What is a Criminal Record Check (CRC)?
The Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) requires every registered Physical Therapist to undergo a criminal record check (CRC) at the time of initial registration and at least once every five years thereafter or when a registrant has been charged and/or convicted of an offence.
The College facilitates this requirement by collecting your Consent to Criminal Record Check(s), which provides your consent to all required CRCs, both current and future. The College then submits your information for processing by the Criminal Records Review Program (CRRP) of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
For this reason, it is important that your home address and email in your CPTBC profile are current as this information is submitted to the CRRP.
Beginning in 2019, your annual registration fee includes the cost (excluding fingerprinting) of regular CRCs while you are a CPTBC registrant.
CRC FAQs
I had my criminal record check (CRC) done through the police station or done by an employer. Can I send those results to the College?
No. In accordance with the rules, we can only accept a copy of CRC results forwarded directly by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General / Criminal Record Review Program. The CRC completed by the CRRP is more comprehensive than the one completed at a local police station.
I was notified that I must do fingerprinting. Why do I have to do fingerprinting?
The requirement for fingerprinting and the query parameters for determining who is required are determined by the CRRP. Not everyone requires fingerprinting. Individuals who have either the same name and/or date of birth and gender combination as a known convicted offender may be asked to provide fingerprints to verify their identity and to eliminate the possibility of an offender changing their name to circumvent a criminal record. The fingerprinting process is a secondary process administered by local municipalities and federal or local enforcement agencies. The fees must be paid locally.
If your fingerprints are required, you will receive correspondence directly from the CRRP containing a set of instructions. If your fingerprints are required, it is important that you attend to this requirement as soon as possible . Failure to do so means that you are not fully consenting to a CRC, which will result in further action by the College.
How do I submit my fingerprints?
Please refer to: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/crime-prevention/criminal-record-check/fingerprinting
I am outside of BC, how can I do fingerprinting?
Please refer to: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/crime-prevention/criminal-record-check/fingerprinting
How long does it take for my CRC clearance?
If there are no relevant criminal records, CPTBC is informed within 2-6 weeks after the consent is submitted to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. If there is a possible record and fingerprints are required, it may be six months or more before the outcome is known.
What happens if I am charged with an offence or convicted?
By law, it is your responsibility to inform the College (registration@cptbc.org) promptly if you are charged with or convicted of a relevant offence or a specified offence. You can’t wait until the next registration renewal.
This obligation comes, in part, from the CRRA, which helps protect children and vulnerable adults from physical, sexual or financial abuse. Under the Act, convictions include “conditional discharges,” “alternative measures” and “peace bonds” ordered under sections 717 and 810 of the Criminal Code.
Questions About the Criminal Record Check Process?
For more information about Criminal Record Checks, visit the Criminal Records Review Program website . For questions about the College’s Criminal Record Check process, contact the College at registration@cptbc.org.
