Entry to Canada.

Can you get into the country with a DWI from 20 years ago.

Thanks everyone. My buddy decided not to chance things but he's going to look in to paying his rehabilitation fee so hopefully he can go next time.

Lot's of good reading here: LINK

Here is an interesting part of it to go along with what others have posted about getting through with an older offense:

"Prior to December 2018, if it had been more than ten years since the sentence was finished and the person had no other convictions, Canadian authorities may disregard an old DUI and grant the visitor entry into the country. This policy has since changed! As of December 2018, a DUI is a serious crime in Canada and such an offense no longer qualifies for automatic Deemed Rehabilitation after ten years. This significant change is due to the Government of Canada implementing new DUI laws that increased the maximum length of imprisonment to a decade. Consequently, impaired driving offenses are now considered too serious to qualify for Deemed Rehabilitation by virtue of time, and an American with a single DWI can now be denied entry at the Canadian border even if the offense occurred more than ten years ago ."

I though the only thing if u got a DWI was that u couldn't drive in Canada but u could enter Canada?

You may want to check before you travel, they're stopping quite a few with even 5-10 year old OWI offenses.

We crossed with no issues the guy had a DUI at 11 years ago. 

Agree with Wini and it is really up to the individual border agent. This topic comes up all the time on another fishing site I visit.. I know others have recommended the person with the DUI should have a back-up plan (stay in Intl Falls for the week, have a separate mode of transportation back to his home etc.).. Better to be prepared just in case. Good luck..

I crossed the last two years with somebody with a DUI from about 10-15 years ago. There were no problems. However, as stated many times on this list and on other lists, there’s never a guarantee, given that it will always be up to the officer at the border.

Look at the customs website for both Canada and the US or call both to get an answer. The guy should have been looking into it before now. My guess (and only a guess) is that after that amount of time, you'd be ok but I'd still check into it to get the legal answer. Best of luck.

Anyone have any recent success crossing with a dui?  Had a buddy drop out of our trip so don't have much time to try to get the proper paperwork completed for a potential replacement.  My friend that may go has a dui that is from about 20 years ago.  Our trip is September 7th.

When I renewed my passport a few years ago I opted to also get the passport card that I always carry in my wallet. Great for driving both ways across the Canadian border and for ID purposes.

FYI.

I was in Canada for the last week. After reading the CBP website, it looks like you can use an enhanced drivers license in lieu of a passport. This is not the case. You need a passport or birth certificate to enter Canada. The border patrol agent explained to me that there is a difference between a State and Federal Enhanced Drivers License. Luckily, since this is a common mistake with the new State EDL's, he let me through with a warning and made a note in my data file that I had received my warning. He was pretty cool about it. The website is very unclear about this and I even explained to him that I needed to produce my birth certificate to get my WI State EDL.

Coming home, the border patrol agent again questioned why I didn't have my passport. We went through the same conversation. He was able to look up my expired passport in their system to verify my WI EDL. Since that confirmed that I'm a US Citizen, he informed me that he couldn't deny me entrance into the US. So I got that going for me.

So, my experiment with my Enhance Driver's License could have gone very wrong but the agents at the Grand Portage crossing were understanding and cooperative. But I won't make the same mistake twice. Just have a valid passport. Done.

I did a little digging and it does appear that an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) will be accepted at the border both ways in lieu of a passport.  That applies to travel by land or water.  A passport is still required for air travel back and forth.

Bugle Trout,

If you haven't already gotten the answer you are looking for, I suggest going directly to the source Department of Homeland Security, www.dhs.gov. They would have the official information you can count on rather than theory and conjecture.

As for entering Canada, www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada.html, is the Canadian website to search.

 Enjoy your trip!

Peanut02.  Were you driving and was it your vehicle crossing the border? I have had no problems as a passenger,  but wonder if it could be different if it was your vehicle and a past record?

Kinda off subject but does anyone know if Border Patrol will be accepting the new drivers licenses that are compliant to the Federal Real ID Act in lieu of a passport? I attached a sample from the DMV website. Notice the star in the upper right hand corner. That will be required to fly in the near future and the site mentions it being like a passport.