A criminal record can affect your employment, housing, travel, and daily life long after you've served your sentence. In Canada, a "record suspension" (formerly called a pardon) can set aside eligible criminal convictions, removing them from the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database.
What is a Record Suspension?
A record suspension doesn't erase your criminal record but seals it so it's not accessible in standard police record checks. It allows you to honestly say you have no criminal record on most job applications, housing applications, and travel forms.
Eligibility
To apply for a record suspension through the Parole Board of Canada, you must:
- Have completed all sentences (jail, probation, fines, restitution)
- Have observed the law since completing your sentence
- Have waited the required period after completing your sentence:
- Summary offences: 5 years
- Indictable offences: 10 years
Ineligible Offences
Some offences cannot be suspended, including: sexual offences involving children, Schedule 1 offences from the Criminal Records Act, and convictions for more than 3 indictable offences each with a 2-year+ sentence.
The Application Process
- Gather police certificates from all jurisdictions where you lived
- Obtain court information from all courts where you were convicted
- Complete the Parole Board application forms
- Pay the application fee ($657.77)
- Submit and wait for processing (typically 6-12 months)