# Canada DUI?



## Porkchop

Uh so I got this friend right and he got a dui 6-7 years ago in california. so anyway he's supposed to go cat skiing in canada in february but he just recently found out that it might be a pain in the ass for him to even get in the country. wut do think he should do?? try and just not say anything and just use his passport at the border?? try to get clearance ahead of time??? Or is this just some kind of scam for canada to pull $200 off people who might of made a pour choice???


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## sgb3000

Porkchop said:


> a pour choice???


Is that a Freudian slip?


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## rm&p

If you can get into Canada with a DUI on your record,I'd recommend your friend pay the 200 bucks and not f**k around with the border crossing. If you're driving to B.C. from CO & CA to go cat skiing, the last thing you want is to get f**ked around with at the border. Just speaking from experience that I don't want share.


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## JCKeck1

If you drive across the border, odds are good that you'll get rejected with a DUI on your record. I don't know about paying $200 to get out of it - it's not Mexico, they generally just send you back. I've had many friends ski vacations get jacked.


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## rideon

I used to use the border crossing between Washington and BC quite frequently and very rarely did anyone do more than glance at my passport. If you are just going to be traveling light and don't raise a lot of suspicion I would think you would be fine. This was post 9-11 but things may have changed in the last few years, but that was always mine experience.


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## FLOWTORCH

Getting across via the I-5 is a total crapshoot. You could drive through scott-free or end up getting strip searched. The easiest way would be just to fly, hassle free. 

If your driving through realize that both the "truck" side and the regular passenger vehicles entrance stations both have assholes working for them. People think they can fly a little under the radar if they use the truck side, I would stay in the flow of regular traffic.

Remember, *NEVER* backtrack when they ask you a question. They may say "has anyone ever been arrested" or "do you have any alcohol or something to declare". Then they like to go back and ask again....."Are you sure you dont have anything to declare....Are you sure none of you have ever been arrested". Always give the same answer,NO. 

If you stumble or stutter it's a sure way to get a return ticket back to the states. Happened to me and many others.


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## Randaddy

My experience was a quick form, welcome to Canada, and that was it. They wouldn't have known if I was Osama. I actually got off the Greyhound from Seattle, walked across the border, and hitchhiked in (long story). The border police gave me no trouble at all. Just my experience. 
This was about two years ago.


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## rhm

read this. this guy evidently got banned until 2011 for some traffic violation, not even a dui.

Fuck Canada - Teton Gravity Research Forums

lots of good info here. look for the rehabilitation form to fill out in advance of your trip.


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## dgosn

*canucks*

I would not try to wing it. I have been hasseled at the border several times (driving) using a passport. Once they looked at the passport and entered something into the computer my troubles began. I also have no criminal record or anything short if a few speeding tickets.

I have had several friends get rejected at the border driving because of DUI s. I also have had 2 friends get turned around in Vancouver at customs because of DUI s. Both were put on the SOONEST return flight to the US. once they ended up back in the US they had to figure out how to get back home.

I was with a friend who got detained for 6 hours because he had an arrest for for flicking a cigarrette at a cop when he was 16. his record was sealed when he was 18. When the candians brought his record up several things that were 'sealed' were shown. They also had every arrest or detail of him regardless of convictions.


I know you can call immagrations and get an insurance to travel in canada if you have had a dui with in 10 years. Its funny they are so hard on duis when the have the cheapest easiest to find drugs around....


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## dograft83

I have had a friend end up getting way F trying to get by driving up there. He had to wait 2 days befor he got the ok and that was on a work trip and he only got by because he new people that could give him the ok


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## DurangoSteve

When I read the opening post of this thread, my immediate thought was _"no way." _Excluded from Canada for a DUI? Apparently that is the case. One can be excluded for a conviction outside of Canada that would have been treated as a felony in Canada.

Here's a link with pretty thorough and useful info:

Traveling to Canada

And yes, there is the "Deemed & Streamlined Rehabilitation Application" process that costs $200. Crazy.


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## Porkchop

so here's the deal. i booked a cat trip w/ friends in december with valhalla. there is absolutely nothing on their web page regarding how difficult it can be to get into canada with any criminal convictions serious or not. They did however mention in the "now that your booked here's what u need to do to get here pdf". Just one simple little sentence that said something like it might delay your entry into canada if you have a dui conviction. So I thought oh shit i better check into that and have read horror story after horror story about people getting denied at the boarder for a variety of offenses some of which occurred in the 70's and were simple misdemeanors. So guess i got a couple options. I could roll the dice show up to the boarder looking clean cut and well funded and hope nobody ask the wrong question. Or which is more likely calling the consulate and paying for some kind of permission if there's time... I'm pretty bummed being that i can not receive a refund of any kind on the cat trip and i just learned about this. I'm sure that many travel venders in Canada are earning a lot of free money including the government of canada itself with $200 dollar pardon fee due to this bullshit policy.


