Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Driving in Canada

Unrelated to hunting or shooting:

My older stepson has been through bouts with alcoholism and drug addiction, but has successfully overcome his addictions and has now been drug-free and sober for several years. He has been offered a good job in Alaska and is looking forward to getting up there and getting started.

He would like to drive to Alaska with a cargo trailer with his personal possessions. A couple of his buddies have told him that if he has DUI convictions in the states, he cannot legally drive in Canada. My wife has been doing a little internet research on the issue and has not found a definite "yes" or "no". However, just about every site that she visits pulls up advertisements for attorneys, so she suspects that there must be something to his friends' assertion.

Can anyone here provide us with a definite answer to this question?

Many thanks in advance!

Just hearsay, but I don't think driving is the main issue.
As I understand it, he will not be allowed in the country for a number of years.

Hopefully, real knowledge will follow.

Ever since 9/11 the Canadian border people have tightened up entrance requirements. I know when 9/11 occurred and we were going moose hunting our outfitter lost some clients who were unable to get across the border due to DUI convictions. Prior to that time apparently the same guys had been able to cross.

As I understand it in the US DUI convictions are treated as misdemeanors while in Canada they are considered to be felonies. (I hope I have that right.) Anyway a more serious offence.

Apparently there is some method whereby the charges can be expunged from the record but don't know how long this might take.

I would suggest he contact the Canadian border service directly as they are the only ones who can provide the correct information. Don't know if exceptions are made for persons travelling through.

I know any outfitters I'm aware of seem to still caution prospective clients about the problems they may encounter if they have these kinds of charges on their record.

Jim

Perhaps he should consider making the trip on the Alaska Marine Ferry, thus bypassing Canada altogether.
http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml

If his trailer is legal on a paved highway, it's OK on the ferry.

I advised him that this was an alternative, but he really wants to see Canada and drive the Al-Can highway.

As Jim said, I'd contact the proper authorities, and get it in print.

Driveing as Wabiggon states is not the problem. He may not be allowed into the country because of a criminal code violation which translates into a felony.

I have had clients denied for what in the US is some pretty minor violations. I had one client who had a careless driveing charge that was 20 years old--he got lippy with an overzealous border guard. That Careless charge was translated into a criminal code violation referred to as Dangerous Driveing in Canada-- admitance denied.

There are a couple of ways to mitigate this. It basically involves buying a pardon which costs $200 for short term and $1000 for long term--plus legal fees and it can take a long time to get either.

I have a nephew--30 yrs old who hasn't had a drink since he was 23. Got a simple DUI and straightened right out--he spent $750 in legal fees plus a bunch of money getting paperwork resolved and is still ineligible for entry. My brother on the other hand bought the $1000 pardon several years ago and has never had a problem since--course he's over 60 now and also hasn't had a drink in several years.

I also had a client come hunting with me who was under indictment for murder--he got across the border no problem.

You can call the border and they will give you all pertinent information--but--nothing is written in stone--it all boils down to the border guard you talk to when first entering.

I can tell you from practical experience that it is very hard to get a group of guys together--fishermen-snowmobilers--or hunters that someone in the group has an old charge that will deny them entry.

There must be strings that can be pulled, with enough money. and a team of barristers.
The major sports teams get all the players back, and forth.
I doubt if all those fellows are choir boys.

March 1, 2012

Changes announced by the Canadian government this week will make it easier for Americans with a single drunken-driving or other misdemeanor conviction to enter Canada.

Under the changes, Americans who are convicted of an offense -- including a DWI -- and receive no imprisonment and have no other convictions or charges could receive a free Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) -- which normally costs $200.

But the directive from Citizenship and Immigration Canada still leaves admission to the discretion of each border officer. And the free pass is a one-time exemption.

Click Here

Government of Canada official rule change site Click Here

Overcoming Canadian criminal inadmissibility rules Click Here

Thanks, everyone! Pretty sure that he will be going on the Alaska Marine Ferry. I appreciate all who took the time to post.

Just to clarify one comment made by k kahmann. He suggested that in a group there could be someone who had a charge which would result in non-entry. Not quite sure if it is what he meant but it sounded like he thought the entire group would be denied entry. This is not correct as I understand it. Only the person with the record would have a problem.

Of course when there are several persons travelling together in the same vehicle the group can hardly leave one of their party standing by the side of the road so the rest can continue.

