check must be relevant to the position, typically financial, accounting, or executive roles. Some provinces have additional restrictions on when employment-related credit checks are permitted.
What about provincial privacy laws like PIPA?
Alberta and British Columbia have their own private-sector privacy legislation, the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which operates alongside PIPEDA. Quebec has the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector, which was significantly updated in 2023. These provincial laws may impose additional consent, notification, or data handling requirements beyond PIPEDA.
Does Turn integrate with my ATS?
Yes. Turn integrates directly with leading applicant tracking systems and HRIS platforms including Fountain, Lever, Greenhouse, Rippling, and iCIMS. These integrations let you order background checks, track progress, and receive results without leaving your existing workflow.
What certifications does Turn hold?
Turn holds SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 certifications, demonstrating rigorous security controls and data protection practices verified by independent auditors. Turn also maintains ISO 27001-aligned workflows to ensure information security management meets international standards. These certifications support compliance with PIPEDA and provincial privacy laws for Canadian background checks.
Can I screen candidates in both Canada and the US from the same platform?
Yes. Turn's platform supports background checks in both Canada and the United States, as well as 200+ other countries. From a single dashboard. You can run CPIC checks for Canadian candidates and SSN traces, county criminal searches, and MVR checks for US candidates without switching platforms. Turn handles the compliance requirements for each jurisdiction automatically.