I was fined and convicted with driving without insurance about 4 years ago. I now have the opportunity to travel out of the country for a family vacation. I am worried that I will get to the airport and they will say no I can't go because I have a prior conviction. The fine has been paid. I am just wondering if I am going to be able to travel or not. I can't seem to find the answer in various searches through google. Any help is much appreciated. As far as I'm aware it is criminal charges that would prevent me, but a HTA violation is not a criminal charge, if what I have read is correct. Again any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Driving without insurance is covered under the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act and is a provincial offence not a criminal charge. As far as I know traffic offences do not cause problems crossing the border. If you want to be 100% sure you can always check with the embassy of the country you are traveling too, but I personally wouldn't worry about it.

Even if you have a conviction and have no outstanding fines or jail time, why wouldn't you be allowed to leave the country?

This is not the USA.

diehard wrote:

Even if you have a conviction and have no outstanding fines or jail time, why wouldn't you be allowed to leave the country?

This is not the USA.

Quite true, Canadian authorities wouldn't care if someone with convictions left the country, as long as they weren't on probation or parole and did not have any outstanding warrants. If a problem were to crop up it would be at the other end with the receiving country's immigration authorities, as many countries will deny entry to people with past criminal convictions.