Crossing boarder to states under 18
 

Hey, friends and I planning to go down to the states during Christmas break for shopping or w/e is fun, just a little trip for 3 days

Problem is I am driving down, I only have my N (have 1 person sitting with me).. both of us are 17, wondering if we can get through without having an adult with us? But is it possible if we get notes from parents?

Thanks

If it's just you and your friend you should be fine. Drove down to Seattle w/my friend over the summer and I was only 17 at the time.

That should be okay.. I crossed with 4 of my friends in one car and we were all 17.. and I had my N! No parental notes either!

It all depends on the guard though. But if it's just you and a friend, I doubt he'll tell you to turn around.

The "BOARDER" guard going into the states should be okay, since a lot of times they just ask where you are going and your off.

Aite, thanks everyone

you only have to have a note from your parents if your under 16. Ive always wondered if they can enforce the number of passengers though. Is it on the back of your licence as a restriction?

That is no problem; they don't even care if you have just your L, just don't drive stupid and you won't get pulled over by state troopers.(Not sure if they care or not) The border guards will just go through regular procedure and let you through. The thing you SHOULD be worrying about is where you are going to stay. Remember there is a minimum age you have to be to rent a hotel under your name. (21?)

If you are staying at a motel / friend's house then I gather it will be fine. But remember motel's are mad sketch.

It's not the USBS's job to enforce that. But however, if you get pulled over by a police officer that's a different story. A Coworker of mine got pulled over for excessive speeding in the states in the wee hours of the morning, 5 people in the car, and no N sign.

Got a $500 ticket but Too many passengers or No N Sign was not one of the tickets he got stuck with. I don't think the officer's there understand that rule, or can give out tickets for violating that because they don't have that law.

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OP: I've travelled to the states for work a couple times while I was still 17, brought parental consent forms with me but they've never been checked.

One thing you have to remember if you're carrying more than one passenger is, that if you do get in an accident, you will not be covered.

I think it's probably better to play it safe and bring a consent form along with you, cause after all, if your parents are letting you, what do you have to lose? Unless you're doing it behind their back then it's a completely different story...

Your absolutely right. It's not USBS's responsiblity. It is US Customs and Border Protection's (US CBP). They are responsible for allowing or denying access of non-resident aliens into US soil. And if he has suspicion of the identities of the minors (under 19), he has every right to verify your claimed identity or deny you from entry. Here's what's on the CBP's FAQ..

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...ing-to-another
Similar precautions should also be expected when coming back from the states. But as you a Canadian citizen, you can enter into Canada by right. However, they may still want to confirm your identity before letting you in. You may or may not get questioned, that depends on the officer that greets you when you enter/return. But it's best to expect delays. For more advise, its best to contact CBSA and CBP if you want some concrete answers. If things go south, I doubt the officer will accept an excuse of "RS members told me so!".

Getting a ticket for driving contrary to restrictions as a result of extra passengers is no big deal, even if you do get your license suspended. The problem is ICBC won't accept your claim if you in an accident while driving contrary to restriction, which if you hit a nice car or someone was injured could destroy you financially.

as long as your within your restriction, there shouldnt be any problems.
i dnt know what restrictions there are for L or N drivers, but im sure you cant drive at night without someone who doesnt have their full license..

Where will you stay?

Prob at a hotel, it's not just me and the other girl in the car with me, there is another car going with us also that is carrying 5 other people (other friend has his class 5)

Just keep in mind being a minor in the states is a great deal different from being a minor here. Your parents own your ass as far as they're concerned down there, so if you have any problems at all (police, hotel, etc), expect to be contacting them.

Say your coming back from the states to canada and you only have an N and you got 5 ppl riding with you. Would the canadian border ppl care?
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No, you HAVE to have somebody over 25 years of age with a Class 5 or higher supervising you through the L stage, and can not drive in between the hours of 12 am and 5 am.

The N does not have any time restrictions, but however, you may only legally drive one person unless it's immediate family, or unless you have somebody over 25 years of age with a Class 5 or higher sitting in the front seat with you.


Re-read the thread.


I was stating that it's not the USBS nor the US CBP's job to enforce traffic laws.

Do think they will rent you a room? Do you have a credit card?

As far as I know a 17 year old can't legally sign anything in the states. You should make sure to call ahead and be sure they're aware of your age when you make a reservation.

Like I said, not only us two going.. the other driver has credit card, class 5 = 19 at least

Um, I crossed the border with 6 people including me in the same car (4 people in a back seat for 3) and came back, all with my N.

I probably got really really lucky though :)

ahh... now i know... so for N drivers, you can have more then 1 passenger non-class 5, as long as you have 1 person that holds a class 5?