Is Hydrocodone legal in Canada?
- Legal status
- Hydrocodone (dihydrocodeinone) is explicitly a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and a narcotic under the Narcotic Control Regulations — named alongside morphine and oxycodone; it is only marginally marketed but remains Schedule I.
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession up to 7 years; trafficking up to life.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed as a Schedule I narcotic on a controlled-substance prescription where a product is available.
- Documentation
- Import or export the lesser of a single course of treatment or a 30-day supply, prescribed, in original packaging, and declared at customs.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Canada’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →