Could Canada Deny My Entry Because of a Speeding Ticket?

If a foreign national has ever committed an offense that would equate to a possibly serious crime in Canada, the individual may be criminally inadmissible to the country and at risk of getting denied admittance at the border. Most speeding tickets in the United States are not equivalent to a potentially serious offense in Canada. Consequently, an American with a "regular" speeding ticket will typically not have problems entering Canada because of the incident. This being said, if a person's fast or aggressive driving either endangered others, or was likely to endanger others, the offense could be equivalent to "dangerous operation" in Canada which is a serious crime punishable by up to ten years prison time. In such a case, the offender may be considered inadmissible under Canadian law and could be denied entry by border authorities.

A standard speeding ticket, such as driving 20 mph over the speed limit, will usually not be an issue at the Canadian border. This is because speeding violations generally fall under the jurisdiction of provincial governments in Canada, and consequently are not considered criminal. If a US citizen gets caught driving at an extremely high speed, however, the incident could become a problem at the Canadian border. For example, a person clocked driving 100+ mph might get charged with misdemeanor dangerous driving or misdemeanor reckless driving, which could cause them to be refused entrance by Canada! In such a case, the traveler may need to apply for special permission to visit Canada in order to avoid the risk of getting turned away by border security. Even if there was no motor vehicle collision, and no one got hurt, a speed-related traffic offense in the USA might equate to dangerous operation under Canadian law if the person's behavior was likely to harm others. In addition to driving at excessive speeds, distracted driving offenses can also be problematic when going to Canada if the individual got charged with misdemeanor careless driving or misdemeanor negligent driving.

Worried about traveling to Canada with a speed-related traffic violation or conviction? Contact our legal team now for a free consultation!

What if I Was Not Guilty?

If an American is given a speeding ticket but fights it in court and wins, it will likely never be a hindrance to international travel. Likewise, if a person speeds and gets pulled over by police and charged criminally, if the charge ends up getting dismissed it usually will not block them from entering Canada. For example, a misdemeanor reckless driving charge that gets dropped, or a negligent driving charge that results in a dismissal, may no longer prevent a person from crossing the border. This being said, proof of a favorable outcome, such as evidence of being found not guilty, should be brought with you to Canada in case border agents see the arrest and ask about it.

If a speeding offense in the US resulted in a misdemeanor conviction for dangerous driving, careless driving, reckless driving, reckless operation, or negligent driving, a person may need to apply for a Canadian pardon in order to successfully get into Canada. If the speeding infraction involved possible alcohol or drug impairment, it could be extremely concerning to Canadian border agents. If an American lost their license because of a speeding violation, and was then caught driving with a suspended license, they may be criminally inadmissible to Canada. Likewise, if a police officer witnessed a person speeding and tried to pull them over, and they kept going, a charge for fleeing or eluding a law enforcement officer can prevent an individual from being allowed to travel to Canada.