Do the U.S. and Canadian customs check insurance at the border?

Basically when you cross the border to go from Ontario to New York, do the customs like check your licence, registration, and insurance or do they just check your passport?

They'll check your driver's licence as well as birth certificate make sure you have both of the ID's (at least) with you otherwise they won't let you cross the border

just passport, actually u only need a drivers licence if your a canadian citizen u dont need a passport

As of January 31, 2008:
U.S. citizens crossing by land or sea to/from Canada need either a:
1. Passport
OR
2. A driver's license AND birth certificate

If you are flying, you must have a passport.

At a later date, you will need a passport for any type of travel.

If you have a passport, that's all you will need and all they will check. They only check your drivers license if you are using it as a form of i.d.

As a former resident of Niagara Falls, if you choose to cross at either the Peace or Rainbow bridges the customs officials are permitted to check whatever they WANT, which includes vehicle registration, insurance and such. The Border police share a database with the americans so that such things can be verified. It is also a good idea to carry as much ID as possible, birth certificate, drivers license, social security, passport. The customs officials also need no reasoning whatsoever to pull you into secondary inspection, tear through your luggage, pull the side paneling out of your car., and they are not obligated to put it back together either. With how strict they have gotten in the past couple years, I wouldn't try crossing unless you have nothing to hide, and have all your ID/paperwork in order.

you can be checked for anything at any time

inspections can be random and you never know what your going to be asked and when

I cross over all the time and I've never had a customs officer ask for insurance or registration. They'll check your licence and birth certificate because you need it to cross but thats about it.

I've had a few ask me if it was my car I was driving. Actually when I crossed over yesterday the woman asked me if it was my car.

But I wouldn't try to cross with no insurance because when you pull up to the booth a picture of your licence plate is taken and information comes up on their computer. So who knows what they actually see eh?