Driving to Canada with a US car?

Question

Hello, I am a Canadian citizen but I am a resident of the United States. I have a home and I go to school in Salt Lake. I have a car in the US as well and it is registered in Utah. I was going to visit my parents in the summer for a while and I have heard that a Canadian can't drive an American registered car into Canada. Can anyone tell me what the real rule is about this or what the exceptions are?

Answer 1

Do you mean that you live permanentyl in the US?  Or is Canada still "home"?  Are you considered a "former resident" of Canada?  You need to  have been a resident of the US for at least one year to be considered a "former resident", and yhou would need to have owned the car for at least six months before coming back to Canada.  All these details make a difference to your case.   I think if you are a permanent resident of the US, and have been there for more than a year  - I think the term there is "landed immigrant" - it should be ok, but it is a difficult question.  My husband and I brought a vehicle back from the US a few years ago, and had to pay taxes and duty on the vehicle at the border, but we were not US residents.  Here is a link to the Canadian Border Services Agency.  You need to contact them and explain all the specifics of your situation to get a definite answer.    Here is their site.  You can contact them by phone. Here is what their site says about that:

"You can access BIS free of charge throughout Canada by calling 1-800-461-9999. If you are calling from outside Canada, you can access BIS by calling 204-983-3500 or 506-636-5064 (long-distance charges will apply). If you call during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time, Monday to Friday, except holidays), you can speak directly to an agent by pressing "0" at any time during the recording."

Best of luck with it, but make sure you do your homework before arriving at the border so their won't be any surprises.

Answer 2

As long as you can prove you live in the US (state driver license,)  and will be returning to the US, you can drive a US registered car in Canada, as a Canadian citizen,

Answer 3

Unless you can prove you are a permanent US resident, then you can look forward to having to pay tax on your vehicle when you cross the border.

Answer 4

Bring plenty of documentation about your school and residence and maybe information about plans to return to the US.

Answer 5

you are a resident of the us, working in the us, you will be returning to the us,.........yet a canadian citizen. if you have proof of registration and insurance and proper documentation to travel back and forth it should not be a problem. ignore the fear mongering us citizens in the posts above. if you have any questions contact the border crossing that you will be crossing from they will have the answers you require.

it wont be a problem because you did not go from canada to the states to buy a car and then bring it back to canada then license and insure it in order to live here and drive it here...you will just be visiting, your permenant address for now is in Utah.

Answer 6

Z is right. If the Canadian customs official doesn't think that you are gainfully employed in the US and have residence status he can impound the car until the duties are paid for. Happened to a friend of mine who returned to visit his family when he was between jobs in the US.

Canada wants their $$$$$$ and will do whatever means to get it.