MileCheckWhat do you need to drive into the US from Canada?
Prepare your travel documents and the car’s paperwork before crossing. Canadian citizens can generally visit for up to six months, but CBP decides the permitted stay. For 30 days or more, also check the registration requirement.
Facts checked September 2026. Every number links to its source; prices and rules change, so confirm the day you travel.
Documents for the people in the car
For a Canadian citizen driving across, bring a valid passport or an accepted land-border document such as NEXUS. A regular provincial driver’s licence is not a passport substitute. Canadian permanent residence alone does not confer the same entry rules as Canadian citizenship.
US citizens, including dual citizens, should use their US travel documents. Check the specific rules for every passenger.
CBP Canadian visitor guidance · Government of Canada US travel advice.
Six months is not an automatic entitlement
Tell CBP your intended departure date. Check the admission record and follow the authorised period, even if it is shorter than six months.
If you will remain for 30 days or longer, check whether an I-94 already records your registration. Canadian land arrivals without evidence of registration can need to register with USCIS before the 30 days expire. Follow its age-specific instructions for children. Registration does not extend admission or authorise work.
CBP Canadian visitor guidance · USCIS registration requirements.
Registration and insurance for the car
Carry your licence, vehicle registration and insurance proof. Ask your insurer to confirm US coverage for the drivers, trip length and liability limits. Do not assume that the border accepting your documents proves every loss is insured.
For a borrowed or leased car, ask the owner or lessor for written cross-border permission. For a rental, check the company’s cross-border policy.
CAA-Québec insurance guidance.
Declare what is in the car
Declare food, plants and animal products. Do not assume a sandwich or fruit bought in Canada is exempt from inspection. Declare more than US$10,000 in currency or monetary instruments, including the combined amount for a family travelling together.
Leave cannabis at home. Canadian legality does not permit taking it across the border. For an ordinary trip, leave firearms home too. A hunting trip needs its own advance import checks, not a blanket assumption that every firearm is either allowed or banned.
CBP declaration form · CBSA cannabis rules.
Visitor allowances are not returning-resident allowances
For an eligible adult nonresident’s personal use, the federal duty exemption covers up to 1 litre of alcohol and 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 2 kilograms of smoking tobacco. Age and state restrictions still apply.
A separate US$100 gift exemption requires an intended stay of at least 72 hours and no use of that exemption in the preceding six months. Alcohol and cigarettes do not qualify. Declare the goods even when you expect an exemption.
19 CFR 148.43 · 19 CFR 148.44.
Children and pets need their own checks
Carry a consent letter when a child travels without one or both parents or legal guardians, plus relevant custody documents. Check the child’s citizenship and land-entry document rules separately.
Before bringing a dog, use the CDC entry guidance for its travel history. A Canadian vaccination record alone is not a complete US entry checklist.
Government of Canada consent-letter guidance · CDC dog-entry requirements.
Change your units before driving away
US speed signs generally use miles per hour. Set your display to mph so you can read the posted limit directly. Carry your valid Canadian licence and check the rules of the states you visit.
Read how mile markers work and how to report your location. Give the road number, direction and observed marker or exit. Check your phone’s US roaming plan before the crossing.
USA.gov visitor-driving guidance.
Coming home to Canada
| Time outside Canada | Personal exemption |
|---|---|
| Less than 24 hours | None. |
| 24 hours or more | CA$200. No alcohol or tobacco. Exceeding CA$200 loses this exemption. |
| 48 hours or more | CA$800, with separate alcohol and tobacco limits. |
| 7 days or more | CA$800. Some declared goods may follow later. Alcohol and tobacco must accompany you. |
These are alternatives, not amounts to add together. Declare purchases and gifts at their value in Canadian dollars.
CBSA returning-resident guide.
Know exactly where you are — live
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Questions, answered
Is a regular Canadian licence enough to enter?
It does not replace an accepted travel document such as a valid passport or NEXUS card.
Are six months guaranteed?
No. Follow the period CBP authorises.
Should you check registration for a 30-day stay?
Yes. Check whether you are already registered and follow the USCIS requirements for your circumstances.
Can you bring legally purchased cannabis?
Do not cross with cannabis without the required federal authorisation.
Does a shopping day qualify for a Canadian exemption?
Not when you return after less than 24 hours.
Where do you check the border queue?
Use the border-wait page below and check the direction and lane type.
Driving into Canada · Driving into the US · Phone use in Canada · Phone use in the US · Canada hub · US visitor-driving guide · Find your mile marker · Cross-border rental rules
Border wait times · Report your location.
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