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## Porkchop

Oh yeah. THanks Y'all for your thoughts links and advice. much appreciated i'll let you guys know how it all plays out


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## DurangoSteve

Guess it comes down to two thangs: 1) How much you've spent already and, 2) How bad you want to go. The additional $200 extortion might end up being the best route...


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## ENDOMADNESS

I'm from Canada (been in the states for long time) I have been back quite a bit, but only by airplane. I have DUI and a other blemishes on my record....never had a problem. Heard the stories, but it is never an issue...they barely look at me.

I do beleive that the west coast is more stringent than the east coast (been back to both...but much more to Montreal)

I think its a total crapshoot. Fly if your're worried??


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## gh

This is weird, must be an east vs west thing. I crossed back and forth from montreal to states several times and the guy barely looked at me. Surprised anyone is having issues.


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## yarmonymatoid

It's official, Canadians are assholes! Who would turn away such kind and decent man?

Ayers Turned Away From Canada By Immigration Officials | Political News - FOXNews.com


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## swimteam101

Canada and it's citizens including me have a tough stance on drunk driving as it leads to the death of innocent people including children. We like to drink responsibly. Mr. Ayers set off explosives in public places and risked the possible death of innocent people I could never condone these kinds of actions even if his cause was (Peace) Thats why Canada turned him away while the look in to the matter


> It's official, Canadians are assholes!


You must represent the 49%,closed minded, environmentally unsound, american minority that is hated by the rest of the world. PEACE


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## yarmonymatoid

Ya know... Most o da Canooks I consider my good friends have a good sense of humor. Yaa, think it's possible I was being sarcastic, EH?


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## swimteam101

My bad just listened to Oh Canada this morning must have got me fired up.


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## Berger

I would recommend flying. I had two friends get red-carded (I'm not sure what that even means) from Canada in an attempt to go skiing just because they looked suspicious and the border patrol wanted to fuck with them. They were informed they were drug smugglers and there was no evidence AT ALL weighing against them. They were also trying to come in from Montana, pretty low-key to start with.


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## kevdog

Considering that 1.2 Million Americans get a DUI ever year, I wonder how many tens of millions of dollars in lost tourism revenue this costs Canada per anum. 

Looks like 2013 would be the earliest I could be able to head up there without issue. 

Good thing I found about this when I did, I'd been planning to head up there to snowcat ski sometime soon.

I'm guessing as tourist dollars get scarcer, these sorts of rules might be relaxed or changed, you never know.


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## Porkchop

*porkchop makes it to canada*

So hears the dealeo. After researching this boarder crossing problem very thuruoghly online I still didn't have any solid data on what to do or what to expect. I did talk to to one friend who was able to shed a little light on the subject. When he was crossing the boarder with his sister in-law they were pulled inside because of a dui that she receieved three years prior. My freind told me that she had to get some some character refrence letters faxed up and they let her cross. I tried to sell my spots and even thought i had sold them on one occasion but the deal fell thru so i figured what the hell? The worst thing that could happen would be that i'd be out $2600 for the cat and go ski for a week with my wife at white fish. So i got together a couple of refrence letters and off i went. sure enough got to the boarder and pulled inside. she told me there was an issue because of a dui conviction i had. I told her my story and what my freind had told me. she asked when my probation was over and I said 06 and she eplained I wouldn't be allowed into canada until 2016 and that they only grant passes in extreme situations. AND I WAS LIKE OH SHIT HEAR WE GOor don't go). I explained i contacted the consulate and it was to late to get my money back for the trip. She asked a couple more questions and said your wife is really going to be bummed if you don't go on your trip. then she asked if i had any other arrests and i told her in 99 i was arested for dui but it was all dismissed... she told me she was going to grant me a temporary resident permit but with the second arrest I'm going to have to call immigration. (SHIT SHIT SHIT) a hour and a half older and $169 poorer and i was in canda. the skiing was great w/ vallhala I could only imagine what it like on a good snow year. they are only 50% of average snow pack but the town of Nelson kicks ass!! any ways i've said enough it was quite the ordeal but i made it.

oh yeah for swimteam101 i didn't see any body drinking and driving in canada(yeah right) only half the the local snowmobile club was in the ditch after the poker run. if you canadians are so morally superior what are you doing down hear anyway eh?


