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Driving to Alaska (not taking any firearms in my vehicle). Trying to find regulations pertaining to transit of ammunition through Canada. Seeing 5k rounds acceptable but it looks like specific to importing..want to drive through on ALCAN and want to know law (taking into Canada and bringing back into US at AK border). Anyone know the law and can point to regulations?

Thanks. Good shooting to you!
 
I can't point to any specific law, but I've always heard that you better not even be caught with a loose round rolling around your rig crossing in to Canadia. Could be BS.

There must be some exceptions if you jump through enough hoops, because I assume it's possible to hunt there.
 
I can't point to any specific law, but I've always heard that you better not even be caught with a loose round rolling around your rig crossing in to Canadia. Could be BS.

There must be some exceptions if you jump through enough hoops, because I assume it's possible to hunt there.

Yes, god help you if you don't declare..just trying to find out how to declare properly and how much I can legally transport. Thanks
 
There may be an issue with US authorities about exporting ammo to Canada. Lots of regs. re. export of arms and ammunition.

Going into Canada, they ask at the border crossing if you have any arms or ammunition. If you answer no, that's the guiding principle, no is no, and if for whatever reason they find something after that, you've got problems. "I forgot" or "I didn't know it was there" doesn't work. So one of the questions I've been asked by the Canadian border people was, "Have you ever taken this vehicle to a gun range?" If you answer yes, they pull you over into one of the lanes on the side and do a thorough search. Because they know people leave stray rounds in their car by accident. It's a "gotcha."

I think OP would avoid a whole lot of hassle by leaving the 5K rounds behind. I know it hurts.

I've been stopped at the crossing at Sumas by a squad of guys in black tactical suits. They asked me all kinds of probing questions. Like what was my reason for crossing the border. I was recuperating from surgery and had cabin fever, so I took a drive up to Canada. One of these guys asked me why I was going there; I said I was taking a day trip for fun. He said, "Why Canada? You can have fun by taking a trip to Disneyland." I answered, "I can't drive to Disneyland and back in one day." They let me through, then I got to the Canadian officers. I said, "I thought I already crossed the border. Who were those guys in black suits back there?" The Canadian officer said, "Those are your guys." Hmmm.

One other piece of advice. If you are ever getting off the boat in Galveston, Texas, and you see a kindly lady sitting there at a folding table and she asks you if you bought any cigarettes offshore, say no. They aren't inspecting bags, they are only snaring honest citizens into paying extortionate Texas cigarette taxes.
 
Have 15k..just trying to find out how much I can legally take through Canada.

Since the Canadian limit for personal use seems to be 5K rounds, your amount might be problematic. Further, there would be issues with exporting it from the US. Here is an except from the 22 CFR 123.17:

"(e) Port Directors of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall permit U.S. persons to export without a license ammunition for nonautomatic firearms referred to in paragraph (a) of this section if the quantity does not exceed 1,000 cartridges (or rounds) in any shipment. The ammunition must also be for personal use and not for resale or other transfer of ownership. "

The inclusion of the word "nonautomatic" opens up a vista of interpretation, maybe. Like if you were trying to take out 5.56mm ammo, that could be considered by some to be ammo for an automatic weapon.

The words, "without a license" indicates that there are possibilities if you pursue that course. I'm going to guess that takes time and payment of a fee.

I'd just ship the ammo to someone already in Alaska. Might cost a bit but it avoids the whole Canada vs. ammo thing.

I like this idea better. If you barge it to AK, you are not exporting it. If you take it through Canada, that's exporting, even with a final destination of AK.

But you cannot ship by mail. You can't send ammo anywhere legally in the US mail. Common carriers won't take ammo shipments to AK from individuals. Small quantities are the most troublesome. If you have a decent quantity, sending it through a freight forwarder who arranges surface transportation would work. Some people take ammo in their luggage on air trips to Alaska. But not 15K rounds.

