Entering Canada via USA with a Rental Car

[MLML]

Does anyone have experience with entering Canada via USA boarder posts with a US registered car rental? The last time I wanted to rent a car in Montana to drive across to Canada, I was told by the rental company that as a PR, the IO at the boarder wouldn't allow me to drive a US registered rental car across the border. Has anybody got an experience with a US registered rental car across the border? If yes, which boarder post did you use?
Alternatively, does anyone know which major town(s), in the US, near boarder posts I can easily get a Canadian registered car rental to rent?
Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[YorkFactory]

Currently, residents of Canada (this has more to do with where you actually live than whether you are a PR/citizen or not; this wouldn't apply to a Canadian citizen living in Chicago, for example) are not permitted to import cars with a foreign registration, even temporarily. Doing so risks the car being impounded at the border.

This will change on June 1, when the worst that will happen is that you have to pay GST/HST on the value of the rental. See here. (Also, duty-free exemptions are going up, as indicated here.)

The rental agency won't be able to guarantee you a car with Canadian plates, or any particular car for that matter.

 

[MLML]

Many thanks for your insight on this.

 

[SFD]

Many thanks for your insight on this.

MLML,

In the past, I rented with HERTZ in NY. I paid a higher rate for bringing the car to Canada. (Average US$250 per day).
Also, last summer, I rented a car in Montreal and drove to New York and returned it in NY. I paid the fees... I asked the U.S. Immigration Officer is he wanted to see the documents of the vehicle to what he replied. Nope.

I am not really sure if you can do this with all car rental agencies. Just to share with you: Today, I went to Buffalo, but in my own vehicle and no questions were askes about the registration.

Anyways, check car rental website...


SFD

 

[Alabaman]

The last time I wanted to rent a car in Montana to drive across to Canada, I was told by the rental company that as a PR, the IO at the boarder wouldn't allow me to drive a US registered rental car across the border.

I doubt if this is true.

 

[Leon]

There is some kind of rule saying that Canadian residents should not be driving US plated cars in Canada but a PR who is living overseas is really not a resident. However, not all IO's seem to understand that a person with PR is not necessarily a resident of Canada.

To avoid problems, you can get Canadian plated rental cars in a town close to the US border. If it is more expensive, just get it for a day, return it in Canada right away and get another one to take you to the end of the trip.