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## sbratt

*God Damn*

After seeing this thread I got to call out Canada. Now you boys can drink, fight and play hockey, but your country is the red-headed step child. 

Does Singapore let you in if you have a past drug conviction? Do they let you in and then shoot your ass?


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## kevdog

Porkchop said:


> she asked when my probation was over and I said 06 and she eplained I wouldn't be allowed into canada until 2016 and that they only grant passes in extreme situations. .


That seems weird, the research I did said it's 5 years past probation completion date, not 10.

But of course she did let you in, as soon as you paid your $165

I'd love to know if the USA does the same thing canucks, it seems a bit much.


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## FLOWTORCH

kevdog said:


> That seems weird, the research I did said it's 5 years past probation completion date, not 10.
> 
> But of course she did let you in, as soon as you paid your $165
> 
> I'd love to know if the USA does the same thing canucks, it seems a bit much.


As I was gettin turned back from good ol Canada by some little tweener and giving him an earful he said we do the same thing to them. 

Sounds like ya got lucky, porkchop.


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## kevdog

Nothing a Global Economic Meltdown can't fix!!
In a couple of months the question will be "how much money will you be spending in Canada on your visit"


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## swimteam101

Oh Canada .Hope you got to hit Bald Face Mtn while you were in Nelson. I'm here because my lady was born and raised in Minturn we have family here to help with are son and anyone can move to the USA . We go back to Fernie and Nelson for at least 3 months a year and maybe for good some day. You could say it's lame that we don't let everyone come visit or become a citizen but thats the way it is. The dui thing is simple DRINKING AND DRIVING IS STUPID AND YOU GOT CAUGHT. [email protected]%K YOU PAY ME. I love Colorado it is a great spot with great mtns and whitewater but it has it's share of stupid rules to. 200 dollars for a Medical card so you won't get robbed by the cops for smoking a little grass. F&%K YOU PAY ME. I felt the same way.


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## iliketohike

here's a goog boarder crossing story. I grew up in upstate NY only 2 hours from Montreal. We would cross all the time. Back in like 02 we decided to drive from NY up the Montreal and then across Canada to Squamish. 
Boarder crossing from NY to Montreal was super easy. The Canadians are dead set that they have a highway, but a highway in American in a seperated 2 lane road. What the Cannucks call a highway is actaully a road like 6 in Colorado, or the Road from Silverthorne the Steamboat. Anyway, we made it to Ontario before realizing it was going to be a big mistake to drive all those miles on that type of road, so we we ducked down through the upper P of Michigan to find a real highway. Drove accroos the northern US and went to enter the Canadian border from Seattle to Vancuver. 

I smoked my last joint before the boarder figuring I was entering weed land and no one would care. Boy was I wrong. The boarder guy dug through my ashtray, found a Roach and preceeded to throw my dreadlocked Girlfriend and I (also a nappy headed hippy) into a white room and question us for hours about where and how much cocaine we had in the vehicle. Finally we convinced him we were just stoner climbers and to let us by. At the next window towards entering Canada they asked me how much money we had. Assuming they were talking about cash, and not wanting us to have a bunch I told them $13.40 and my girl said 7 dollars. We did have cards which we planned on using to pay for stuff. They told us we couldn't enter Canada unless we could prove we had 50 dollars a day per person. Now we were planning to camp and were going to live off of 30 dollars a day the both of us. After making somewhat of a scene they let us in with a 5 day pass, which we would have to come back to the boarder to renew. 

The next time on the way to Golden to ski Kicking Horse the guy took a cue tip and swabbed my dash and said he knew we had smoked weed in the car in the last 48 hours, which we had, but we left our stash on the side of the road in Montana. Incidentally the town was called Sweet Grass that we chose the cross in. This cop was much cooler and realized we had been through this before and let us go with minimal hassle. It was also like -35 below outside so he did a cursury job of searching our car, which was clean. 

DON'T BRING WEED INTO CANADA!!! IT IS CHEAPER THERE AND THEY TREAT IT SERIOUSLY AT THE BOARDER.


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## caliclimber

Interesting you bring up border crossing in canada. Some of my boys had a big surf trip to bc. They got to the border with all their gear And one of my buddies had a dui from 3 years p revious. They wouldn't let him in the country. Singled all my bros out said they didn't want a bunch of alcoholic drug addicts surfers ruing their country. They ended getting in minus my friend with the dui. Only due to sponsorship calls and that they were there to film. A big run around and there was no swell in 2 weeks and the 45 degree water.


