Canada: DWI and Crossing the Canadian Boarder

[Guest]

I was just there last week. No questions were asked as we went through. Just to be safe I had the other guy in the car drive as I have heard if they do ask it is only the driver.

By the way I checked with Canadian immigration prior to my trip as I had a DWI 18-20 years ago. Anything more that 10 years old is not a worry in any way. I just wanted to avoid any delay...

Mike

[Swamp Scooter]

I was told that if your dwi's were at least 15 years ago you can go down to the gov't center in St. Paul and have them removed from your record. Not sure of the contact but it might be worth a try. Especially if you want to bring guns for hunting across, sometime.

[haworth]

Canada: DWI and Crossing the Canadian Boarder

Q: Q. Has anyone here went into Canada with a US DWI conviction and gotten through?

I am curious to know IF the boarder patrol asked everyone going in IF they have had a DWI. I have heard they do not IF you have your ducks in a row and you look clean cut, etc. I have two DWIs from 18 years ago and I know they will not let me through the boarder IF they find this out. I know if they check they can see every little thing on my record via thier computer. I appreciate any info. on the subject.

Thank you for your time,
James

[haworth]

I called the port of entry at Fort Francis today and spoke directly with a Canadian immigration officer. They looked me up in the computer and here is what they had to say:

First, my criminal record:
-DWI, age 17 (Convicted-Minor)
-DWI, age 18 (Convicted-Adult)
-Some other criminal charges, but no convictions (*those had no bearing on the decision as they ONLY look at convictions)

The immigration officer said I showed up immediately as having a criminal/police record in the USA. She said she could not see my 1st DWI as I was a minor at the time. Then she said the DWI I got at 18 only counted as my first DWI because the one I got at 17 is sealed, therefore, did not count towards the total DWI count. With one DWI that is over 10 years old I am considered "Rehabilitated" in the Canadian Gov. eyes and I will not have to pay anything to get into Canada and I will not have to petition the Canadian Gov. to be pardoned. Now, if I had gotten both DWIs after my 18th birthday, no amount of time can pass for the Canadian Gov. to consider me "Rehabilitated" and I would have had to send in my application for "Rehabilitation" which looked very paperwork heavy!

Hope this helps anyone with the same problem I had as this took me about 10 hours of calling and Internet time to figure it out.

James

[Sabaskong]

I had a DWI 8 years ago and had to go through the paperwork with immigration to be "rehabilitated". It was kind of a pain in the a-- , plus it cost $200.00. This is what immigration told me 1)a DWI over 10 years old is forgiven, 2) a DWI between 5 and 10 years old then you must apply for a "Letter of Rehabilitation", 3) if DWI is less than 5 years old it sounded like it was next to impossible to enter Canada. Immgration also said these are guidelines, meaning that if your DWI resulted in an accident, or if someone was injured or killed, you probably would be refused entry. With me they called the county courthouse where I got mine and confirmed what I had told them. Later Stiffrod

[Benny]

Now my cousin just went through all the paper work ,had a layer sign every thing for him and he sent his $200 dollars into them.

He recieved a letter back about 8 months later telling him he could not enter Canada at all and if caught inside Canada they could arrest him and put him in jail for up to 5 years!
They kept his money as well, so I would like to know why it is differant if you talk to the border people?
His DWI was way back in the early 80's, like 1983 or 84.

We still go across, I just drive my truck so the licnse check comes up with my sqweaky clean record.They have never asked my pasangers any thing, but they did ask me to take off my shades when I rode up with my uncle.
But that's all they asked me as a pasanger.

So I doubt you would be checked if your a ride along and not behind the wheel.

Benny

[haworth]

Benny,

That does not sound right at all? Even the Canadian gov. HSOforum says a single DWI is fine as long as it was more than ten years ago. If this is all that is on his criminal record, then he is fine. I called and gave an Immigration Official my information and she looked me up on the gov. computer while I was on the phone with her. This was at Fort Francis and the number I called was:
(807) 274-9780

Also check:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/rehabil.html

James

[danglin]

I have been traveling across the border at Baudette 2-3 times per month for the past 3 years. Neither I nor any of my passengers have ever been asked about a prior conviction of any kind. I believe that if you drive a vehicle that was involved in the DWI, or any other crime, it would pop up and they would then ask, but the subject has never come up in all of the times I've crossed. I too checked with customs due to having a friend that is riding along next week who recently got a DWI, and was told the same thing as previous contributors to this string. That is, if it's recent there's no way he's getting in if they know about it.

[TECK]

All they have to do is check once. I have been asked for my driver lic. but not all the time.

[Hammer-Smites]

This is an interesting subject. I was a bit wilder in my younger college years and got 2 DWI's in a span of 3 years. This was back in the early 80's. I don't drink at all now other than an occasional glass of wine at home.
I have crossed the border quite a few times in the past 5 or 6 years and have never had a problem. I have never even been pulled over and all of my belongings checked. I have always drove and have never had a problem.
I'm not sure what the actual criteria is in Canada, but do I know if it's beeen 15 or 20 years since you've had an infraction, you should be good to go. I have driven my truck with my boat and have never had an issue.

Hope this helps - Tim

[Sabaskong]

Just a little bit more info. They have 2 different ID checks they run on people. The 1st, which doesn't take long will just check for outstanding warrants and such, I don't "think" most DWI's show up here. The other check, usually by an immgration's officer is through "Interpol". It's computer linked to pretty much every modern country. It shows anything and everything you've did or thought about doing since day 1. Most of the time from what I've seen if they run an ID check they'll just do the quick check, but they also run the Interpol sometimes and if you have a DWI that's where it'll showup.

[Ed Carlson]

DWI, drug, or related DUI offense 5 years or less..big problem.

DWI or drug charge 10 years or less, maybe a problem? You may need to file the paperwork and pay the fee?

DWI or drug charge older then 10 years or more old, is seldom a problem, if you tell all up front.

Any weapons charge, BINGO.. that is a potential big stink no matter when it happened.

If you talk them and/or flat out lie..and they catch you...MMM-Boy...I would hate to be you Eh....that is a HUGE problem.

Best bet is tell all when asked, and be very..very..very polite at all times.

------------------
Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
701-893-9107

[email protected]

[Animal]

My fishing buddy got bounced last January. Not for the DWI he had 12 years ago, but because he had applied for a remote entry permit 5 years ago and checked NO on the question asking about previous convictions. Now he has to go through the whole permit process and it's the one that cost $700 and can take up to a year. Additionally, he has missed all the summer trips this year. The border patrol asked for our Driver's Licenses as we crossed. They did not asked the guys in the other vehicle.

Moral of the story...No matter what don't lie or try to slide anything by them.