Fingerprinting

General:

The Forensic Identification Branch provides fingerprinting service for the purposes of:

• adoptions
• foreign travel (including U.S. waiver applications)
• employment
• applications for immigration, permanent residency, or citizenship
• application for a pardon from a criminal record
• volunteer work
• name change
• permanent residency in foreign countries
• criminal record checks and vulnerable sector screening

Electronic submission to the RCMP is now available for most purposes.  Ink fingerprinting is still available for the FBI (or other countries), but the fingerprint form must be provided by the person requiring the fingerprints.
 

Booking an Appointment:
Fingerprinting services are provided Monday to Friday 8:15am to 3:30pm by appointment only.  The service is provided at our Headquarters, located at 200 Maple Grove Road in Cambridge. Persons can book an appointment by contacting one of the following numbers:

• Central Division Front Desk – ext. 4497
• South Division Front Desk – ext. 2299
• North Division Front Desk – ext. 3397
• Headquarters Front Desk – ext. 8890
• Identification Branch– ext. 8525 ( 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday )

Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment to process your paperwork and payment. If you are late, we may not be able to accommodate you. Due to the large volume of requests, appointments are booked every 15 minutes and we must keep them on schedule.  If you are unable to keep your appointment please call (519) 650-8500 ext 8891.
 

Requirements:
Payment is due at the time of fingerprinting (cash or debit only). Please see the fee schedule for details.

There is an administrative fee of $30 per individual copy, or $50 per family for one copy at the same visit (family is defined as spouse, married or common law, and children).  The fee for optional electronic submission of fingerprints is an additional $25 for non-volunteers which will be collected at the time of your fingerprint appointment. For volunteers with a letter from an agency, electronic submission is free.

Once you arrive at Headquarters, you MUST check in at the Front Desk to ensure your paperwork is in order and all applicable fees are paid. If you do not check in at the Front Desk prior to your fingerprint appointment, the technician will not be able to take your fingerprints. Be sure to have appropriate identification ready to present when you check in.

Fingerprinting services are provided to citizens living and/or working in the Region of Waterloo. If an individual does not live in the Region but requires fingerprinting for their employer who is located here, they must attend the appointment with a letter from the employer. Individuals are required to show identification at the time of processing confirming residence within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.
 

Additional Information:
If you have been requested to submit fingerprints, more information can be obtained by linking to Why Do I Need to Submit Fingerprints?

For more information on fingerprinting please contact the Identification Branch by hone at (519) 653-7700 ext 8525 or by email at identificationbranch@wrps.on.ca

For information regarding the RCMP processing time, fee and mailing instructions can be obtained by linking to the Canadian Criminal Records Information Services