For businesses

Accreditation of private fingerprinting companies

Private agencies must be accredited by the RCMP's Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS) in order to provide fingerprinting services to the public.

Accreditation assesses the security and administrative operations of a private fingerprinting company (i.e. HR site and IT security). This must be done before a company can submit electronic civil fingerprint transactions for criminal record verification against the National Repository of Criminal Records.

As part of the accreditation process, an agency can apply to be either:

A direct connect company. A private fingerprinting company who submits electronic civil fingerprints through a network connected directly to the RCMP. Once accredited, they may grant affiliate companies the ability to submit fingerprints electronically through their network connection to the RCMP; or

An affiliate company. A private fingerprinting company who submits electronic civil fingerprints through a Direct Connect Agency's server. An affiliate company does not have a direct connection to the RCMP.

The accreditation process

The accreditation process includes, but is not limited to, the following requirements:

  • Personnel security screening for the Company Security Officer (CSO), and Alternate Company Security Officer (ACSO).
  • Physical site and IT security inspections for data safeguarding purposes, and to ensure security standards are met.
  • Successfully pass agency certification.

Agency certification

The certification process is one of the last steps that must be followed before private fingerprinting companies can be accredited and granted access to the Real Time Identification (RTID) system.

Certification assesses a private fingerprinting company's devices, systems and network connection. This is done to ensure they meet the proper requirements for connecting to the Real Time Identification (RTID) system. Among other requirements, the certification process ensures that the company's device is:

  • Properly installed, integrated and configured at the agency site;
  • Capable of electronically exchanging National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) compliant transactions; and
  • An RCMP certified device manufactured by a certified vendor.

For accreditation, a private fingerprinting company must have a means of submitting fingerprints electronically. Private agencies providing electronic fingerprint services to the public must use RCMP certified vendor devices.

Certified vendors

Certified vendors have designed Electronic Fingerprint Capture Device (EFCD) systems that meet the National Police Services – National Institute of Standards and Technology – Interface Control Document (NPS-NIST-ICD) certification requirements for interfacing with the RCMP RTID system for civil purposes.

An EFCD system is used to electronically capture biographic, demographic and biometric images (fingerprints, palm prints, photo) to submit as a transaction to the RCMP RTID system. There are two types of EFCD system supported by the RCMP:

  • Livescan
    An EFCD system utilizing a scanner block and camera to capture a subject's biometric images.
    • Scanner block: A fingerprint capture device that captures fingerprints or palm prints directly from a subject's hands.
  • Cardscan
    An EFCD system utilizing a flatbed scanner to capture a subject's biometric images.
    • Flatbed scanner: A fingerprint capture device that captures previously inked fingerprint or palm print impressions on white paper substrate (fingerprint card) from a subject's hands.

To review a list of certified vendors, please email CCRTIS-SCICTR@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

Information about security inspections

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS) Accreditation Program is responsible for accrediting private fingerprinting companies. Accreditation ensures that the necessary security controls, safeguards and measures have been put in place prior to authorizing each private fingerprinting company business location to connect to the RCMP network.

The CCRTIS Accreditation Program will be outsourcing security inspections to the private sector. CCRTIS has established mandatory requirements for private security companies in order to qualify to perform physical site and information technology (IT) security inspections for accreditation purposes.

The private fingerprinting company is responsible for all costs associated to contracting private security companies to complete the required physical site and IT security inspections. These costs will be negotiated between the private fingerprinting company and the private security company.

Private security companies are responsible for all costs associated with meeting the requirements and maintaining approval to perform physical site and IT security inspections for accreditation purposes.

Private security companies interested in obtaining additional information with respect to the application and approval process, may forward an email to CCRTIS-SCICTR@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

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