Fingerprinting in Richmond Hill — RCMP-Accredited Digital Fingerprints

If your employer, a licensing body, or an immigration authority has asked you to get fingerprinted, you're in the right place. Canadian Fingerprint Agency is located at 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 705, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3H7 — get directions. Free onsite parking is available, and walk-ins are welcome Monday to Friday, 10:30 am to 6:00 pm.

Call us at (905) 771-8890. Chinese-language callers can reach us at (905) 771-8606.

Book your appointment online — real-time availability, confirmed instantly.

Why fingerprints instead of a name-based check?

A name-based check compares your name and date of birth against police records. If anything comes back as a possible match, even if it has nothing to do with you, the result is inconclusive and you get directed to a fingerprint based background check. A certified fingerprint-based check request goes directly to the RCMP's Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services and is the only mechanism that returns a definitive result. Most employers, licensing bodies, and immigration authorities require it for exactly that reason. If you do need a name-based check, we can help with that as well. 

What we do

Canadian Fingerprint Agency has been accredited by the RCMP to collect digital fingerprints in support of Canadian criminal background checks. We collect your prints digitally using top-of-the-line equipment and RCMP-certified software, then submit them electronically to the RCMP on your behalf. The RCMP conducts the search and issues the result; we handle the collection and submission so it reaches them correctly the first time.

We provide fingerprinting for:

• Canadian citizenship applications
• Permanent residence (PR) applications
• Federal security clearance (DCN)
• Employment background checks
• Professional licensing
• Volunteering
• Record suspension (formerly known as pardons)
• Controlled Goods Program
• Foreign police certificates and more

Results for all in-office appointments are returned by Canada Post directly to you or to the address specified on your application.

What to bring

• Two pieces of valid government-issued ID. Your primary ID must include a photo (driver's license, passport). Your secondary does not need a photo.
• Any letter or form you received from your employer, licensing body, or immigration authority. This tells us exactly which application type to submit. A wrong selection is the most common reason an application has to be redone, and any documentation you received may help us correctly identify your needs.

Applicants with worn or difficult fingerprints

Ridge detail can be reduced by age, scarring, burns, or years of hands-on work. This is more common than most people expect, and it is rarely the end of the road. We take extra care with applicants who have this concern, including making the maximum number of resubmission attempts permitted. If those are exhausted, we initiate an RCMP manual review using inked prints. Most cases are resolved.

How long does it take?

The RCMP publishes a target of three business days or less for applications where there is no match to a criminal record. That covers the RCMP's search only. Once the result is ready, it is printed, signed, stamped, and sent by Canada Post — add roughly four to seven days for that. A realistic expectation for a clean check is 7 to 10 days from your appointment to your mailbox, if not sooner. If your record requires manual processing, the RCMP's published window extends to up to 120 business days.

If you have a hard deadline, book as early as you can. We cannot control RCMP processing times, but we can make sure your submission is correct and complete so nothing delays it on your end.

Fees

In-person fingerprinting is $55 plus tax. Some applications also carry a federal processing fee set by the RCMP and passed through to them directly, this is separate from our fee. The federal fee is waived for a limited set of purposes, including Canadian citizenship, immigration to Canada, federal government employment requested by a departmental security officer, applying to join a Canadian police force, Privacy Act personal-use requests, and volunteer work supported by a qualifying letter from the organization.

If you are outside Canada and need fingerprints for a Canadian application, ask us about our remote package.

A note on immigration biometrics

IRCC biometrics — collected at a designated Service Canada or IRCC location as part of a visa or immigration application — are a separate process that fingerprinting agencies do not perform. If you have been asked for biometrics by IRCC, that appointment is booked through IRCC directly. If you have been asked for a criminal record check as part of your immigration file, that is what we do.

Serving Richmond Hill and the surrounding area

We are located in the heart of Richmond Hill at 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 705 — easily reached from Thornhill, Markham, Vaughan, and North York. Free parking is available on site. Walk-ins are welcome, and online booking takes less than two minutes.

Book your fingerprinting appointment in Richmond Hill or call (905) 771-8890. Chinese-language inquiries: (905) 771-8606.