Authorisation to drive
Borrowing the car, in writing, for the border and the police.
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Example
Example: lending the car for a trip from Seattle to Vancouver and back
Robert Example lets his son Daniel take the family car to Vancouver, British Columbia, from 1 to 12 July 2027. The car is registered in Robert’s name, so Daniel carries a signed authority to drive it across the border and back. Written for: Plain English letter, on US Letter.
- You: Robert’s name, address and driver’s licence number. The person you are authorising: Daniel’s name, address and licence number.
- Exactly what is authorised, one line each: the car (year, type, colour), the plate, the VIN, and the trip.
- Valid until 12 July 2027; written at Seattle on 1 July 2027.
| Field | What goes in | On the letter |
|---|---|---|
| You — name and address | Robert Example, 12 Sample Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101 | Given by |
| The person you are authorising | Daniel Example, 45 Test Road, Tacoma, WA 98402 | Authorised person |
| Exactly what is authorised | 2021 hatchback, silver / Washington plate ABC1234 / VIN 1EXAMPLE000000000 / Driving to Vancouver, British Columbia, and back | What is authorised, one line each |
| Valid until | 12 July 2027 | Valid until: 12 July 2027 |
| Written at, Date | Seattle, 1 July 2027 | Place and date: Seattle, 1 July 2027 |
letter-of-authority.pdf, one page headed “Authority to drive”: “I, Robert Example, authorise Daniel Example to act on my behalf as set out below: to drive the vehicle described below and to deal with anything arising from it.”, the four lines, the dates and a line for Robert’s signature. Daniel keeps it with the registration.
How it works
- Put in the owner and the driver, with an ID number each.
- Describe the vehicle in the scope: make, model, registration and VIN.
- Set a valid-until date. An open-ended letter is what makes a border officer look twice.
- Download, print and sign. Keep it in the car with the registration document.
Frequently asked questions
- When is this actually needed?
- Crossing a border in a car registered to somebody else, driving a company or a hire car outside its usual terms, and any stop where the registration document names someone who is not present. Within one country and between family it is rarely asked for — which is exactly why it is worth having when it is.
- Does this insure the driver?
- No, and that is the important part. This says the owner permits it; whether the policy covers that driver is a separate question with a separate answer. Check the policy before lending the car, not afterwards.
- What should the letter say about the vehicle?
- Make, model, registration number and the VIN. The registration number alone is not much of an identification, and the VIN is what appears on the papers an officer is holding.
- Does it need to be in the local language?
- It helps. Choose the country you are driving in rather than the one you live in, and the letter comes out in the language of the person who will be reading it.
- Does it need to be notarised?
- The sheet itself notes that a written authority is enough for most everyday matters and that some acts need a notarised power of attorney instead. If the border, a rental company or an office asks for a notarised letter, print this one unsigned and sign it in front of the notary.
- What happens after the valid-until date?
- The letter says “Valid until” with that date, so after it the authority no longer covers the driver. For another trip, make a new letter with new dates rather than changing the old one by hand.
- Is it free?
- Yes, and nothing of ours is printed on the sheet, on any plan: it is a document you send or hand over as it is.