High Risk Child Sex Offender Database Regulations

Summary#

These final rules, the High Risk Child Sex Offender Database Regulations, set clear time limits for how the public database is reviewed and how requests to remove someone’s information are decided under the High Risk Child Sex Offender Database Act. The rules require the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to decide removal requests within 30 days and to review the database by December 31, 2026 and then at least once every calendar year. The regulations came into force on September 25, 2026.

What it does#

• Defines that “Act” means the High Risk Child Sex Offender Database Act for the regulations.
• Requires the RCMP Commissioner to decide applications to remove a person’s information from the public database within 30 days of receiving the application; if no decision is made within that period, the application is treated as not having been granted.
• Requires the RCMP Commissioner to review the entries in the database by December 31, 2026 (the calendar year the regulations came into force) and then at least once every calendar year after that.
• States the regulations took effect on the day they were registered: September 25, 2026.

Who's affected#

• People whose information is listed on the High Risk Child Sex Offender Database — that is, people previously found guilty of sexual offences against children who are judged to pose a high risk.
• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which runs and reviews the database.
• Police services and other public authorities that provide the information the database publishes.
• Provinces and territories (they were consulted about the timelines; Alberta recommended annual reviews).
• Members of the public who use the database to find information about high-risk offenders.

Why it matters#

• Sets a fixed deadline (30 days) for removal decisions, so people who apply know how long they will wait and when a request will be treated as denied.
• Requires at least an annual review of the database, which aims to keep the public information more current and accurate.
• Makes the timeline part of law rather than internal RCMP guidance, so changes to these timelines would require a formal regulatory process.
• Balances ongoing public safety and community awareness against the interests of people listed on the database (privacy and the chance to have information removed).