The outfitter whose services we were using when this first became a problem had one group of 4 US hunters who were travelling together in one vehicle. When one member of the group was turned back, all 4 of them left. This cost the outfitter something like $10,000. The restriction was apparently imposed without any prior warning. As a result not only were the hunters inconvenienced and lost their hunting trip but the outfitter suffered considerable financial loss through no fault of his own.

Jim

Another of the issues that should be clearer from the get go, and trouble headed off at the pass.

Anyone reading this should have a "heads up" for sure.

In the last 6-7 years, I've seen one guy turned away in International Falls and the mention was "DWI" in states. And, yet another denied in front of me in line at Saskatoon airport customs. He was there to hunt with a group of his buddies and was being denied admission. I don't know how that one turned out but the guy prolly ended up in jail because he became unglued. Can't imagine making the flight and getting that surprise.

I would consider talking to an agent at the point of entry he wants to cross and, if they say it's a go, I'd document the name of that person and get something writing before charting course.

Never hurts to be prepared ahead of time. The US can and has denied our "criminals" access to the USA as well for having a record. I guess the thinking, right or wrong, is if you are planning on entering into a foreign country, know ahead of time what may affect your admissability. Over the years, we have had such an open border policy with the USA that when things tighten up, it's hard to get our heads around it, knowing how things "used to be."

My buddy and I went last October on a moose hunt in Newfoundland. Upon arriving at the border, one of the first three questions was had anyone ever been convicted of a DUI, which he had. He hung his head and told the truth...and that was that, they let us through.

Can't say this is the norm, but what happened this particular circumstance.

Jim--you got it--one guy denied in the party sometimes results in the whole party turning around and the outfitter is out big bucks.

Skane--there is no such thing as callin ahead to the border--the decision is made by the boots on the ground at the time you present yourself at the border--and no one--not no one will alter that decision once made.

Brother Kieth--much truth to what you say but we are dealing with a gov't beaurocracy here.

If you have a long history of crossing the border frequently it is not generaly a problem--it is always the new guys who get blindsided.

I advise and stress this to all my parties and every year we still have problems. The rules change so frequently that even the boots on the ground are never current with all the rule changes.

I could write a book about the problems at Pigeon River crossing but nobody reads stupid stuff.

Good morning kkahmann, I'd want to question the statement about no one reading stupid stuff.
I went to school into fifth grade with Janet Daily of bustier novel fame.
I'm jealous of all the money she made with those books.

From what I have read it is possible to have a record expunged if the conviction(s) occurred some specific number of years in the past. I believe it involves hiring an attorney and who knows what other costs. It is probably a worthwhile step if the party involved has plans to travel anywhere out of country. There may be countries other than Canada who will restrict entry depending on how they interpret the convictions.

It seems a little draconian for, say, a one time offence a long time ago. I don't know at what point the border staff interpret something as chronic behavior.

There is a lot I do not understand about this subject so obviously an attorney is the place to go for advice. I think the Canadian outfitters for the most part are doing a good job of warning potential clients from the US about this.

It would be interesting to know whether they apply the same standards to persons wanting to enter the country from countries other than the US. It could be quite a shock for someone from the United Kingdom or elsewhere in Europe if they got turned back after reaching our borders.

Jim

The general type of people entering on a hinting, or fishing trip to Canada would be often a group of men under the age of 50, or so.
The authorizes might consider that demographic group be pose a bigger hazard than say, a librarian's convention.

Jim--it is possible to get a pardon for prior indescretions. If you spend as much time around an AA table as I have you hear a lot about it. Some forms of employment require it. Nothing ever gets erased--unless it involves a conviction of a person under age.

Brother Kieth would know more about this I'm sure than I do but what happens when an officer runs your name thru CPIC or NCIP or whatever their database is called the date of conviction comes up and then the date of Pardon. Some officers will then get cute and ask you what the conviction was for--he already knows--its right there in front of him. He's just checkin to see how truthful you are.

There are also some rather devious lawyers out there that will fill out the forms for you and charge several hundred dollars for it. You can get the forms yourself on-line--Service Ontario kiosks are very helpful with this. Fill them out and in due course you will get a response. Generally if your fines have been paid and probation served and enough time has elapsed you will get it. Problems occur chasing down all the relevant paperwork and lawyers aren't much help with that--at least not in my experience.

I live on an Indian reserve and have helped several guys with this--I just thank God I've never had to do it myownself.