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Criminal Code

s. 320.13 Dangerous Operation

Dangerous operation

  • Impaired Driving & Transportation
  • Impaired Driving
Maximum sentence
10 years (base) / 14 years (bodily harm) / life (death)
Classification
Hybrid

Last verified: June 2026 · Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca

The law says

Criminal Code s. 320.13
Verify on justice.gc.ca(opens in a new tab)
  • (1)Everyone commits an offence who operates a conveyance in a manner that, having regard to all of the circumstances, is dangerous to the public.
  • (2)Everyone commits an offence who operates a conveyance in a manner that, having regard to all of the circumstances, is dangerous to the public and, as a result, causes bodily harm to another person.
  • (3)Everyone commits an offence who operates a conveyance in a manner that, having regard to all of the circumstances, is dangerous to the public and, as a result, causes the death of another person.
Amendment History (1)
  • 2018, c. 21, s. 15

Justice Laws is the authoritative version. If this copy and it ever differ, Justice Laws wins.

Immigration

Where this offence sits under IRPA

Dangerous operation means driving a car, boat, plane or train in a way that is dangerous to the public. It is hybrid. The basic offence has a top sentence of 10 years on indictment (s.320.19(5)), and the injury version 14 years (s.320.2). IRPA s.36(3)(a) treats a hybrid offence as indictable, even on the summary track. So a conviction for either version is serious criminality under IRPA s.36(1), not just criminality under s.36(2). The death version (s.320.13(3)) has its own penalty section, which this page does not hold.

This is how the law sorts the offence, not a reading of any one record. An officer decides each case.

IRPA sections involved

Guides that explain this section

Reckless Driving Conviction Entry to Canada

Related sections

Criminal Code s. 320.14Operation While ImpairedHybridCriminal Code s. 320.15Failure or Refusal to Comply with DemandHybrid