Guide
The RABC permit ends on 14 September 2026
Existing permits stop working at 11:59 pm on 13 September 2026. CBSA has published the date and the requirement; we could not find a list of the designated reporting sites on any page we were able to read, and we say exactly which pages those were. Every source read and dated 25 July 2026.
What is changing
The Remote Area Border Crossing permit is ending. If you have crossed into Canada at a remote spot on Lake of the Woods on an RABC permit, the permit stops working partway through the 2026 season, and the way you report your arrival changes.
Existing permits stop working at 11:59 pm on 13 September 2026
CBSA states the program “is being replaced with telephone reporting effective September 14, 2026” and that applications “are no longer being accepted.”
“Existing RABC permits remain valid until 11:59 pm on September 13, 2026. After this date, all travellers entering Canada through remote areas of northern Ontario or from the Northwest Angle into southern Manitoba must report to the CBSA in person at a port of entry or a designated telephone reporting site.”
— CBSA — Remote Area Border Crossing Program (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
CBSA’s consultation page states the same requirement in slightly different words — it omits “in person” before “at a port of entry.” Both pages are CBSA’s, both were read on 25 July 2026, and we print both rather than choosing between them.
“The RABC Program will close on September 14, 2026. As of this date, all travellers entering Canada through remote areas of northern Ontario or from the Northwest Angle into southern Manitoba, must report to the CBSA at a port of entry or a designated telephone reporting site.”
— CBSA — Share your thoughts on new telephone reporting site locations (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
Which areas this covers
CBSA names five remote areas, in these words. The same five are listed on the RABC program page as the areas the permit covers, and on the consultation page as the areas the replacement sites are for — so the change is scoped to exactly what is closing.
| Area, in CBSA’s wording | Named on both CBSA pages |
|---|---|
| Northwest Angle Area | Yes |
| Pigeon River through to and including Lake of the Woods | Yes |
| Canadian shore of Lake Superior | Yes |
| Sault Ste. Marie (upper lock system) | Yes |
| Cockburn Island | Yes |
Lake of the Woods appears inside the second entry, as part of a stretch CBSA describes from Pigeon River onward. We quote the area names rather than restate them: deciding where “through to and including Lake of the Woods” begins and ends is CBSA’s call, not ours.
What CBSA has published, and what we could not find
The date is published. The requirement is published. A list of the places you will actually be able to report from is not something we could find on any page we were able to read.
That is a claim about something being absent, so it is worth being precise about its limits: it means we did not find it, on these pages, on 25 July 2026. It does not mean CBSA has not decided, and it does not mean no list exists somewhere we did not reach. Here is exactly what we checked, so you can re-run it rather than take our word for it:
- The RABC program page, which announces the replacement but names no sites (read 2026-07-25, CBSA’s own “Date modified” 2025-12-19).
- The consultation page, whose status is “Closed” and which states the consultation opened 26 January 2026 and closed 13 February 2026 without publishing a resulting list (read 2026-07-25, “Date modified” 2026-03-06).
- Memorandum D2-5-12, the operational document for telephone reporting, which sets out the designation requirements but names no site in any of the five areas and does not mention the RABC areas at all (read 2026-07-25, issued 25 June 2025).
One place we could not check — and it is the one most likely to have the answer
CBSA maintains a Directory of CBSA Offices and Services (opens in a new tab) which lists telephone reporting sites, and the private-boat page links to it. It returns HTTP 403 to us and requires JavaScript to render, so we have not read it and make no claim about what it currently lists. We will not describe a page we have not opened, so: open it yourself, and treat it as more current than anything here.
“Opened on January 26, 2026, and closed on February 13, 2026.”
— CBSA — Share your thoughts on new telephone reporting site locations (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
CBSA has said the sites are coming, and has committed to being open about the process:
“Additional telephone reporting sites will be designated to facilitate border crossing in areas formerly covered by the RABC Program while ensuring the safety and security of the Canada-U.S. border.”
— CBSA — Share your thoughts on new telephone reporting site locations (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
“We are committed to transparency and open dialogue with the communities in remote border areas throughout the site identification and designation process.”
— CBSA — Share your thoughts on new telephone reporting site locations (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
What this means in practice
The requirement stated on both CBSA pages is to report at a port of entry or a designated telephone reporting site. We did not find a list of designated sites for these five areas on any page we were able to read.If your trip crosses after 13 September 2026, this is the detail to confirm with CBSA directly before you leave — not something to discover on the water.
