FAST

Commercial Driver Program Participant's Guide

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• FAST terms and conditions
  • Change of information
  • Lost/stolen or damaged/defective FAST cards
  • Penalties
• Crossing the border
  • Entering the United States
  • Entering Canada
  • Importing restrictions for Canada and the United States for
    personal use goods
• FAST procedures at port of entry
• Need more information?

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Introduction

In this guide, you will find information about the FAST Commercial Driver Program.

As an approved participant of this program, you will receive:

• this participant's guide;
• a FAST Commercial Driver card with photo identification;
• for Canadian residents, a copy of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) publication called, Travelling Outside Canada, and the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) publication called, Visiting the United States;
• for United States residents, a copy of the CBSA publication called, Visitors to Canada, and the CBP publication called, Know Before You Go; and
• information on Canadian and American immigration rules related to cabotage.

FAST terms and conditions

Once you are approved for the FAST Commercial Driver Program you must:

• comply with all CBSA legislation, and any other laws that are enforced by the CBP and the CBSA;
• carry at all times and show when requested your FAST Commercial Driver card, and necessary personal identification including any immigration documents;
• make sure everyone in your vehicle has a valid FAST Commercial Driver card before you reach the border. If any of the passengers in your vehicle are not carrying their FAST Commercial Driver card or you have passengers in your vehicle who are not FAST Commercial Driver participants, you must use the regular service lanes;
• not transfer your FAST Commercial Driver card to another individual; and
• not violate the immigration regulations of Canada or the United States concerning “cabotage” or “point to point” movement of commercial shipments.

When you are no longer a participant in the FAST Commercial Driver Program you must:

• return the FAST Commercial Driver card to any CBSA office in Canada or any CBP office in the United States; and
• return unused Traveller Declaration Cards, if applicable, to any CBSA office in Canada.

Note: Citizens of Canada and the United States may use the FAST Commercial Driver card as proof of identity and as a document that denotes citizenship when entering at all land and marine ports of entry. Please note, program privileges are not offered in non-FAST lanes.

For permanent residents of Canada and the United States, your authorized period of admission to Canada or the United States will depend on your underlying immigration status for each country or your citizenship in that country. Your immigration status and citizenship must be valid at all times, and you must possess appropriate immigration and identity documents in addition to your FAST Commercial Driver card.

Change of information

If the information that you provided in your application changes in any way, you must notify immediately, in writing, a FAST processing centre in both Canada and the United States.

Lost/stolen or damaged/defective FAST cards

You must notify the processing centre in Canada at once if your FAST card has been lost or stolen.

• If your card has been lost, stolen or damaged, you must pay a fee to be re-issued a card.
• Defective cards will be replaced free of charge.

Note: The addresses for the FAST processing centres can be found at the back of this guide.

Penalties

CBSA and CBP officers will strictly enforce the law. Any time you enter Canada or the United States you are subject to compliance and enforcement checks. If you are found in violation of any condition of the FAST program, or of any law of Canada or the United States, officers may:

• revoke your FAST Commercial Driver card. If your card is revoked, you have 30 days in which to request a review of the decision;
• seize any undeclared goods and the vehicle used to transport those goods;
• issue penalties;
• initiate administrative procedures; and
• initiate criminal prosecution.

Note: If your membership has been revoked by a CBSA official, you may write to the FAST Commercial Driver Program processing centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, for a review of the decision.

If U.S. CBP officials have revoked your membership, you may contact the supervisor at the Enrolment Centre of your choice to schedule an appointment to present information, which exonerates you from the incident that resulted in the revocation. Or alternatively, you may contact the Ombudsman in writing at:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
300 Interstate Corporate Center
Suite 303
Williston, VT 05495
Attention: CBP Ombudsman

Important: If the revocation of your FAST Commercial Driver card was as a result of a seizure action, you will be required to successfully appeal this action before your request for a review of the decision cancelling your membership can begin.

Information on appealing the seizure action is provided to you at the time of the violation.

Crossing the border

As a FAST Commercial Driver participant, you must declare all goods you are importing whenever you cross the border into Canada or the United States.

Entering the United States

If you are importing goods for your personal use, you must make an oral declaration to the officer in the booth. For more information, United States residents should refer to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection pamphlet called, Know Before You Go, and Canadian residents visiting the United States should see the publication called, Visiting the United States.

Entering Canada

If you are importing goods for your personal use that do not exceed your personal exemptions, you must make a verbal declaration to the officer in the booth. For more information about importing goods into Canada, Canadian residents should see the CBSA pamphlet called, Travelling Outside Canada, and United States residents should see the CBSA pamphlet called, Visitors to Canada.

Important: If you are entering the United States or Canada and you have goods to declare in excess of your personal exemptions, you must use the regular lane.

Note: When declaring goods whether within your personal exemptions or in excess, Canadian residents have the option of obtaining Traveller Declaration Cards (TDCs) that can be presented any time you cross into Canada using the FAST lane. You must complete the card before arriving in Canada.

When you arrive, hand your completed TDC to the officer in the booth. If you have exceeded your personal exemptions, the duties and taxes owing will be charged to your credit card.

Importing restrictions for Canada and the United States for personal use goods

You must not import controlled, restricted, or prohibited firearms or weapons, including Mace, pepper spray, and stun guns.

You must not import controlled, restricted, or prohibited goods, animals, or plants. This includes controlled, restricted, or prohibited substances, endangered animals and species, and restricted fruits and vegetables. For more information, see the CBSA publications, Travelling Outside Canada and Visitors to Canada, and the CBP publications, Know Before You Go and Visiting the United States.

If you bring or carry more than US$10,000 in currency and monetary instruments into or out of the United States, you must use the regular lane and make a declaration to CBP.

If you bring or carry more than CAN$10,000 in currency and/or monetary instruments into or out of Canada, you must use the regular lane and make a declaration to the CBSA.

FAST procedures at port of entry

FAST clearance can only be used if everyone in the vehicle is in possession of a valid FAST Commercial Driver card and transporting eligible goods for a FAST-approved carrier and importer. The following procedures apply:

• When you enter Canada or the United States where there is a dedicated FAST lane, stop and hold your FAST Commercial Driver card(s) in front of the card reader (where available) and then stop at the inspection booth to complete the inspection process.
• For border locations without a dedicated FAST lane, present your FAST Commercial Driver card(s) to the officer in the booth.

Need more information?

If you want to know more about the FAST Commercial Driver Program, please contact the FAST Commercial Driver Program processing centre at:

FAST Commercial Driver Program
4551 Zimmerman Avenue
P.O. Box 66
Niagara Falls ON L2E 6T1
CANADA
www.cbsa.gc.ca

FAST Processing Center
United States Customs and Border Protection
50 South Main St., Suite 100R
St. Albans VT 05478
U.S.A.
www.cbp.gov

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