An private person hauling around 15K rounds of ammo in these trying times is gonna raise eyebrows along the way, you'd imagine. Within just about any context you can think of. I personally have no issues with it. The average Joe who has heard about mass shootings over and over again might think otherwise. Something like, "Why would any reasonable person need to have 15K rounds of ammunition??!!" Within the continental US, we can haul around 15K rounds privately, some might say secretly, without giving it too much thought. Unless our vehicle rolls over on the road, contents spill out and ammo is seen. Then someone will ask questions, at least. But there's nothing inherently illegal about it. Crossing international borders is another thing.
 
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I understand. I am just trying to find out if anyone actually knows the regulations for transporting ammunition through Canada so I can legally bring what I can and slowly move the rest up over time.
 
Per my previous links, looks like you can inport and export 5000 rounds of ammo that they call not for automatics. Not clear as to what that means. You can ship via UPS Alaska Ground up to 60 Lbs per package.
 
I am just trying to find out if anyone actually knows the regulations

Someone who "actually knows" this information is the Canadian government. Here is an extract from Importation, Exportation and Transportation In-Transit of Ammunition | Natural Resources Canada

"Importation, Exportation and Transportation In-Transit of Ammunition

Any individual can import up to 5,000 rounds of small arms cartridges into Canada without an import permit if they are for personal use (i.e., not for resale). If you plan to resell the cartridges or to import more than 5,000 rounds, you need an import permit. Similarly, you can export and transport in-transit up to 5,000 rounds of small arms cartridges for personal use without an export and transport in-transit permit, but you need a permit if you plan to resell the cartridges or to export and transport in-transit more than 5,000 rounds."

This is the Canadian point of view. The US point of view on EXPORTING the ammo is different, which I've mentioned above. I don't know what more we can tell you.
 
You can ship via UPS Alaska Ground up to 60 Lbs per package.

I don't think this is correct. UPS Ground Alaska is INTRA-ALASKA, meaning only on the ground within AK. I don't think this is a ground service from the lower 48 to Alaska.

"UPS accepts for transportation such ammunition as constitutes "cartridges, small arms," as defined in 49 C.F.R. § 173.59. All other allowable ammunition shipments are accepted only on a contractual basis, and must be prepared under the rules for a fully regulated hazardous material.

Ammunition will be transported only when packaged and labeled in compliance with 49 C.F.R. § 172 (Hazardous Materials), and must be shipped in accordance with the UPS Guide for Shipping Ground and Air Hazardous Materials. To meet the exception for Limited Quantity/ORM-D, ammunition can be shipped via UPS Ground only within the 48 contiguous United States, UPS Ground Intra-Oahu and Intra-Alaska." Intra means within.

Side bar: I ship ammo by UPS from time to time, so I'm reasonably familiar with their policies. Maybe moreso than agents at their call centers. Sometimes I double check answers between online rates, rates that counter clerks quote me at the UPS hub, and (worst of all) the call center. And policies change. If you buy UPS shipping online, they now have a service called "Simple Rate" which is based on size (cubage) and has a weight limit of 50 pounds. This is an on-line rate only; if you go to the UPS hub and mail the same thing retail, a small but high density package will cost about twice as much. Just today, I called the UPS Hazmat line to see if ORM-D (Small Arms Ammo) could be sent using the Simple Rate and they said it was okay. It pays to check up on this stuff.
 
Yes, you can have 65lbs of Ammo on the ferry. Time does not allow me to take ferry as next going to Whittier is May.

If time is of the issue, UPS -- your border wait might make you late.

Kidding aside, maybe it is worth a call to the Canadian Border Patrol and also to the American one up north and just ask them what the deal is.
 
It looks, by the Canadian link down below there is a table and commentary that says as long as the ammo is constantly with the person transporting it they can transport 15000 rounds of ammo. I'd print that out and keep it with you if stopped.
 
from what i read if you contact Canadian authorities and file the correct paper work You can transport guns and ammo through the country while traveling to Alaska. Maybe instead of asking here just use google and make a couple phone calls that you'll end up having to make anyways.
 

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