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Can I Travel to Canada with a DUI Conviction on My Record?

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Can I Travel to Canada with a DUI Conviction on My Record?

Our neighbor to the north, Canada, is known for being sparkling clean, but it’s also adored for all kinds of other exciting features, including the Canadian Rockies. If you’re considering traveling to Canada to see Jasper National Park, Banff, Niagara Falls, Vancouver, Victoria, and Vancouver Island, Prince Edward Island, Quebec City, or Toronto, you have plenty of company – Canada is a great place to visit.

“With its welcoming atmosphere, vibrant cities and awe-inspiring scenery, Canada is truly an exciting and beautiful country that should be on every traveler’s bucket list. As the largest nation in North America, ‘The Great White North’ is a vast land blessed with virgin forests, spacious prairies, spectacular coastlines and Arctic plains,” according to trekeffect.com.

If you’re thinking of traveling to Canada for business or pleasure, you may need to reconsider if you have a DUI on your record, which we explain below.

Canada Frowns on DUI Convictions

Is Canada on your bucket list or are you planning on traveling there for work? If you have been convicted of driving under the influence (DUI or DWI) in the past 10 years, you may have no problems obtaining a U.S. passport, but you may run into serious trouble when you try to get into Canada. Why? Because the Canadian government frowns heavily on DUIs, even misdemeanor DUIs.

When people are screened to enter Canada, they’re routinely asked if they have ever been convicted of a crime. If you have been convicted of DUI in any state, even if it was the first offense with no aggravating factors, such as a high blood alcohol concentration (BAC), having a child in the vehicle, a DUI crash, or injuries, you will most likely still be turned away at the gates. And don’t even think about lying to the border agent.

With increasing cooperation between the U.S. and Canada since September 11th, border agents can have access to some travelers’ criminal records. So, if you forget or lie about a DUI, it can bar you from entering Canada for many years.

Facing DUI charges? The best way to protect your ability to travel abroad is to avoid a DUI conviction in the first place. Contact us today for a consultation.

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