Going to Canada with a California record
Canada is the most common travel problem for people with a California record, and it is also the one where a California expungement helps least. This page is short because the honest answer is short.
Why a California dismissal does not settle it
Admissibility to Canada is a question of Canadian law applied by Canadian officers. A California court order dismissing a conviction changes what California does with the record. It does not oblige another country to disregard the underlying conduct, and in practice it frequently does not.
What actually helps
- Criminal rehabilitation: a Canadian application, available after enough time has passed, that resolves inadmissibility permanently.
- Deemed rehabilitation: in some cases, enough time passing does it without an application.
- A temporary resident permit: a Canadian permission to enter for a specific reason despite inadmissibility.
- Canadian immigration advice. This is genuinely a different country's law and we do not practise it.
Should you clear the California record anyway?
If you have other reasons — a job, a licence, housing — then yes, and the Canadian question is separate. If travel to Canada is the only reason you are considering a petition, our answer is that you would be spending money on the wrong thing, and we would rather say so.
Other countries
Every country sets its own rules. Most do not ask. Some, including Canada and Australia, ask in detail and have formal processes for dealing with a record. If a specific trip matters, check that country's own requirements rather than assuming a California order travels.
Common questions
Will Canada see my expunged DUI?
They may. Canadian border officers have access to US criminal history information, and a California dismissal does not remove the entry from the record — it annotates it. Do not plan a trip on the assumption they will not see it.
Is there anything a California lawyer can do?
For Canadian admissibility, no. What a California lawyer can do is clear the record for California purposes, which may be worth doing for other reasons.
Legal information on this page was last checked against primary sources in October 2026. California law changes; if you are reading this long after that date, confirm before you rely on it.