How to Get a Police Check Online in Ontario

Almost any gig that sends you into someone's building, or hands you their belongings, asks for a police check first. Delivery, dog walking, cleaning, home care: the step is the same. At Duffloo, every Washer Hero needs one before they take a single order, because Heroes collect bags from people's doors and take their clothes home to wash.

The good news is that in Ontario you no longer have to line up at a police station. This guide explains which check you need, the two usual ways to get one, what each costs and how long it takes, and what to do if you're worried about something on your record.

Why we ask for one at all

Think about it from the customer's side. They're handing a stranger a bag with their work shirts, their kids' clothes, sometimes their bedding, and in a condo they may be telling the concierge to let that person collect it. A police check is one of the ways we can tell them, honestly, that the person on the other end has been screened.

It protects Heroes too. When every Hero has been checked, customers trust the service, and that trust is what keeps orders coming to the people doing the work.

The three kinds of police check in Ontario

Ontario's police record check law sets out three levels. Knowing the difference saves you from paying for the wrong one.

1. Criminal record check. The most basic level. It looks for criminal convictions.
2. Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check. A step up. Besides convictions, it can include things like outstanding charges and certain court orders. Many employers and platforms ask for this one.
3. Vulnerable sector check. The most detailed, and the slowest. It's only for roles working with children or other vulnerable people, and you need a request from the organization to apply.

For Duffloo, you need a satisfactory criminal record check or police clearance, such as a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check. You do not need a vulnerable sector check.

Option 1: online through Certn

Certn is Duffloo's screening partner and the route most Washer Heroes take. The whole thing happens on your phone or laptop.

• What you get: an enhanced criminal record check plus identity verification
• Cost: CA$34.98, paid directly to Certn
• Timing: the identity check takes under a minute, and results usually come back within days
• Where you start: the police clearance step in Duffloo's onboarding, once we tell you to begin

How it goes:

1. Open the police clearance step in the Duffloo onboarding.
2. Follow the link to Certn and enter your details.
3. Verify your identity online, following Certn's prompts.
4. Pay Certn and submit.
5. Come back to the onboarding step. Because the check runs through our partner, we see the result as soon as it's ready.

Option 2: your local police service

You can also get a check from the police service where you live, then upload it.

• Cost: Toronto Police Service charges about $26.72. Other police services set their own fees, and the price is different from the Certn check above.
• Timing: Toronto Police estimates 5 to 10 business days.
• How: apply through your police service's website, confirm your identity the way they ask, pay any fee, and upload the certificate in Duffloo's onboarding when it arrives.

If you live in Concord, your local service is York Regional Police, not Toronto Police.

Side by side

	Certn (online)	Toronto Police Service
Cost	CA$34.98	About $26.72
Usual time	Days	5 to 10 business days
Identity check	Online, under a minute	As the police service asks
How the result reaches us	Directly, through the partner link	You upload the certificate
Best for	Getting started quickly	Saving a few dollars if you can wait

When to start your check

Wait for us to tell you. The order matters:

1. You apply (about 10 minutes).
2. We confirm your address is inside our service area.
3. Then we ask you to start the police check.

That way you never pay for a check before we know we can work with you. If you buy one early and it turns out your street is outside our area, that money is gone, which is exactly what this sequence prevents.

Once your check is in, training and the rest of setup move quickly: We review your address within 1 business day, then walk you through your police clearance and training — most Heroes are taking orders within 3 to 5 days.

What if there's something on my record?

Please don't guess, and don't pay for a check to find out. Email support@duffloo.com first and tell us what you're unsure about. What matters to us is whether we can safely send you to customers' homes, and we'd rather have that conversation before you spend anything.

A few practical points:

• Be accurate on your application. A mismatch between what you tell us and what the check shows causes more trouble than the record itself.
• Duffloo can ask for an updated check later on, so keep a copy of yours.

Tips that make it smoother

• Use your legal name. It has to match your ID and your Duffloo profile.
• Have your ID ready before you start, and your recent addresses in case you're asked for them.
• Good light helps with the online identity step. A blurry photo of your licence is an easy way to get asked to try again.
• Watch your inbox, including the spam folder, while the check is running.

Questions people ask

Does Duffloo pay for the check? No. You arrange and pay for it yourself, either to Certn or to your police service.

Can I use a check I already have? If it's a recent criminal record check or Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, email support with the details and we'll tell you whether it can be accepted.

How long is a check valid? Duffloo can ask for an updated one, so don't assume one check lasts forever.

Do I need fingerprints? Usually not. Fingerprinting generally only comes up when a name-based search can't confirm whether a record belongs to you.

The rest of the setup

The police check is one of a handful of steps. You'll also register for GST/HST, which is free and mostly online, and complete 7 short training modules. If you're still deciding whether this work is for you, what Washer Hero work is really like is a good place to start.

When you're ready, the Washer Hero application is a 10-minute job, and the police check comes a little later.