# So what does it mean that having a criminal record can "spoil travel plans"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2015, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-it-mean-that-having-a-criminal-record-can-spoil-travel-plans/740411 "2015-12-14T12:56:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 8
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-it-mean-that-having-a-criminal-record-can-spoil-travel-plans/740411/8 "2015-12-14T14:33:04Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > My BS meter is going off on the first one; please provide a cite for this. There isn’t even a database here that the police can access that has all 911 call data, let alone Canada. I don’t have a cite for it, but I agree with **md2000** - I remember seeing it on the news. It’s not that US border agencies can access 911 calls in Canada. Rather, the details of the 911 call got added to a Canadian police data base, because the call triggered a police intervention to prevent the suicide. The US border service then had access to that Canadian police database. > [@](#): > > The second scenario is the one I see at the Canadian border, they trick you into admitting to a crime in your past. While they do have access to all people convicted of felonies and will deny them entry, DUI’s are not a felony in most states and do not show up at the border crossing unless you committed a felony DUI (most likely multiple DUI’s) or a serious traffic violation that is labeled a minor felony. Yes, as I understand it, the Canadian approach isn’t based on what the US laws call it (feline misdemeanour, etc). Instead, the question is, “If this had occurred in Canada, how would we categorise it?” DUI in the States may just be a misdemeanour, but in Canada the equivalent is a federal Criminal Code offence, so automatic denial. I don’t think Canada uses the concept of “moral turpitude” as that’s too fuzzy. It’s just the straightforward question: “if it occurred here, should it be a crime?” If so, no entry unless you jump through the hoops as described by **Lord Feldon**. Canada Border Agent: “You stole an oyster bed? Don’t care if that’s just a slight misdemeanour where you come from. We take theft of oyster beds seriously up here. Entry denied!” --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-it-mean-that-having-a-criminal-record-can-spoil-travel-plans/740411)._