Criminal record check and re-check process
The Criminal Records Review Act dictates that people who work with or may potentially have unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults must undergo a criminal record check by the Criminal Records Review Program (CRRP). This includes all registrants of the College of Opticians of British Columbia (COBC), as well as other health professionals. A criminal record check must be completed every 5 years.
COBC sends out email reminders to registrants whose criminal record checks are approaching expiry. When you’re contacted to initiate a re-check, be sure to follow the instructions provided to complete your check through the Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General. Please note that a police or RCMP check is not an acceptable substitute. (The same applies for first-time applicants.)
To complete a criminal record check application online:
- Visit the Ministry of Public Safety website at https://justice.gov.bc.ca/criminalrecordcheck
- Enter our Access Code: DG5TSET57V
- Log in using your BC Services Card
(If your BC Services Card is not yet set up for digital use, follow the instructions provided on the website.) - Complete the electronic criminal record check application
- Submit credit card payment of $28
(For assistance with the above process, refer to the Ministry’s step-by-step guide.)
If you do not have a BC Services Card, you will need to submit a manual application. Contact the COBC team at reception@cobc.ca to start the process.
NOTE: If you receive any further instructions from the Criminal Records Review Program after submitting an application for a criminal record check, you must follow these instructions in order to complete the check. This may include fingerprinting. COBC is not involved in the criminal record check process; therefore, any questions regarding the process should be directed to the Ministry at 1-855-587-0185 ext. 2.