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## SSOWDEN

We should all be proud to be the land of the brave free entry.
Imagine the world if backass countries like canada let in the derilect drunk drivers and didn't have a place to pen them up like gitmo. The Gaza strip would be a vacation hot spot. God forbid you are driving to our state of Alaska with less than $30 a day, you may die in an abandoned school bus or something on the way. General Clark should not have stopped at Detroit. NAFTA my arse.
Cannucks are yahoos in my book, eh!

well I feel better


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## vardaddy

Porkchop said:


> So hears the dealeo. After researching this boarder crossing problem very thuruoghly online I still didn't have any solid data on what to do or what to expect. I did talk to to one friend who was able to shed a little light on the subject. When he was crossing the boarder with his sister in-law they were pulled inside because of a dui that she receieved three years prior. My freind told me that she had to get some some character refrence letters faxed up and they let her cross. I tried to sell my spots and even thought i had sold them on one occasion but the deal fell thru so i figured what the hell? The worst thing that could happen would be that i'd be out $2600 for the cat and go ski for a week with my wife at white fish. So i got together a couple of refrence letters and off i went. sure enough got to the boarder and pulled inside. she told me there was an issue because of a dui conviction i had. I told her my story and what my freind had told me. she asked when my probation was over and I said 06 and she eplained I wouldn't be allowed into canada until 2016 and that they only grant passes in extreme situations. AND I WAS LIKE OH SHIT HEAR WE GOor don't go). I explained i contacted the consulate and it was to late to get my money back for the trip. She asked a couple more questions and said your wife is really going to be bummed if you don't go on your trip. then she asked if i had any other arrests and i told her in 99 i was arested for dui but it was all dismissed... she told me she was going to grant me a temporary resident permit but with the second arrest I'm going to have to call immigration. (SHIT SHIT SHIT) a hour and a half older and $169 poorer and i was in canda. the skiing was great w/ vallhala I could only imagine what it like on a good snow year. they are only 50% of average snow pack but the town of Nelson kicks ass!! any ways i've said enough it was quite the ordeal but i made it.
> 
> oh yeah for swimteam101 i didn't see any body drinking and driving in canada(yeah right) only half the the local snowmobile club was in the ditch after the poker run. if you canadians are so morally superior what are you doing down hear anyway eh?


 Used to live in Whitefish and crossed the border all the time because I had a Fernie pass too. The biggest key with a DUI is don't admit to having been arrested which is the general question they ask. You can always backtrack if they figure it out, apologize and let them know you didn't realize DUI was included, offer to pay a fine if that is required. Most likely they will be happy with this. 
To have the most hassle free chance... 
Always be ready as you get to the border with passports for everyone in drivers hand and radio turned off. 
Be ready to let them know where you are going, how long you are going to be there. Where you are from and how you know each other. 
Of course being clean cut with a nice looking car helps. And if there is a girl in your group with a clean record always let her drive because most border patrol are men. A big portion of the time they pull out the people who don't seem organized. It used to be 5 years past your DUI. I suppose they may have changed that in the last couple of years but I lived there for 7. 

There are many horror stories out there but I've also heard plenty of what you got which was pay a fine and we'll let you in. Usually it helps if you are staying at a nice place like this and are planning on spending lots of money. It also helped for us that it was only 45 minutes back if the DUI person got in trouble and they tended to be friendly with people living close too. Had several friends with DUI cross with us and never got hasseled any more than having to a wait a little while as they checked backgrounds more thoroughly and asked the DUI guy a lot a questions but most of the time it was those questions I mentioned above along with the alcohol, firearms tobacco question and then they handed the passports back and it was "have a good trip". Nelson is a fantastic place. Hope you hit Whitewater on your way there.


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## petes334

Thanks for the tips. I will be ready.


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## raftafarian

Tell 'em you've never had a DUI and if they find a drinking/driving offense on your record, then admit it was a _DWI_. Just a matter of semantics and them asking the right questions


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## lackge

So, Porkchop, you got convicted of doing something as stupid, irresponsible, and illegal as driving a motor vehicle while drunk? Now you are whining because Canada--where endangering yourself and others while driving drunk would a felony--doesn't want you coming up there? Behaviors like that should have consequences. I would like to see DUI offenses reclassified as felonies here n the U.S. Then maybe morons such as you would be in jail rather than driving to ski vacations.

Thanks, Canada. 

FMI regarding Canada's rules, go to the website Seattle.gc.ca and click on "criminal and other admissibilities." Oh, by the way, Porkchop, "pour" and "poor" are neither synonyms nor homonyms. You can find that information in a book we call a dictionary.


