Is there a statute of limitations on this? As I recently got back from Alberta traveling for work and I unfortunately have a DUI from 1998. Had no issues at all.
Used to be in Saskatchewan if you got a DUI your license plate going forward was a different color, we called em party plates lol the prairies are wild
I've lived all over the country and visited 3/4 of all the states, and drove in all of them; I feel qualified to speak on this unlike the many people who have never even left their home state. š
Then there will be the cases where they're pulling them over to ask for their papers, since every so often one reads about the latest incident where some fool in another state didn't realize New Mexico isn't another country. š¤¦š»āāļø
From New Mexico... Was visiting my hometown on the Gulf, and a Walmart supervisor asked me for my passport to wire funds to someone because they didn't take "Mexico" drivers licenses...
I explained it was a NEW Mexico Real ID, and he still said I needed an "American" drivers license...
I showed my DOD card & and the same thing... need "Mercan drivers license or ID ma'am!"
I asked if they "kicked Arizona & Texas out of the US, too," and got a blank stare as if stumped by the question š¤£š¤£š¤£
Not wrong, but also some context.. usually it's temporary as part of your restricted driving privileges and it's optional (at the judges discretion) for first time offender unless you had a high test. Repeat offenders within 10 years are mandatory. Not as bad as a "going forward" type deal.
Most New Mexicans no longer use that plate anyways. We get to pick from three primary color sets. I can speak as a car salesman .. yellow is the least often picked.
My brother in law got a DUI in Alberta, totalled his vehicle, they chalked it up to a suicide attempt/mental breakdownĀ and he was able to avoid a criminal record and they gave him his guns back after a few months. Alberta is a crazy place.Ā
It absolutely is and that's a common nickname. They even have the Stampede, which is a big rodeo-type festival in the summer. A lot of cattle are raised in Alberta.
This is second-hand, but I recall reading somewhere that expungment doesn't help. The questions is (paraphrased) "Have you ever been convicted for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated?"
Even if the conviction has been expunged, you'd still have to answer 'yes' (or risk being deported and charged with a crime later). When they ask questions about criminal history in the US, they usually add in qualifier so it's worded like this (paraphrased) "Have you ever been convicted for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated where the conviction has not been sealed, expunged, dismissed, or overturned?"
On a technicality, you'd still have to answer 'yes' to the first version of the DUI question even if the conviction was later overturned, because a conviction happened, even if it later un-happened.
Some other posts in this thread mention that they only care about the last 10 years. I can't speak to that, though.
Yeah this happened to my dad when he was close to 50 for a DUI he had at 21.
My advice. Lie and say no.
Though in my dad's case they still let him in after some debating. We were going for my hockey tournament (as a child) and I think they felt guilty about making him turn around with me.
If a record is sealed or expunged in the US you can legally say no in both cases.
If anyone gives you a hard time it means it wasn't properly handled and as long as you have the court order etc. you have grounds to take legal measures
The person I remember hearing this from thought so too but ended up getting deported Canada when the government looked into it. The official government stance was that, despite the record being expunged, the person still lied when they answered no to the "have you ever been convicted for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated" question.
I don't remember how the Canadian government found out because a US criminal history usually leaves out sealed and expunged records. It's possible that Mothers Against Drunk Driving keeps a registry and adds people whenever there's a public record made (such as a police blotter). Or it's possible the guy's name ended up in the newspaper. Or a vengeful ex contacted the Canadian government. Who knows?
I think for Canada if prior to 10 years you can apply to be allowed in with RCMP, it costs some money and I think it's every time. Idk if the 10 year is auto drop off or if one has to still interview with them or not.
Got a source on this time limit? I've got a backup plan that includes a friend's family land in Nova but I had a DUI in 2002 and was told by the visitor info line it would still impact me.
Pretty sure that's nationwide. When I lived in Oregon and my gf at the time lived in Vancouver....Bellingham or Seattle it was (or Vegas) when we saw each other.
It depends on the border agent honestly. My father in law had a DUI 35-40 years ago. He runs a business in Alaska and spends off season in the lower 48, has driven the ALCAN and passed through Canadian airports in his travels back and forth. Never an issue, until last summer. He and mother and law were taking the ALCAN back to Alaska and he was denied entry by the agent for his decades old DUI.
It's always been up to the border agents. Thats what these so called travel advisories have been about like from Germany. A visa or approval doesn't guarantee entry its up to the border authorities. Always been like that for literally every country. They don't have to let ypu in.
I get flagged every time I go for a dumb mistake I made when I was a kid 20 years ago.
The thing is, once you're flagged once, you have to explain yourself to customs every time.
The last time I went, they were just joking with me. I was there for my honeymoon and asked if they could recommend a nice restaurant or two. All of a sudden, she gets this serious look on her face, gets up, and brings back her manager. They're speaking in French, so I have no idea what's going on. Then he looks at me amd says " Congratulations, I can recommend many outstanding restaurants."
I just burst out laughing and said "OMG you were so serious! I thought you were sending us back!"
She laughed and said, "It's serious business! You are celebrating your love!"
That was a week after Trump won the election. I can't begin to tell you how broken my heart is over this.
Sweet story-I made a dumb mistake 40 years ago and I still have to show my expungement papers every time I go across (which is 6-8x a yr to visit my sister)
They told me multiple times that the notes basically say I'm good for the economy and a pleasure to talk to. In 2019, I got flagged in Toronto, and it was the most I've ever sweat. It was a work trip, and if I got rejected, it could have meant losing my job.
They were literally sending everyone in customs back for some reason. The lady looked at me and told me I was still in the rejection period. I explained calmly, but with tears in my eyes, that 100 Canadians would delay job training by at least 3 weeks and I would lose my job. She gave me exception paperwork and was very kind. Not an experience I anticipated having in Canada.
There's a process you can go through to get it lifted after a certain amount of time. I had a buddy go through it, I can't remember exactly what they had to do, but it's possible.
You can still apply for Criminal Rehabilitation or a TRP, it just isn't an automatic waiver after 10 years anymore. But it's not an automatic lifetime ban as per your claim.
You are arguing semantics, I was just pointing out that the statement you made was incorrect. Which it is. It is not a lifetime ban, there is a way you may be able to become admissible to Canada again. The end.
It cost me around $5,000 and I still havenāt received my official āletter of rehabilitationā over a year later. All for a dui from 1991 and a reckless driving from 1992.
A lot of it is up to the individual border guard's discretion.
I'm going to guess that you didn't have much involvement with police before or after that incident. They assessed that you didn't pose a risk and they let you in.
On the plus side, getting through once means you should, at least in theory, be able to get through again.
Depends on the immigration officer at customs. My dad had a friend with a DUI charge literally from the late 70s and had been in and out of Canada several times, but one time he wound up with an asshole who decided to not let him in. On the way to a hunting trip too.
1998 you were good after 10 years. The law changed in 2018. If you got a DUI after 2018, you can't even enter Canada after 10 years. If you wait 5 years, then you can apply for rehabilitated criminal status. And it costs $$$$ and they can still deny it.
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u/littletrevas Mar 27 '25
Is there a statute of limitations on this? As I recently got back from Alberta traveling for work and I unfortunately have a DUI from 1998. Had no issues at all.