Criminal record check FAQ

Review frequently asked questions below about Douglas College criminal record checks.

As per the Criminal Records Review Act, students who will work with children or vulnerable adults need to complete a Criminal Record Check (CRC). However, before completing a CRC, please ensure you have received an offer letter stating a CRC is required for the program you plan on attending.

If you are unsure you need to complete a CRC, check with your Admissions Advisor, whose name and signature are on your offer letter. A CRC may also be required for some Continuing Education or credit courses.

If you will be working with children or vulnerable adults through Douglas College programs and have not been requested to complete a CRC, please contact dc_crc@douglascollege.ca. 

The cost of running a CRC is $28 and the fee is non-refundable. A CRC requested using the Douglas College access code is the property of Douglas College.

  1. Go to the criminal record check page on the B.C. government website
  2. Enter the Douglas College access code, PW7Z8SWPNB, and click "Continue".
    Important: Do not use the back button on your browser
  3. Review the checklist and click "Start".
  4. Confirm Douglas College is listed as the Requesting Organization, write in "Student" under Job Title, and click “Next”. Important: Do not change any other information on this page. 
  5. Read and accept the Terms of Use,  then click "Next".
  6. You will then be prompted to either log in with your BC Services Card (preferred), or to continue without logging in.
  7. Please follow all the steps for identity verification through the process you have selected.
  8. Review your information (incorrect information may lead to delays and to a new criminal record check application being required, which will cost an additional $28). and select “Next.”
  9. If the system is able to verify your identity, it will ask you for a $28 credit card payment to process the criminal record check. Enter your credit card information and select “Pay Now.” Print the receipt for your records.
  10. If you did not use a BC Services Card login, we will be asked by the Ministry of Justice to verify your identification. Please send two pieces of ID, one of which must be government-issued photo ID, to dc_crc@douglascollege.ca, or show ID in person at Enrolment Services (A1450 at the Coquitlam Campus, or S2700 at the New Westminster campus).

If you have any questions or you receive an error message, please contact dc_crc@douglascollege.ca. 

You may be receiving this error message for a variety of reasons. Please do NOT mail or fax your form to the Ministry of Justice. Follow the steps below to submit your criminal record check through Douglas College.

  1. Print out the criminal record check form you completed online. Make sure you sign the form on the last page.  
  2. Send the form via email to dc_crc@douglascollege.ca along with two pieces of ID, one of which must be a government-issued picture ID. You will then be provided instructions on how to pay the $28 processing fee.
  3. If you are unable to print the form, please email  dc_crc@douglascollege.ca for an electronic form.

NOTE: If you are under 19 years of age, your parent or guardian must sign the last page on the form as well. 

Please contact us through email if you have difficulty completing these steps.

You can still complete your criminal record check online through the Ministry of Justice website. Please follow the instructions set out under Question 1: How do I complete the criminal record check application through the Ministry of Justice website?

If you have completed a criminal record check through the Ministry of Justice, you may be able to share the result with Douglas College.

Before sharing you should confirm the following: 

  1. The criminal record check result is dated within 12 months from the start of your program.
  2. The criminal record check you are sharing is schedule type B.
  3. The criminal record check you are sharing is for working with CHILDREN and VULNERABLE ADULTS.

Please note: We accept only shared criminal record check results that meet all of the above requirements. Failure to meet these requirements means you must request a new criminal record check through the Ministry of Justice (please see criminal record check FAQ #1).

If the criminal record check result you previously completed meets the above requirements, please follow these steps to share the results with Douglas College:

  1. Go to the criminal record check page on the B.C. government website.
  2. Enter the Douglas College access code, PW7Z8SWPNB, and the characters shown in the image. Select “Share the result of a completed criminal record check.”
    Important: Do not use the back button on your browser
  3. Confirm that Douglas College is displayed on the page and select “Next.” (Note: you cannot change anything on this page, please leave “Role” as “Employee.” It will not affect your CRC sharing).
  4. Select “Yes” to the question on the Consent Information page and select “Next.”
  5. Complete the form. Use “Practicum Student” when asked to provide your Position/Job Title. Select “Next.”
  6. Review your information. Select “Next.”
  7. Answer identity verification questions (based on your Canadian credit history) and select “Next.”
  8. Your request should be processed.

If you receive the message, “The system could not find a completed criminal record check to share”, contact the Ministry of Justice for more information.

Note: We do not accept a paper, emailed or faxed copy of a criminal record check result done for another organization. The criminal record check must be addressed to Douglas College.

Contact us through email if you have difficulty completing these steps.

Douglas College does not complete the Criminal Record Check requests. We receive Criminal Record Check results once they are processed by the Ministry of Justice. The link https://justice.gov.bc.ca/eCRC/ is to the Ministry of Justice online Criminal Record Check application system. We do not have access to information you have submitted online to the Ministry of Justice.

We do not accept criminal record check results from the RCMP or VPD. The Ministry of Justice criminal record check is the only one we can accept.

Yes. The process is similar to sharing your previous criminal record check with Douglas College. The only difference is you need to use the organization’s access code instead of Douglas College’s. If they do not have an access code, you can come to Enrolment Services to request a paper copy of your criminal record check. This can take 2-3 business days to process. It is your responsibility to make sure the organization accepts our criminal record check result.

The $28 is charged by the Ministry of Justice for processing a criminal record search for practicum students. Unfortunately, it cannot be waived.

Contact your Admissions Advisor to let them know as soon as possible.

The questions listed are the most common questions students ask. If you have a specific question that is not addressed above, contact us through email. It will take up to three business days for us to respond.