The short answer: In practice, yes, for the convictions it covers. The RCMP says that once the Parole Board of Canada orders a record suspension (pardon), your criminal record is kept separate and apart from other criminal records in the national repository. That repository is what police reach through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC). But a pardon doesn't cover everything: charges that didn't end in a conviction, local police files, and anything the U.S. already saw before your pardon can still matter.
Updated October 28, 2026 · General information, not legal advice
What is CPIC, and what does it hold?
According to the RCMP, CPIC gives authorized users access to criminal record information from the National Repository of Criminal Records, including:
- your biographical information;
- criminal charges;
- court decisions.
The RCMP also says it shares this information with foreign authorities, who may save it.
Why it matters: CPIC is the system behind most police record checks in Canada, and it's part of what U.S. border officers can see.
What a pardon does to your CPIC record
When a record suspension is ordered, the RCMP says the record is kept separate and apart from other criminal records in the national repository. It's no longer part of the active records that standard checks search.
For most people, that means a standard criminal record check for a job, a lease or volunteering no longer turns up the suspended conviction.
One important exception: a vulnerable sector check, used for roles working with children or vulnerable people, can still find suspended records for certain sexual offences listed in Schedule 2 of the Criminal Records Act. Those can be released only if the Minister of Public Safety approves.
Why it matters: if you're applying for work with children or vulnerable people, the answer can be different. More detail in does a pardon show up on a background check?
What a pardon doesn't touch
A pardon deals with convictions. It doesn't deal with:
- Non-conviction records. Withdrawn, stayed or dismissed charges are a separate category. The RCMP says you ask the police service that laid the charge to destroy that information. See expungement in Canada: getting withdrawn or stayed charges off your police record.
- Local police files and police databanks. The RCMP describes local police records and the CPIC intelligence and investigative databanks as separate from the criminal record itself. Vulnerable sector checks search them.
- What another country already has. The RCMP notes that if the U.S. accessed your active record before your pardon, it may have documented it.
That's why many people pair a pardon with a Canadian expungement of related police records.
What about the U.S. border?
The RCMP says Canada and the U.S. have an information-sharing agreement, and that U.S. law enforcement and border agencies have limited access to active records in the national repository through CPIC.
It also says other countries, including the U.S., may not recognize a Canadian record suspension. You may be asked for a copy of your suspended record, and U.S. officers may ask about convictions they already documented.
So there are two routes:
- Never been refused at the U.S. border? A pardon plus a Canadian expungement may be the route to look at, since it deals with what's active in CPIC.
- Refused before, or facing a lifetime bar? A U.S. entry waiver is usually the route, because your record may already be on file with U.S. authorities.
Compare both in pardon vs. U.S. entry waiver: which one do you need?
Why it matters: the order you do things in matters. A pardon before anyone at the border has seen your record keeps more options open.
Three situations (examples only)
- Dan, one theft conviction from 2012, never travelled. A pardon may take that conviction out of the active records most checks see.
- Sandra, a pardoned conviction and an old withdrawn charge. The pardon covers the conviction. The withdrawn charge needs a separate request to the police service that laid it.
- Luc, pardoned last year, but refused at the border back in 2019. His record was likely seen before the pardon. A U.S. waiver is usually still needed to travel.
Quick FAQ
Does a pardon delete my record?
Not exactly. The RCMP says the record is kept separate and apart from other criminal records. It isn't destroyed, but it's no longer in the active records standard checks search.
Can U.S. border officers see a pardoned record?
The RCMP says U.S. agencies have limited access to active records through CPIC. A suspended record is kept apart from active records. But if the U.S. saw your record before the pardon, it may have kept a note of it.
Will a pardon show up on a vulnerable sector check?
It can for certain sexual offences listed in Schedule 2 of the Criminal Records Act, and only with the Minister of Public Safety's approval.
Does a pardon remove withdrawn charges too?
No. Withdrawn, stayed or dismissed charges are non-conviction records. You ask the police service that laid the charge to destroy them.
How long do I have to wait to apply for a pardon?
For offences on or after March 13, 2012, 5 years for summary convictions and 10 years for indictable ones, after your whole sentence is complete. Older convictions may have shorter waits. See how long does a pardon take in Canada?
Should I get my fingerprints done now?
No. Wait until you've registered. You'll then know exactly which check you need and how to label it.
Find out where you stand
Whether you need a pardon, an expungement, or both depends on what's on file and where.
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Record Support Canada is an independent educational and referral resource. It is not affiliated with any government. This article is general information, not legal advice, and no outcome, timeline or approval is guaranteed.
Sources
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Managing criminal records (CPIC access, travelling with a record suspension, non-conviction information)
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Police dissemination of criminal record information policy (record suspension, vulnerable sector checks)
- Parole Board of Canada: What is a record suspension?
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