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Letters & authorizations
Generate a notarized letter granting someone else authority to operate your vehicle across the Canada-U.S. border.
Also known as
Authorization to Operate My Vehicle Across the Canada / U.S. Border
Addressed to: The Officer on Duty, Customs and Border Protection
I, ______, am the registered owner of the ______ ______ ______ (year, make, model) bearing vehicle identification number ______.
I am authorizing the use of this vehicle to ______, who is my ______ for the purpose of ______ during the period from ______ to ______. I grant them full permission to operate my vehicle across the Canada / U.S. border.
Should you have any questions regarding this authorization, I can be reached at:
Phone Number: ______
Email address: ______
How it works
Answer the questions on the left. Your document builds itself on the right as you type.
Get a clean, ready-to-sign PDF in seconds. No account, no watermark.
Book an appointment, bring your document, and we witness your signature and apply the seal.
A Vehicle Permission Letter is a signed statement from the registered owner of a vehicle authorising another person to drive that vehicle across the U.S.-Canada border. Border officers at both the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may ask the driver to prove they have the owner's permission when the vehicle registration is not in their name.
Without this letter, a vehicle can be held or turned back at the border. A notarised copy is far more likely to be accepted without further questions because it shows a neutral third party verified the owner's identity and witnessed the signature.
Any time someone other than the registered owner is driving the vehicle across the international border, this letter is strongly recommended. Common situations include the following.
The letter must give border officers enough detail to confirm the vehicle, the owner, the driver, and the scope of permission.
There is no law in Canada or the United States that strictly requires this letter to be notarised. However, a notarised letter carries significantly more weight at the border because it proves the owner's identity was verified by a commissioner. Border officers exercise broad discretion, and an unnotarised letter may be questioned or rejected.
Many car rental and leasing companies issue their own authorisation letters for the same reason. Private vehicle owners are wise to do the same.
Only the vehicle owner needs to attend the appointment. The authorised driver does not need to be present.
Once the letter is notarised, the authorised driver should keep it in the vehicle along with other documents border officers may request.
If the vehicle registration shows a leasing or financing company as the owner, you will need permission from that company in addition to your own letter. Contact your leasing company for their specific cross-border authorisation process. Some lenders provide a standard letter; others require advance notice.
Notarisation at Minute Notary is a flat $19.90 per stamp. This letter typically requires one stamp. Book online or visit our Ottawa office; the appointment takes only a few minutes.
Frequently asked
Fill it in online, download a ready-to-sign PDF, then bring it in and we will notarize it, in person across Ottawa or online.