What do I do if I need electronic fingerprints for a federal government contract security screening?
Many employees of private sector companies in Canada are now required to undergo security screenings including mandatory electronic fingerprints because their company is participating in contracts for the Government of Canada or foreign governments. Security screening is important so that the Government of Canada can be sure that sensitive information like military plans or financial records of Canadian citizens is protected.
What is the Contract Security Program?
The Contract Security Program is a program operated by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), an office of the Canadian Federal Government. This is the government organization that processes most security screenings for private sector contractors, regardless of the Department that the contract is with. Other federal ministries and departments may process security screenings for contractors as well, in which case your electronic fingerprint results will have to go to them, instead.
What does the Security Screening Involve?
As part of this screening, you will be required to submit a number of forms. You will also be required to obtain a Certified Criminal Record Check conducted through the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS). CCRTIS is a division of the RCMP that processes fingerprint submissions and conducts criminal record checks.
How do I obtain a Certified Criminal Record Check?
You will need to go in person to an RCMP-accredited third-party fingerprint agency to obtain the certified criminal record check. This involves having a set of electronic fingerprints taken and submitted digitally to the RCMP using CCRTIS.
You must provide two pieces of valid government-issued identification such as a passport or driver’s license. Please note that Ontario Health Cards and Social Insurance Cards are not acceptable forms of identification.
Your employer will provide you with a form called the “Fingerprints applicant request form – Contract Security Program”. You need to present this form to the fingerprinting agency which will fill out a confirmation number called a Document Control Number (DCN) on this form once your fingerprints have been submitted to the RCMP. This DCN may also be provided to you on a receipt printed by the fingerprinting agency. Your employer will need this DCN number to process your security clearance.
If your security screening is being processed by another government department, be sure to provide all instructions to the fingerprint technician. This will normally include the specific name of the department and/or its “ORI” number, so the technician can ensure the results will go to the right place. Keep in mind that the Government office signing the contract is usually not the same office that processes the security screening.
How Can Red Seal Notary help?
Red Seal Notary is accredited by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and has been providing fingerprinting services since 2010.
Our professional and trained staff can take your digital fingerprints and submit them to the RCMP using the CCRTIS system. For more information, see our fingerprint page or contact us at 1-888-922-7325.
Hello, I am requesting for my
document control number please.
I had my finger prints done in July
2020.
My info
Jason Leduc
[***********]
[***********]
[personal information excised]
Dear Jason,
Thank you for your comment and for your interest in our website.
RCMP privacy rules prohibit us from providing information in a public forum such as a website.
If you did not receive a printout or email after your appointment with your DCN number, please contact our customer service line.
I hope this information is of some assistance.
Help,how can I track the status of my
application. I emailed RCMP but so far no
reply.
Thank you
Hello Catherine,
Thank you for your comment and for your interest in our website.
If you have done fingerprints for a Federal Security Screening, your fingerprint results go electronically from the RCMP to the Federal Department processing the screening (usually the Contract Security Program at PSPC). They do not inform you or your employer when that happens. Generally, your employer will be contacted with the results only when PSPC has completed their entire process, of which the fingerprints are only a part. You can try emailing the RCMP once it has past their standard processing times, but they can only tell you when they sent their results to PSPC, not when PSPC will complete the screening.
As a practical matter, the best thing you can do to avoid delays is to verify that your employer gave the correct DCN number to PSPC in their paperwork. You should have received your DCN number on a printout at our office when you did your fingerprints, and/or in an automated email from the system soon thereafter.
I hope this information is of some assistance.