By Mara J. Wegerski

Attorney & Counselor at Law

Shepard Law Office PLC

There are many of ways an Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) conviction can restrict and potentially ruin your life. One way many do not think of is access to Canada.

When you approach the border to Canada you are subjected to a quick license check. This check shows your criminal history to the Border Patrol. There is a long list of offenses that will keep you out of Canada and one of them is drunk driving – this includes convictions or pleas for Operating While Intoxicated, Operating Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or any illegal substance as well as Operating While Impaired.

If you need to go to Canada for any reason, and you have one of these offenses, you need to request permission from them by applying for criminal rehabilitation. This process is similar to an expungement in the US legal system.

In order to apply for rehabilitation you cannot be on probation or parole for any reason.

The application itself requires letters from the Courts where you have been convicted, several sets of fingerprints along with a laundry list of other documents. You want to make sure that you have all the required paperwork prior to submitting your application process as it may take up to a year for a decision to come down.

Obviously, the way to avoid this problem is not to get an OWI, however, if you do seek legal assistance. There are more restrictions than you think!