Can I go to Mexico if I have a DUI? (2023)

Can I go to Mexico if I have a DUI?

You can be denied entry to Mexico if you have a DUI on your record from the past 10 years. Mexico takes a tough stance against people with DUI offences who try to go to Mexico. Foreigners who have been convicted of drunk driving during the last ten years are typically denied entry to Mexico.

Since a DUI conviction can result in you being denied at the border, building a solid defense against the charge can be imperative. Likewise, if you've been convicted of a DUI charge in the last 10 years, you can be denied the ability to cross at the Mexican border.

Mexico. Mexico can refuse entry if you have had a DWI in the past 10 years. This determination is based solely at the discretion of the border officer.

It is not advised to go to Cancún if you have had a DUI or felony in the last ten years. Mexico has a strict stance against these offenses. Under Article 37 of Mexico's General Law of Population, “violations of domestic laws in a person's home country are grounds to deny that person entry into Mexico.”

You can be denied entry to Mexico if you have a DUI on your record from the past 10 years. Mexico takes a tough stance against people with DUI offences who try to go to Mexico. Foreigners who have been convicted of drunk driving during the last ten years are typically denied entry to Mexico.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency “A single DUI conviction is not grounds to deny entry into the U.S. However, multiple DUI convictions or a DUI conviction in combination with other misdemeanor offenses can make a person inadmissible and require a waiver prior to entering the United States.”

Whether or not a foreign citizen with a criminal record can head to Mexico on vacation largely depends on the type of offense committed. Individuals charged with committing minor crimes are unlikely to be denied access to the country based on their criminal background.

The CBP officers can use this database to view an individual's criminal record and prior criminal history. Even without disclosing your criminal record, CBP officers can access your full criminal history on the CPIC database. Any questions asked by the CBP officers should be answered truthfully.

Mexico and Canada Travel Restrictions

You won't have trouble if you're traveling with a DUI/DWI or misdemeanor criminal history. The country is lax when it comes to entering and staying there.

Do you need a pardon to go to Mexico?

The U.S. has stricter laws regarding entering with a criminal record, which is why they require travelers to either have a Canadian Pardon (record suspension) and/or a U.S. entry waiver prior to traveling.

Re: Entrance into Costa Rica with DUI? "She said that you CANNOT travel to CR if you have a DUI charge if it has been put on the interpol website." I'd suggest instead of relying on a general statement from the RCMP you find a way to check the interpol database.

A DUI or DWI usually stays on your driving record for five to 10 years and your insurance record for three to five years. Besides all of the legal trouble that can come with a DUI, your driving record is blemished. A DUI stays on your driving record for five to 10 years in most states.

After being charged with DUI, travel across state borders in the United States is not restricted. There are different laws regarding what amount of alcohol can get you a DUI, but you can travel freely from state to state as long as you have legally dealt with any outstanding DUI charges.

On the other hand, when traveling to Mexico, authorities can refuse entry to the country if a person has a pending criminal case or was convicted of a serious crime. Serious crimes include all crimes that have a significant, negative effect on the fundamental values of society.

As you can tell, a simple DUI conviction does not inhibit your ability to travel the entire world like many rumors would have you believe. The hardest nations to enter with a DUI conviction are in fact Canada and Mexico, but still travel here is not impossible with the right documentation.

2.) No problems whatsoever with entering Cuba (or anywhere else) with a DUI/DWI on your record.

As of December 2018, a DUI is considered a serious crime in Canada, and no longer qualifies as an offense that is automatically Deemed Rehabilitated after 10 years. As a result, a US citizen with even a single DUI/DWI that occurred more than a decade ago can still be denied entry into Canada.

Consequently, an American traveling to Canada with a DUI history from twenty years ago may need to prove their offense qualifies. Additional charges, such as leaving the scene of an accident or driving while suspended, can further preclude a visitor with an old DUI from being assumed safe by border authorities.

How many years after a DUI can you go to Canada?

Any additional criminal charges will require the application for “criminal rehabilitation” be made. Automatic eligibility for entry to Canada with an old DUI requires a waiting period of 10 years after sentencing requirements are completed.

Yes, customs will know you're on probation and you will be subject to heightened scrutiny. You may need your PO's permission to travel to Mexico if not the judge's.

Details of your criminal record are not shown when your passport is scanned. The only time your passport is likely to be 'flagged' is when: there is a warrant out for your arrest either nationally or internationally through Interpol.

Yes, you can travel to Cancun with a felony. However, you may be denied access to Mexico at the border control due to your past felonies.

When a border agent scans your passport, the computer system runs your information against the NCIC database and flags any active arrest warrants. The NCIC is not comprehensive, and not all active arrest warrants are present in its database.

The problem is, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers do not have time to perform a full background check on every traveler they encounter, they do perform a quick and easy warrant search through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.

Most definitely. They check your passport and have the ability to run you on the FBI's NCIC computer database, which would show warrants in any state or throughout the country.

As long as your passport is valid, and no outstanding warrants... your good to go.

Drunk driving can be prosecuted as an indictable offense in Canada, which means visiting Canada with a DUI after five years can still result in a border refusal.

Mexico: In law, a person with a criminal record for DUI from the past 10 years is not permitted to enter Mexico, though anecdotally speaking, people do visit Mexico with DUIs due to the fact that Mexican authorities do not have access to Canadian criminal record databases.

Can I go to Mexico while on bail?

Travel as a Bail Condition

As an initial bail condition, a judge may require the defendant not leave the country, and the court may even hold onto a passport. Furthermore, a judge may require the defendant not leave the state, or even the county, or city.

You can travel to Brazil with a DUI, as the country is not on the list of nations that prohibit citizens' entrance with a record. However, if you intend on staying in the country for more than 90 days, local authorities may request a criminal record certificate.

You can go to Canada if you have a DUI conviction by acquiring a Temporary Resident Permit entry waiver or becoming rehabilitated through an appropriate government office or border station. If a person has several DUIs, however, applying for a TRP or Criminal Rehabilitation may be onerous.

Generally, misdemeanors are not considered grounds for denied entry and will not prevent foreigners from going to Mexico on vacation. Foreigners who require a visa for Mexico must disclose details of their criminal history when applying.

Mexico and Canada Travel Restrictions

You won't have trouble if you're traveling with a DUI/DWI or misdemeanor criminal history. The country is lax when it comes to entering and staying there.

Re: Entrance into Costa Rica with DUI? "She said that you CANNOT travel to CR if you have a DUI charge if it has been put on the interpol website." I'd suggest instead of relying on a general statement from the RCMP you find a way to check the interpol database.