How a site gets designated
CBSA’s operating memorandum sets out one route by which a site becomes designated, and it starts with the operator rather than with the agency: a marina or business presents a business case to the local CBSA office. We quote it because it is useful context for anyone waiting on a list — not as an explanation of why no list has appeared, which CBSA has not stated and we cannot supply.
“Marinas interested in obtaining a CBSA designation as a Telephone Reporting Site/Marine (TRS/M) must present the local CBSA office with a business case.”
— Memorandum D2-5-12: Telephone Reporting for General Aviation, Private Boats, and other Non-Commercial Passenger Conveyances (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
The request then goes through an internal approval process, and the site has conditions to meet in order to get the designation and keep it. The memorandum introduces those conditions with a qualifier that is easy to drop and changes how the list should be read, so both lead-ins are given here in full:
“For a marina to become a designated CBSA TRS/M and to maintain its designation, the following requirements and conditions must be met (exceptions may apply):”
— Memorandum D2-5-12: Telephone Reporting for General Aviation, Private Boats, and other Non-Commercial Passenger Conveyances (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
“For a marina or other business to become a designated CBSA TRS/L and to maintain its designation, the following requirements and conditions must be met (exceptions may apply, depending on regional requirements):”
— Memorandum D2-5-12: Telephone Reporting for General Aviation, Private Boats, and other Non-Commercial Passenger Conveyances (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
The table below is a selection, not the full lists. It leaves out several conditions and the signage sub-conditions. If you are an operator considering applying, read paragraphs 75 and 81 of the memorandum itself rather than this page.
| Condition, in the memorandum’s wording | Applies to |
|---|---|
| provision of a functional and easily accessible telephone, which can include a cellular telephone/telecommunication solution | Marine and land sites |
| clear signage identifying the marina as a CBSA TRS/M (provided and paid for by the CBSA). | Marine sites |
| provision of a clear sign listing hours of service (provided and paid for by the owner/operator) if the marina has limited hours of service | Marine sites |
| provision of unrestricted marina access to the CBSA verification teams to conduct monitoring and verification functions | Marine sites |
| provision of sufficient lighting and secure docks that ensure the safety of officers and boaters and | Marine sites |
| provision of a private room/area for the purpose of examinations if requested by an officer | Marine and land sites |
“Local CBSA will work with the Traveller Operations Division in Headquarters to initiate an official Core Service Request (CSR). The CSR process was developed to assist the CBSA in identifying and defining factors considered when approving requests for service.”
— Memorandum D2-5-12: Telephone Reporting for General Aviation, Private Boats, and other Non-Commercial Passenger Conveyances (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
What the memorandum describes is a per-site process with conditions attached. What it does not say is how many operators in these five areas have applied, where CBSA has got to, or how it intends to publish the result. Neither do we — so the practical answer to “where will I be able to report?” is the directory above and a call to CBSA, not this page.
How telephone reporting works
Telephone reporting is not new. CBSA puts its relationship to the rest of the country this way:
“Replacing the RABC Program with telephone reporting builds on processes already in place across Canada, where travellers are required to report to the CBSA from designated sites every time they enter Canada.”
— CBSA — Share your thoughts on new telephone reporting site locations (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
And describes the process itself like this:
“Designated telephone reporting sites are available for travellers to connect with a border services officer. Through this process, individuals provide their travel details, identification and respond to questions. In some cases, travellers may be directed to meet an officer in person.”
— CBSA — Share your thoughts on new telephone reporting site locations (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
For a private boat arriving at a designated site, the memorandum sets out what the operator must do. Below is a selection of those requirements, not the whole procedure — paragraphs 42 to 45 alone add the full list of information the operator must provide on behalf of everyone aboard. Paragraph numbers are given so you can find each one in the memorandum rather than trust our cropping, and the memorandum is the thing to read before a trip that depends on it.
