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Last verified: June 2026 · Source: justice.gc.ca← Back to IRPA ExplorerLast verified: June 2026 · Source: justice.gc.ca
PART 3: Enforcement
§139

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🍁 In Simple Terms

At the border an officer can search you, your luggage, your belongings and the vehicle that brought you, on reasonable grounds to believe you are hiding your identity or documents about your admissibility, or that you have committed or hold documents for a smuggling, trafficking or document offence. The search has to be carried out by someone of the same sex.

Affects: Persons subject to removal or detention
Legal Text: IRPA Section 139

(1)An officer may search any person seeking to come into Canada and may search their luggage and personal effects and the means of transportation that conveyed the person to Canada if the officer believes on reasonable grounds that the person (a)has not revealed their identity or has hidden on or about their person documents that are relevant to their admissibility; or (b)has committed, or possesses documents that may be used in the commission of, an offence referred to in section 117, 118 or 122.

Search by person of same sex

(2)A search of a person under this section must be performed by a person of the same sex as the person being searched. If an officer of the same sex is not available, any suitable person of the same sex may be authorized by an officer to perform the search.

Cross-References
In Practice
Official Source: Justice Canada: IRPA s. 139 (authoritative, may differ from this display)
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