Skip to main content

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

s. 139 Search

  • PART 3: Enforcement

Last verified: June 2026 ยท Source: justice.gc.ca

The law says

IRPA s. 139
Verify on justice.gc.ca(opens in a new tab)

(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.

Sections this one cites

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

Guides on this part of the Act

No guide cites this section directly. These guides cite other sections in the same Division of the Act.