| Requirement | Paragraph |
|---|---|
| Upon arrival at an authorized TRS/M, the boat operator/master must immediately call the TRC at 1-888-226-7277 to report the vessel's arrival to the CBSA. The boat operator/master is the only person permitted to exit the vessel for the purpose of reporting to the CBSA. Passengers aboard the vessel are not allowed to disembark until authorized by the TRC or a CBSA verification officer on site. | 41 |
| The boat with all the persons on board shall remain at the point of arrival until otherwise notified by the TRC or a CBSA verification officer. The boat operator/master must present the conveyance, and all goods and persons, for examination if requested by a CBSA officer. | 46 |
| As proof of report, the boat operator/master will receive a report number from the TRC. The boat operator/master shall display the report number on the dockside of the boat, present this number when requested by a CBSA or an RCMP officer and retain the number as reference for the duration of the trip in Canada. | 47 |
| All private boats must dock at an approved TRS/M during its normal business hours, unless alternate arrangements have been made with the local CBSA office. | 48 |
| If, due to weather conditions or other emergency circumstances, the boat must dock at a site that is not designated for telephone reporting, the boat operator/master must call the TRC at 1-888-226-7277. Depending on the circumstances, the boat may be cleared by telephone, instructed to wait for a CBSA officer or asked to report to the nearest CBSA or RCMP site at the first opportunity. | 49 |
| The boat operator/master is also obligated to ensure that all persons on board the private boat are in possession of all travel documents required by legislation, i.e. passports, visas or other to enter and remain in Canada. | 58 |
Two of those are worth re-reading if you are planning a long run across the lake. The memorandum ties reporting to a site’s normal business hours, “unless alternate arrangements have been made with the local CBSA office” — so the timing of your arrival is worth settling in advance rather than on the water. And only the operator leaves the boat, with everyone else aboard until CBSA authorises entry.
What the memorandum says it covers
Telephone reporting is listed as permitted for “private boats carrying 29 passengers or less, including the crew”, and listed as not permitted for “chartered vessels, including fishing charters”.
The passenger count is not the whole test, and this is the part worth reading twice, because the memorandum defines the term separately:
“Private Boat: a marine pleasure craft that is used exclusively for pleasure and that does not carry passengers who have paid for passage or goods for remuneration.”
— Memorandum D2-5-12: Telephone Reporting for General Aviation, Private Boats, and other Non-Commercial Passenger Conveyances (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
Whether any particular boat on any particular trip falls inside that definition is a question for CBSA, not for us, and we are not going to tell you which side of it your lodge’s transfer, a guided charter or your own trailered boat lands on. If it matters to your trip, ask CBSA before you go.
CBSA’s reporting exception for foreign national boaters
CBSA publishes a reporting exception for boats passing through Canadian waters. It is narrower than “you never got off the boat”: anchoring, mooring or making contact with another vessel ends it too, whether or not anyone stepped ashore.
The wording below is the one CBSA publishes under the heading “Foreign national boaters”. It publishes a separately worded exception under “Canadian boaters returning to Canada”. Which of those applies to you is a question about your own status, and not one we will answer for you — open CBSA’s page and read the section that fits.
Note that CBSA states the exception in terms of specific acts — landing, anchoring, mooring, making contact with another conveyance, embarking or disembarking people or goods — so read the conditions themselves rather than a summary of them:
“If you enter Canadian waters, you are not required to present yourself and report your goods to the CBSA if you:”
- “do not land on Canadian soil and do not anchor, moor or make contact with another conveyance while in Canadian waters”
- “do not embark or disembark people or goods in Canada”
— CBSA — Reporting requirements for private boat operators (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
“If at any point during the transit you come to port, anchor, moor or make contact with another vessel, you must report to the CBSA immediately”
— CBSA — Reporting requirements for private boat operators (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
CBSA follows that immediately with how such a report can be made, which is worth knowing before it happens:
“You may do so by calling the TRC using a cell phone from your location in Canadian waters if you meet all of the other conditions for an exception.”
— CBSA — Reporting requirements for private boat operators (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
CBSA attaches a further condition to that exception on the same page, and it is easy to miss because it applies even when the exception does:
“You must report restricted and prohibited goods on board, such as firearms, to the CBSA and obtain the necessary permits (if required), even if you meet the conditions for a reporting exception.”
— CBSA — Reporting requirements for private boat operators (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
Where a boat is entering with the intent to disembark, CBSA states the rule this way: “As the operator of a boat entering Canadian waters with the intent to disembark, it is your responsibility to report to the CBSA.”
Which number to call
CBSA publishes more than one number across the pages covering this change, for different purposes. Rather than pick one, here is each number beside what its own publisher says about it — including the fallback the memorandum gives for when the toll-free line cannot be reached.
| Number | Line | What the publishing source says it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 1-888-226-7277 | Telephone Reporting Centre (TRC) | “At a telephone reporting site, follow the instructions posted on location to contact the CBSA’s Telephone Reporting Centre and request clearance to enter Canada.” |
| 905-679-2073 | Telephone Reporting Centre — direct business number | “If the 1-888 toll-free service is not available, the boat operator/master must call the direct business number of the TRC however, the caller may incur long-distance charges.” |
| 1-800-461-9999 | Border Information Service (BIS) | “CBSA Border Information Services”Our note: Published under “Contact us” on the RABC page, which states no purpose for it beyond the name. It is a general enquiry line, not the number an arriving boat operator reports to. |
The distinction worth carrying away: the memorandum tells an arriving boat operator to call the Telephone Reporting Centre, while the number printed on the RABC program page itself is Border Information Service, which that page describes only as a contact.
