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raymondfl's avatar
raymondfl
Explorer
Nov 23, 2014

Driving in Canada

We are going to Canada next summer and stay around three months. At our weekly get together Friday, I was talking to someone from Canada and he said great we will really enjoy the country. And then he said make sure you have a CDL license because in Canada they require a special license for anything in excess of a certain weight, of which we would be. I have driven in Canada before, but never been stopped or in a wreck, my major concern would be a wreck, not have the proper license and have a liability issue. Does anyone know for sure that Americans would need a special license or does Canada accept our license as legal if it is legal in the USA?
Thanks for any help.
Ray
  • Your license issued by the State of FL, or any other state, is sufficient for travel anywhere in Canada. You are required to have proof of insurance. But don't worry about the license, you are fine. Believe me, we have drivers coming here from many countries that are much less qualified, some of whom have only operated 2-wheeled vehicles with bamboo spokes.....
  • Don't forget to put metric air in your tires.
    And the speed limit sign that says "100" is referring to kilometers per hour, not miles per hour. That's 62mph.

    Enjoy Canada. Beautiful place, beautiful people.

    GM
  • Jagtech wrote:
    Your license issued by the State of FL, or any other state, is sufficient for travel anywhere in Canada. You are required to have proof of insurance. But don't worry about the license, you are fine. Believe me, we have drivers coming here from many countries that are much less qualified, some of whom have only operated 2-wheeled vehicles with bamboo spokes.....


    There are some (one?) official Canadian web site(s) that indicates you need a Canadian Proof of Insurance for a US licensed vehicle driven in Canada. Most US insurance companies are aware of this and can issue this to you which shows that your US insurance is good in Canada. I got one for my trip this summer, but nobody in Canada ever asked for it. Don't know if it's still or really is a requirement, but it wasn't much of a hassle to obtain.