Fact Sheet

January 2004

Commercial Driver Registration Program

In order to transport goods under the Customs Self Assessment (CSA) program, commercial carriers and drivers must be registered and able to demonstrate a high level of compliance with the laws and regulations administered by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

The Commercial Driver Registration Program (CDRP) involves a rigorous pre-screening and approval process for their registration, which is jointly administered by the CBSA and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Citizens and lawful permanent residents of Canada or the United States may apply to register with the CDRP. Prospective CDRP participants are required to provide proof of citizenship or legal residence, a copy of their driver's licence and other detailed personal information. A thorough screening process is conducted using customs, immigration and police databases to determine if the eligibility criteria are met.

Applicants may be granted membership if they have not had a serious customs infraction, have not been convicted of any offence, and there is no other information that undermines the CBSA's confidence of the applicant's compliance with program obligations. Further, the applicant must also be considered admissible to Canada under the legislation of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Successful CDRP applicants are provided a photo registration card containing a bar-code as well as a participant's guide that explains their obligations, responsibilities, and consequences of non-compliance. This photo registration card is mandatory for the customs clearance of a CSA shipment.

Throughout the membership period, periodic checks will be conducted of the driver's membership information to ensure that it remains in good standing. Various sanctions will be applied for unacceptable performance depending on the severity up to, and including cancellation of CDRP privileges.

The driver is required to reapply to CDRP every 2 years, and the screening process of customs, immigration and police databases is repeated. If a renewal application is not received within 60 days, prior to expiration, the membership is automatically terminated.

For more information, visit our web site at:
www.cbsa.gc.ca/prog/cdrp-picsc/menu-eng.html

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