The legal basis, without the commentary
Telephone reporting is a way of meeting existing obligations, not a new one. The memorandum says which:
“Telephone reporting: an alternative reporting method that enables individuals to meet the legislative requirements for "presentation of persons to a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) office on arrival in Canada," as identified in the section 11 of the Customs Act and section 18 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Also, to meet the legislative requirement for the declaration of goods, as identified in section 12 of the Customs Act.”
— Memorandum D2-5-12: Telephone Reporting for General Aviation, Private Boats, and other Non-Commercial Passenger Conveyances (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
Below are the opening subsections, 11(1) and 12(1), quoted in full. They are not the whole of either section: both continue with further rules and exceptions — including the transit exception above, at 11(5) and 12(5) — so follow the links rather than treating these as the complete text. We draw no conclusion about what any of it means for a particular trip; that is a question for CBSA or a lawyer, not for us.
“Subject to this section, every person arriving in Canada shall, except in such circumstances and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, enter Canada only at a customs office designated for that purpose that is open for business and without delay present himself or herself to an officer and answer truthfully any questions asked by the officer in the performance of his or her duties under this or any other Act of Parliament.”
— Customs Act, section 11 — Presentation of persons on arrival in Canada (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
“Subject to this section, all goods that are imported shall, except in such circumstances and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, be reported at the nearest customs office designated for that purpose that is open for business.”
— Customs Act, section 12 — Report of goods (opens in a new tab), read 25 July 2026
You may see a specific penalty figure quoted for failing to report. We have not published one: it does not appear in CBSA’s operating memorandum, and we do not print a number we could not read in a primary source.
If your trip is in the Northwest Angle
Four properties in our Lake of the Woods catalogue record their location as “Northwest Angle, Minnesota”. That is the region we recorded when we entered each property — our own organisational field, not a fact-checked assertion by CBSA or by the lodge about border crossing, and unlike a property’s access method it carries no fact-state. Treat it as a starting point for your own check, not as a determination that these lodges are inside the area CBSA names.
Your lodge and CBSA are the parties who can tell you how your crossing will actually work after 13 September. Ours is a research site: what we can do is tell you what CBSA has published and the day we read it, which is what this page is.
Where to check for yourself
These are the pages this guide rests on, each with the day we read it, so you can see whether anything has moved since. We are not predicting which of them CBSA would use to publish a site list — and the directory linked above, which we could not read, is a better first stop than any of them.
- CBSA — Remote Area Border Crossing Program (opens in a new tab) — read 25 July 2026, CBSA’s own stated date 2025-12-19
- CBSA — Share your thoughts on new telephone reporting site locations (opens in a new tab) — read 25 July 2026, CBSA’s own stated date 2026-03-06
- Memorandum D2-5-12: Telephone Reporting for General Aviation, Private Boats, and other Non-Commercial Passenger Conveyances (opens in a new tab) — read 25 July 2026, CBSA’s own stated date 2025-06-25
We re-read these on a schedule rather than on a whim, and this page is dated so you can tell how fresh it is. If CBSA has published the site list since 25 July 2026, or if anything here no longer matches what the agency says, tell us — free, and without an account.
The full Canada fishing trip checklist: documents, licences and bait rules →
Sources
CBSA — Remote Area Border Crossing Program
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/canpass/rabc-pfre/menu-eng.htmlObserved July 25, 2026
CBSA — Share your thoughts on new telephone reporting site locations
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-agence/consult/consultations/rabc-pfre-tel-eng.htmlObserved July 25, 2026
Memorandum D2-5-12: Telephone Reporting for General Aviation, Private Boats, and other Non-Commercial Passenger Conveyances
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d2/d2-5-12-eng.htmlObserved July 25, 2026
CBSA — Reporting requirements for private boat operators
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pb-pp-eng.htmlObserved July 25, 2026
Customs Act, section 11 — Presentation of persons on arrival in Canada
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-52.6/section-11.htmlObserved July 25, 2026
Customs Act, section 12 — Report of goods
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-52.6/section-12.htmlObserved July 25, 2026
Observed dates are the days we read each page, not the days those pages were published or last amended — where CBSA states its own date, it is given separately above. This page is a snapshot of what those pages said on those days, and border procedures change without notice: the agency’s own pages, and the live Directory of CBSA Offices and Services, always supersede anything quoted here.