bringing alcohol back to canada

[scottyballs]

When out of Canada for more than a week you are allowed to bring back one bottle of wine/liquor or 1 case of beer. We have been vacationing for several weeks and have a half case of beer and a few part bottles of wine/spirits. Anyone know the rules regarding returning with part bottles. Am I still allowed to buy one bottle each for the wife and I? Or do they require me to to drink/dispose of the part bottles?

[nevadanick]

I havent been to Canada in several years but everytime i crossed the border each direction i was searched. Then one day i am riding with my grandmothers cousin who is canadian and we pull up to border and they ask if he has any alcohol or cigarettes. He tells them he doesnt smoke, grabs the 12 pack sitting between the seats and shows them that. They wave us on. Beer was stacked to the ceiling in the shower of his motorhome. I laugh about this alot.

[portliz]

We got pulled over this year for a secondary search when returning from Florida. First time in 5 years. Didn't take long and didn't make us pay duty on slightly over booze limit. Glad we left the moonshine in TN! We didn't spend much so not sure if that triggered the search. Do they not understand about our Canadian dollar! Really cut down on my retail therapy.

[scottyballs]

Thanks for all the input. I know what the rules are and what the limits are, but I was curious about booze that was purchased for consumption while away and not quite finished.

The rules are black and white, but as several have mentioned, it all boils down to the attitude of the agent on that particular day. I've been waved thru many times, yet at times pulled over because I had a case with 30 cans instead of 24. What the hell ever happened to "Free Trade?"

Nothing to worry about though, I drank everything while reading all these replies.

[garyhaupt]

vwsportbug wrote:
Sometimes you run into a "stickler" border agent who seems to have an axe to grind. I crossed the border back into Canada last week and, when asked, declared my 1 full 1.75L bottle of Whiskey, 1 case of 24 beer cans + a part bottle of Whiskey(7/8 full 1.75L), a part bottle of Vodka (1/3 full 1.75L) and 6 loose cans of beer. Mainly left overs from a winter spent in FL.....

99% of the time, the border agent will wave you thru with that amount of alcohol but this time, the agent sent me in to pay the extra duty on the overage amount ($28).

Yes, I was a bit over my duty free limits after being away for 6 months but what a pain! The Customs office in Windsor isn't really set up for pulling over a large RV/truck combo. The large truck inspection area was full so I had to back out since there was no room to navigate the tight space in the car section.

You don't dare express any dissatisfaction with the border agent's decision since they are likely to send you in for a full, "rip you apart" inspection at the least provocation.

I'm sorry...but man, you were over over over. You are allowed 1.5 liters..OR 24 beerz. You had that plus another bottle of whiskey, some vodka and 6 more beers..so..what on earth are you griping about?



Gary Haupt

[Fizz]

We often cross with "leftovers".
We declare out unopened bottles and mention the leftovers.
They ask how much and and never pulled us over.

[vwsportbug]

Sometimes you run into a "stickler" border agent who seems to have an axe to grind. I crossed the border back into Canada last week and, when asked, declared my 1 full 1.75L bottle of Whiskey, 1 case of 24 beer cans + a part bottle of Whiskey(7/8 full 1.75L), a part bottle of Vodka (1/3 full 1.75L) and 6 loose cans of beer. Mainly left overs from a winter spent in FL.....

99% of the time, the border agent will wave you thru with that amount of alcohol but this time, the agent sent me in to pay the extra duty on the overage amount ($28).

Yes, I was a bit over my duty free limits after being away for 6 months but what a pain! The Customs office in Windsor isn't really set up for pulling over a large RV/truck combo. The large truck inspection area was full so I had to back out since there was no room to navigate the tight space in the car section.

You don't dare express any dissatisfaction with the border agent's decision since they are likely to send you in for a full, "rip you apart" inspection at the least provocation.

[cekkk]

I always hide a few bottles in my gun case. They never look there.

[Hammerhead]

Just hide the booze in the black tank -- the mounties will never look there. 🙂

[Ray___June]

We went through customs twice last year and the only things they questioned us about were guns (weapons) and pepper spray. Bear spray (must have a picture of a bear on it) is legal, pepper spray isn't.

[garyhaupt]

Yep..I am very familiar with that road at the Surrey crossing and also those that do the 'buy a chocolate bar' routine. I suppose we could shoot them...they are coming back from the US, so...you know...rightfully, the US gun thing could still apply.

I am trying to envision the firing squad...."bang, sorry...bang, sorry...."


Gary Haupt

[myredracer]

garyhaupt wrote:


A true Canadian response. We don't care for the US gun attitude, but hey..if someone is beating the Customs line-up...shoot'em.


Gary Haupt

When you've been waiting for an hour or two in a long lineup on a holiday weekend, and the cheaters are allowed to get away with this, violence is warranted and acceptable. :B Maybe not a good idea right in front of the CBP officers tho...

For anyone who has gone south across the border at the Pacific hwy truck crossing in Surrey, there is a side street near the duty-free shop. Locals that know about it use it to cut in ahead of long lineups too. Problem is that if you have a long RV and you try and obey the law and not block an intersection, you'll never get through because of all the folks using this side street. I waited something like 10 cycles of the stoplight once and finally gave up and just went ahead and blocked the intersection for 5-10 minutes to get through. It gets totally crazy there sometimes. The US and Canadian bureaucrats just don't seem to sit down together and better organize traffic flow and layout.

Back to alcohol...

[garyhaupt]

myredracer says..."We get a lot of Duty-free store cheaters at our crossing bypassing long, long lineups to buy a cheap bottle of booze or a chocolate bar just to be able to cut back into the lineup way ahead of everyone. They should all be lined up and shot and taught a lesson..."

A true Canadian response. We don't care for the US gun attitude, but hey..if someone is beating the Customs line-up...shoot'em.


Gary Haupt

[myredracer]

There's 2 or 3 correct answers above but nobody included a link to gov. website info. Should never go on hearsay and only what is current on gov't websites. You are responsible for being up to date on the latest info. If you have Nexus cards, you can have them taken away even for the slightest violation.

Exemptions for absence of less than 24 hrs. or more than 24 hrs. or more than 48 hrs:
http://travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/what-you-can-bring-home-to-canada#24hrs

Alcohol limits:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/atl-lat-eng.html

There is no limit on the total amount you can bring back but you are responsible for paying duty on any overage. NOt sure what they would say if you tried to bring back 100 or 500 cases of beer or wine tho. They are pretty easy going when returning to Canada and we're often over limits for duty and get waived right through. The last thing they want is a bunch of RVs plugging up the border crossing just get a few $$ in duty. The Pacific Hwy crossing in Surrey BC we use was poorly designed (1985) and only has space for one or two RVs.

Alcohol is so ridiculously cheap in the US compared to what we pay here. Even if you don't drink, you should bring some back. 🙂 Not sure what the US limits are when going into the US. We never take alcohol into the US - why would anyone when it's so cheap there.

We get a lot of Duty-free store cheaters at our crossing bypassing long, long lineups to buy a cheap bottle of booze or a chocolate bar just to be able to cut back into the lineup way ahead of everyone. They should all be lined up and shot and taught a lesson...

[Cummins12V98]

You should see at the end of the Snowbird Season all the Canadians at Costco in the PalmSprings, CA area with their baskets FULL of bottles with handles! They sure don't drink them all before crossing the border!!!