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## howlie

lackge said:


> So, Porkchop, you got convicted of doing something as stupid, irresponsible, and illegal as driving a motor vehicle while drunk? Now you are whining because Canada--where endangering yourself and others while driving drunk would a felony--doesn't want you coming up there? Behaviors like that should have consequences. I would like to see DUI offenses reclassified as felonies here n the U.S. Then maybe morons such as you would be in jail rather than driving to ski vacations.
> 
> Thanks, Canada.
> 
> FMI regarding Canada's rules, go to the website Seattle.gc.ca and click on "criminal and other admissibilities." Oh, by the way, Porkchop, "pour" and "poor" are neither synonyms nor homonyms. You can find that information in a book we call a dictionary.


Really? Lackge must be a godd dammed saint. Hey dipshit, what about my friend who got a DUI while waiting in a parked car in the pasanger seet while the DD stopped to get a sodah? Because the kees were in the ignition it falled under a portion of the law that states the pasanger had "intent" to dryve while intocksicated. Once the officer found out the driver was compleetly sober he decided to use the "intent" law to nail the passenger. 

Oh bye the way - I mispelled as often as possibal just to piss you off. Saint-on saint. I'm off to have sex with chickens.


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## raftafarian

lackge said:


> Oh, by the way, Porkchop, "pour" and "poor" are neither synonyms nor homonyms. You can find that information in a book we call a dictionary.


lack-age (did I spell that wrong? oh shit)
I bet you talk to your TEX-ASS friends on your ****-phone. quit casting stones


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## sbratt

Hey Lackage, stay in Texas, don't paddle our rivers and don't ski our mountains.


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## Jensjustduckie

LACKGE, who signs up then waits a year to make their first post AND they're from Texas?? I smell a troll under this here bridge...


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## Porkchop

dear mr lackage,

your are right drinking and driving is stupid and dangerous and kills people. I take full responsibility for my actions and and as a matter of fact have been clean and sober the last 4 years. trust me rehab cost more than a dui. My main bitch is that the snow cat operation as well as many other recreational vendors in canada take your money and don't tell you about these laws until you can't get it back. 

what good is there law any since they let me in? i think canada just wanted my money, it really wasn't that hard to get in w/ my 2 dui arrests. I'm not defending driving under the influence it is wrong. 

Its just strange to me to travel to France, and Costa rica w/o a problem then get hassled in canada. and yes my grasp of the english language is marginal but i'm hell of skier. GET OUTSIDE AND THINK POOOOOOWWDER!!!


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## iliketohike

Ok, I've been down this road. I was turned away this summer for DWI, and researched this in depth. 

First, bring your passport. When going through the boarder crossing have everyone's Passports, Licence, and your registration and insurance proof all collected. They will ask you some questions trying to suss you out. They told me it was rude to talk to them with sunglasses and made me take mine off. This year I thought my passport was in my glove box and it wasn't so I got searched. When they ran my records they found my DWI and turned me around. As you need a passport (only started in July of this year), I just went climbing in Index and explored the cascades this summer. 

I've been to BC twice before and used to live 1 hour from the boarder in upstate in NY. In Quebec they don't give a fuck, and I have never had trouble crossing there. That I-5 boarder crossing, above Seattle is the worst. I crossed there in 2002 to go to Squamish. They searched my car and found a roach in the ash tray. Threw us in a white room and grilled us for the location of suspected Cocaine. Of course there was none. After about an hour they let us go. The next customs people asked if we had any money on us. I responded with how much cash I had and they said I didn't have enough money to enter the country, though we had bank cards. In the end we made it though with a 5 day pass. 

The next time I crossed in SweetGrass, which is in Northern Montana, to go to Banff. This time they sqabbed our dash board and said they knew we smoked weed in the vehicle within 48 hours. I explained we had, but stashed all our weed in the US because of my previous experience. They didn't care at all about my dog, and after I leveled with him, describing my previous experience, he ended up being super cool and let us pass. 

Bottom line. Try to look legit, have all your papers, and don't be high and they will probably just waive you through. If you do get searched, don't lie, because if you got your DUI outside of 5 years they will let you in. This involves being REHABILITATED, and is really BS and totally at the boarder cops discretion. Sometimes it entails a fee, sometimes not. Just try to be as cool with them as possible because they have the power and also have access your criminal records.


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## grandyoso

Here is an Un"helpful" link. 
Know Before You Go: Tips for Alaskans Traveling/Visiting Canada

So as far as I can tell I would need to fill out Rehabilitation paperwork and pay 1000 dollars.I guess I'll go spend my money somewhere else. I have worked in Japan, Australia, and been to other contries with no problems. I would hate to spend all that money and then get turned around. 
Blame Canada.


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