How to Obtain Police Records for a Pardon from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ)

Applying for a Record Suspension (commonly known as a pardon) is a crucial step towards finding better employment and travelling without stress. In Canada, criminal law is entirely federal. Even though Quebec uses the Civil Code for private matters, criminal records fall under the federal Criminal Records Act. This means the rules set by the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) apply to you exactly as they would anywhere else in the country.

One of the mandatory steps in this federal process is proving that you have maintained good conduct in your community for the past 5 or 10 years since completing your sentence. 👮 To prove this, you must obtain a Local Police Records Check. If you reside in a town or region of Quebec that does not have its own municipal police force, your local police agency is the Sûreté du Québec (SQ). In this guide, we will explain how to request this vital document from the SQ.

Step-by-Step Process in Quebec

Navigating the administrative steps with the Sûreté du Québec requires patience and exact paperwork. Here is how you can ensure your Local Police Records Check is completed accurately.

Step 1: Wait for Your RCMP Criminal Record

You cannot start the Local Police Records Check until you have received your official RCMP criminal record, which requires you to submit fingerprints. Note that the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) does not perform electronic fingerprint scanning or digital civil submissions directly at their local detachments. To get your fingerprints taken for the RCMP record, you must contact an RCMP-accredited private fingerprinting agency (such as Securi-Check). The SQ will need to see your official physical RCMP record to cross-reference their provincial databases before processing your local check.

Step 2: Locate Your Local SQ Detachment

You must apply at the police station that holds jurisdiction over the city or town where you currently live. If you live in Montreal, you will use the SPVM. But if you live in a regional area like Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, or smaller municipalities, you will likely go to the local poste de la Sûreté du Québec. You can use the SQ website to find the exact address of your regional detachment.

Step 3: Submit the Local Police Records Check Form

Download the official Local Police Records Check form from the Parole Board of Canada website. Fill in your personal information on the top section. Bring this form, your RCMP record, and two pieces of valid government-issued ID (such as your Quebec driver’s licence or RAMQ health card) to the SQ detachment. 🔍 The officers will search their local databases to ensure you have not had any recent police interactions that did not show up on the federal RCMP database.

Step 4: Receive the Finalized Document

Once the SQ has completed their search, an authorized officer will fill out the bottom section of the form, sign it, and stamp it. They will return the document to you. It is incredibly important that you do not write on or alter this section. Place the original, stamped form directly into your master Record Suspension application package to be sent to the PBC in Ottawa.

How Much Does it Cost in Quebec?

While the federal application fee to the Parole Board of Canada is uniform across the country, local police forces charge their own administrative fees for records checks. Here are the estimated costs you may face.

How Long Does the Process Take?

Police stations are often busy, and administrative tasks like pardon checks are placed in a queue. ⏳ Generally, it takes the Sûreté du Québec between 2 to 4 weeks to process your Local Police Records Check. If you have lived in multiple cities policed by different detachments within the last 5 years, you must get a check from every single jurisdiction, which could significantly delay your application timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Author: lawyerinfo.ca