I just started volunteering at the hospital nearby where I live, and needed a criminal record check before they would let me start, including checking to see if there are any issues with me working with children or “vulnerable” adults (my particular volunteer position is highly unlikely to expose me to either, but I think they check all volunteers at the hospital the same way so that they don’t need to do anything more if they change volunteer positions).
All that got me wondering. The criminal code in Canada is federal, so if I had a criminal record (I don’t) it would of necessity be nation-wide. However, you guys have both federal and state criminal law. How do criminal record checks work down there? Are the criminal records in all states automatically checked whenever one is done? If I commit a felony in California and voluntarily have a record check done in West Virginia (for example) will the felony automatically pop up?
If it matters, I am mostly interested in record checks that I voluntarily (more or less) have done, as opposed to the police arresting me and then seeing what other naughtiness I have been up to.