If you're looking into clearing your criminal record in Canada, the first question is usually: how much is this going to cost me? The answer depends on whether you do it yourself, use an online tool, or hire a pardon company.

Here's the honest breakdown.

Government Fees (You Pay These No Matter What)

These are the fixed costs set by the government. Everyone pays them, whether you're applying on your own or through a company.

Fingerprinting: ~$65 — You need to get fingerprinted at an RCMP-accredited location. This is required to obtain your criminal record. Prices vary slightly by location, but most charge between $55 and $85. Ask for electronic submission — it's faster.

RCMP Criminal Record: Free — The RCMP doesn't charge a separate fee for issuing your criminal record. The cost is included in your fingerprinting fee. Your record arrives by mail in 2-4 weeks (electronic) or 6-8 weeks (paper).

Court Documents: ~$80 per courthouse — You need a certified copy of your conviction from each courthouse where you were convicted. If you were convicted in two different cities, that's two separate requests and two fees. Some courthouses charge as little as $40, others up to $120. Ontario courthouses typically charge around $80.

Police Records Checks: ~$50 each — You need a local police records check from every jurisdiction where you've lived in the past 5 years (or 10 years for indictable offences). Most police services charge between $30 and $65. Some offer free or reduced-fee checks for record suspension purposes.

PBC Processing Fee: $50 — The Parole Board of Canada charges a flat $50 to process your application. Payable by certified cheque, money order, or credit card (using a separate payment form).

Total Government Cost: $250 to $600

For a typical applicant with 1-2 courthouses and 1-2 police checks, expect to pay between $250 and $400 in total government fees. If you have convictions in multiple cities or moved frequently, costs could reach $500-$600.

Here's what a typical case looks like:

Fingerprinting ($65) + 2 court documents ($160) + 2 police checks ($100) + PBC fee ($50) = $375 total

My own case was on the higher end — three courthouses (Toronto, Oshawa, Newmarket) and police checks for multiple jurisdictions. Came out to about $500 in government fees total. Still a fraction of what the pardon companies wanted.

What Pardon Companies Charge

Pardon service companies — sometimes called "pardon agencies" or "record suspension services" — handle the paperwork for you. Their fees range widely:

Budget companies: $800 – $1,200 — These typically offer basic form-filling and submission. You may still need to gather some documents yourself. Customer service can be limited.

Mid-range companies: $1,500 – $2,500 — These handle most of the process, including document requests and form completion. Some offer payment plans.

Premium companies: $2,500 – $4,000+ — Full-service, including statement writing, document gathering, and ongoing support. Some charge extra for "rush" processing, which is misleading — they can't speed up the PBC's review time.

These fees are on top of the government fees. So a "mid-range" company charging $1,800 plus $400 in government fees means you're paying $2,200 total.

What Are You Actually Paying For?

When you hire a pardon company, you're paying for someone to:

Fill out government forms with your information. Write or help write your measurable benefit statement. Request court documents and police checks on your behalf. Mail your application to the PBC. Answer questions along the way.

None of this requires legal expertise. The record suspension process is administrative — no court appearances, no hearings, no legal arguments. The forms are standardized, the addresses are public, and the PBC publishes clear instructions.

Here's the thing that bothered me: I called three pardon companies when I was first looking into this. All three quoted me over $1,500. One wanted $3,200. When I asked what exactly I was paying for, the answer was basically "we fill out the forms and mail them." That's when I decided to figure it out myself — and eventually build a tool so other people didn't have to.

The DIY Approach

Doing it entirely yourself costs only the government fees ($250-$600). The tradeoff is time and effort: you need to research the process, figure out which forms to fill out, write your own statement, and make sure nothing is missing.

The biggest risk with DIY is making mistakes that get your application returned. The PBC rejects a significant number of applications for errors like missing fields, dates that don't match court documents, expired records, or unpaid fines. Each rejection can delay your record suspension by months.

The Middle Ground: Guided Self-Service

A newer option is guided self-service tools that help you through the process step by step. These typically cost a fraction of what pardon companies charge while eliminating most of the guesswork.

My Pardon, for example, uses AI to scan your RCMP record, automatically determines your eligibility, pre-fills all six government forms, and walks you through writing your statement. The cost starts at $299 — significantly less than a pardon company, with the same outcome.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

Expired documents. Your RCMP record expires 6 months from the date it's issued. If you wait too long to gather your other documents, you may need to get re-fingerprinted ($65 again). Time your process carefully.

Victim surcharges. Many people don't realize they still owe a victim surcharge from their conviction. The waiting period doesn't start until all financial obligations are paid. Contact each courthouse to confirm your account balance is zero before applying.

"Rush" fees. Some pardon companies charge extra for "expedited" or "rush" processing. Be cautious — they can speed up the document-gathering phase, but nobody can speed up the PBC's 6-12 month review period. If a company promises faster PBC processing, they're being misleading.

Registered mail. The PBC recommends sending your application by registered or tracked mail. This costs about $15-$20 at Canada Post but gives you proof of delivery — worth it for an application package that took months to prepare.

Is It Worth the Money?

Consider what a criminal record costs you every year. Missed job opportunities, higher insurance rates, housing applications denied, volunteer positions you can't take, travel restrictions. For many people, the $300-$600 cost of a record suspension pays for itself within months through better employment alone.

A 2018 study found that individuals who obtained a record suspension saw an average income increase of 11% within the first year. Over a working lifetime, that compounds significantly.

The bottom line: the government fees are unavoidable, and they're reasonable. The question is how much extra you want to pay for help navigating the process. For most people, a guided self-service tool offers the best balance of cost and convenience.