Crossing Home for Thanksgiving: 10 Border Rules

Thanksgiving falls on Monday 12 October this year, and if you are spending the long weekend in the US, that Monday is the day to avoid at the border. The Canada Border Services Agency says the Monday of a holiday long weekend tends to be the busiest, and that early mornings are the best time to cross.

The agency handles a lot of people. It says it welcomed more than 82 million travellers in 2025. Here is what it wants you to know before you join them, in the order you will need it.

1. Time your drive

Check the CBSA’s border wait times before you set off, and look up your crossing’s opening hours in the Directory of CBSA Offices and Services. Not every port keeps the same hours. If your map app picks a route, the agency suggests comparing the fastest and shortest options, because they may send you to different crossings.

2. Plan around Lacolle

Construction at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle port of entry, the main crossing from New York State into Quebec, may cause longer than normal waits. The CBSA suggests using another crossing with shorter waits or less traffic.

3. Have documents in hand

Have your travel documents ready to give the officer. The agency says it speeds up processing.

4. Declare everything

Declare everything you have with you. If you are driving, you are responsible for everything in the vehicle, including what your passengers packed.

5. Know your exemptions

Canadian residents can bring back goods, including alcohol and tobacco up to set limits, without paying regular duty and taxes under their personal exemptions. Know what you spent in Canadian dollars and keep the receipts handy. Anything bought for sale or for your business counts as commercial goods and must be declared through the CBSA’s CARM system.

The agency also points travellers to its page on Canadian tariffs on certain US goods and how they apply at the border, which is worth reading before a shopping trip.

6. Leave the turkey behind

This is the one that catches people at Thanksgiving. Do not bring raw poultry products or by-products, including turkey, without checking the current restrictions on poultry and birds from the United States. Homemade food or leftovers containing poultry cannot be brought into Canada. That includes the turkey sandwiches for the drive home.

7. Flying? Declare early

Arriving by air, you can use Advance Declaration to file your customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours before you land, at participating airports. If you are only connecting through Canada between two international flights, check the CBSA’s rules on international-to-international connections: eligible travellers at select airports can go straight to their next flight without entering Canada.

8. Travelling with someone else’s child

If you are travelling with a child who is not yours, or for whom you do not have legal custody, bring a consent letter from the parent or guardian. Without one, officers may ask more questions.

9. No cannabis, no favours

Cannabis is legal in Canada, but taking it across the border in any form, including oils with THC or CBD, without Health Canada authorization is a serious criminal offence. A doctor’s prescription does not count. The agency also warns against carrying anything for anyone else.

10. Leave firearms at home

The CBSA encourages travellers not to bring firearms or weapons. If you must, check the import rules first, and review the restricted and prohibited goods list to avoid fines, seizure or prosecution.

Not sure about something? The agency’s advice is to be open and honest with the officer, or call 1-800-461-9999 before you go.

Plan it

• Cross early: early morning on Saturday or Sunday beats Monday afternoon.
• Quebec drivers: check Lacolle waits before committing, and have a backup crossing.
• Pack the receipts: in one place, with totals converted to Canadian dollars.
• One page to print: the CBSA’s Border reminder checklist.

For advisors

• Send it now: clients driving to New England, New York or Michigan for the weekend will welcome a short border note before Friday.
• Flag the poultry rule: families heading south for American relatives’ dinners are the ones most likely to pack leftovers.
• Air clients: remind them about Advance Declaration, and check whether international connections through Canada qualify to skip entry.
• Shopping trips: point clients to the tariff and personal exemption pages before they buy.

Sources

• Canada Border Services Agency via Newswire.ca, 6 Oct 2026