Becoming a Licensed Condo Manager in Ontario - The CRJMC Requirement Under the CMRAO
If you want to manage condominiums in Ontario for pay, you have to be licensed by the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario (CMRAO) first. It's the law under the Condominium Management Services Act, 2015. And one step in that licence application catches people off guard: the criminal record check.
Here's the practical part up front. Every first-time applicant - whether you're going for a Limited Licence or a General Licence - has to submit a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) dated no earlier than six months before you apply. Unlike some Ontario regulators, the CMRAO doesn't lock you into one provider; you obtain the check yourself. That means you can order it online in about 15 minutes through crjmc.net for $54.99 - no appointment, no police-counter queue - and submit it while it's fresh.
This article covers who needs a CRJMC, the Limited versus General licence paths, the six-month rule that trips people up, what the check shows, the cost picture, and what happens at renewal.
What the CMRAO is and why it checks you
The CMRAO is the regulator that administers the Condominium Management Services Act, 2015 on behalf of the province. Condo management was unregulated in Ontario until 2017; the Act introduced mandatory licensing to protect the owners and condo corporations who hand managers control over large reserve funds and sensitive records.
That trust is the whole point of the background check. Before issuing a licence, the CMRAO's Registrar has to form a view on whether each applicant can be trusted with that money and those records. The CRJMC is the standard tool used for that suitability assessment - the "Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check" defined under the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 (PRCRA). It's a step up from a basic Criminal Record Check, but it is not the deeper Vulnerable Sector Check - condo management isn't a vulnerable-sector role.
Limited vs General Licence - which path are you on?
There are two individual licence types, and a CRJMC sits on both.
A Limited Licence is the entry point. It's for people new to the field, and it lets you provide condo management services only under the supervision of a General Licensee, while employed by a licensed condominium management provider. To get one, you complete the mandatory "Excellence in Condominium Management" course - and you submit a CRJMC.
A General Licence is the full licence. You must already hold a Limited Licence and have at least two calendar years of condo-management experience within the previous five years. This application requires its own CRJMC, separate from the one you submitted for your Limited Licence - often years earlier.
There used to be a Transitional General Licence, a legacy category from the 2017-2021 rollout, but it has been phased out. If you're new today, you're on the Limited-then-General path, and you'll submit a CRJMC at each first-time application.
Who has to provide a CRJMC
The check is required at specific moments:
First-time Limited Licence applicants - as part of the application.
First-time General Licence applicants - again, as a separate suitability event.
Reapplicants after a lapse - if your licence expired and you reapply, expect to provide a fresh CRJMC.
On Registrar request - the Registrar can ask for an updated check where a charge, conviction, or complaint raises a suitability question.
One honest clarification about renewals, because it's widely misunderstood. CMRAO licences are renewed annually, and at renewal you generally answer criminal-matters attestation questions - for example, whether in the past 12 months you've been charged or convicted of an offence, including conditional or absolute discharges or stayed charges - rather than automatically resubmitting a full CRJMC. If you answer "yes" to any of them, you'll be asked for an explanation and supporting documentation, which can include a fresh check.
The six-month freshness rule
Timing matters. The CRJMC must be dated no earlier than six months before you submit your licence application. Older than that, and the CMRAO won't accept it.
The CMRAO explicitly lets you request the check before you start the online application, so the smart sequence is: finish your course (for a Limited Licence) or confirm your experience (for a General Licence), then order the CRJMC, then complete the application while the check is still inside the window. Don't pull it nine months ahead "to get it out of the way" - it will simply expire before you file. The sweet spot is to order within the two to four months before you apply.
What's on a CRJMC
A CRJMC shows criminal convictions for which a record suspension hasn't been granted, certain Youth Criminal Justice Act findings within their disclosure limits, absolute and conditional discharges within their windows, and outstanding charges, warrants, peace bonds, probation and prohibition orders, and other current judicial orders.
It does not show most withdrawn or stayed charges, or most non-conviction information - those can appear, in narrow circumstances, only on a Vulnerable Sector Check under the PRCRA.
One thing to keep an eye on: Bill 75 (the Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act, 2025) could, if it becomes law, keep some summarily-prosecuted hybrid offences visible for longer. It isn't law yet, but it's worth tracking if you have an older record.
What it costs
There are two separate costs here - the check itself, and the CMRAO's licensing fees.
Police-issued CRJMC
~$40-$70, days to weeks
local police service
CMRAO provider business fee (annual)
$799 + $348 per licensed individual employed
The CMRAO licence year runs July 1 to June 30, with renewals due by June 30. The "Excellence in Condominium Management" course is a separate cost again. Set against all of that, the CRJMC is a small, one-time-per-application line item - but a missing or stale one stalls the whole application.
Why an online CRJMC is the practical route here
Because the CMRAO doesn't impose an exclusive provider and simply asks you to bring a CRJMC dated within six months, the only things that matter are speed, cost, and getting the right document. An online CRJMC wins on all three.
crjmc.net issues the exact check the CMRAO asks for, online, in about 15 minutes after identity verification, for $54.99. There's no appointment and no waiting on a local police backlog. And it's reusable: if you also hold or pursue another regulated credential - a PSISA security licence, say - the same CRJMC can serve those purposes within its validity window.
It's also the fast answer for a few other legitimate situations: a self-check before you enrol in the course or commit to the career; a fresh check when you reapply after a lapse; or producing an updated CRJMC quickly if the Registrar requests one mid-cycle. Whatever the reason, keep your own copy and confirm it's dated within six months of the date the CMRAO receives your application.
What to do next
Confirm your path - Limited (new) or General (you already hold a Limited Licence plus two years of experience in the last five).
Line up the prerequisite - complete "Excellence in Condominium Management" for a Limited Licence, or document your experience for a General Licence.
Get a sponsoring employer if you're applying for a Limited Licence; you must be employed by a licensed condominium management provider.
Order your CRJMC inside the six-month window - online at crjmc.net, about 15 minutes, $54.99.
Complete the CMRAO application and upload the check while it's fresh.
Keep a copy for your records and for any future Registrar request.
At annual renewal, answer the criminal-matters questions honestly, and provide a fresh CRJMC if you answer "yes" or the Registrar asks.
Quick Q&A
Do I need a CRJMC for both the Limited and the General Licence?
Yes. Each first-time application is a separate suitability event, so you'll submit a fresh CRJMC for each.
Can I order my CRJMC before I start the CMRAO application?
Yes - the CMRAO allows it. Just make sure you stay inside the six-month window so it's still valid when you file.
My CRJMC is seven months old. Will the CMRAO accept it?
No. It has to be dated within six months of the date the CMRAO receives your application. You'll need a fresh one.
Does the CMRAO make me use a specific provider?
No. You obtain your own CRJMC, which is why ordering online through crjmc.net is the fast, low-cost route.
Do I have to submit a brand-new CRJMC every year at renewal?
Generally no. Renewal uses attestation questions about criminal matters; a fresh check is needed only if you answer "yes" or the Registrar requests one.
I let my licence lapse - do I need a new CRJMC to reapply?
Expect to. Reapplication is treated as a fresh suitability event, so the six-month rule applies again.
What's the difference between a CRJMC and a Vulnerable Sector Check, and which does the CMRAO want?
The CMRAO wants a CRJMC. A Vulnerable Sector Check is the deeper check for roles working with vulnerable people, which condo management is not.
Does a withdrawn charge show up?
Generally not on a CRJMC.
I already hold a security guard licence - can I reuse that CRJMC?
Yes, as long as it's a genuine CRJMC and still within its six-month validity window.
Get started
If you're applying for a CMRAO Limited or General Licence, you can get the CRJMC the regulator requires online right now and have it back in minutes.
Start your CRJMC - 15 minutes, $54.99
Order it inside the six-month window, keep a copy, and submit it with your CMRAO application.
Sources: CMRAO - Licences (cmrao.ca/condo-managers/licences), CMRAO - Apply for a Limited Licence (cmrao.ca/condo-managers/licences/apply-for-a-limited-licence), CMRAO - Apply for a General Licence (cmrao.ca/condo-managers/licences/apply-for-a-general-licence), CMRAO - Licence Renewal (cmrao.ca/condo-managers/licensing/licence-renewal), CMRAO - Fees (cmrao.ca/condo-managers/licences/fees), Condominium Management Services Act, 2015, Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 (ontario.ca/laws/statute/15p30), crjmc.net.