A woman in Birchy Bay, a community on Newfoundland's northeast coast, has been told she must pay the RCMP a fee to prove she's not on the national sex offender registry.

Sheila Lewis has to get fingerprinted to prove she's not a sex offender. (CBC )

Sheila Lewis, a home-care worker, has been looking for a new job, one to work with children.

Most of those jobs require a letter of conduct.

Lewis went to the Gander courthouse and paid $20 to apply to police for a letter of conduct; however, the RCMP told her there was a problem.

"I was told they can't give it to me because somebody across Canada has the same birthday as mine and they committed a crime," said Lewis.

Must get fingerprinted

RCMP told Lewis that the other woman, who had a different name, had a sexual assault conviction, and it's easy for people to change names.

So, Lewis has to pay another $25 for fingerprinting to prove that she does not have a criminal record.

"I got to give fingerprints," said a baffled Lewis. "I'm treated like a criminal and I done nothing."

Lewis added she doesn't think it's fair, but she's going to pay the fee and get fingerprinted, because that's what it will take for her to get a better job.