DETROIT – Boating season is upon us, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations reminds travelers of small vessels the reporting requirements in the Great Lakes region.
Operators of small pleasure vessels arriving from a foreign port or place, to include any vessel which has visited a hovering vessel or received merchandise outside the territorial sea, are required to report their arrival to CBP immediately upon landing in the U.S.
As part of CBP’s comprehensive effort to improve the security of our nation’s borders while enhancing legitimate travel, the agency encourages the use of CBP ROAM™ for reporting offsite arrival. CBP ROAM™ is a free mobile application, available in both the Apple App store and Google Play, that allows pleasure boaters to report their U.S. entry to CBP via their personal smart device or a tablet.
CBP ROAM™ qualifies as an Alternative Inspection System that satisfies the boat operator’s legal requirement to report for face-to-face inspection in accordance with 8 CFR 235.1, with some exceptions:
• Travelers who require an I-94,
• Travelers who must pay duties on imported goods,
• Other circumstances as applicable.
Reporting may also be made to CBP office nearest to your point of entry. Additional information about pleasure boat reporting requirements can be found here.
Follow us on Twitter @DFODetroit and @CBPGreatLakes