The U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection’s Office of Field Operations is reminding Michigan boaters with small pleasure vessels of their requirements as we head into summer.
Boaters arriving from a foreign port or place and any vessel that visited a hovering vessel or received merchandise outside the territorial sea must report their arrival to CBP immediately upon landing in the U.S.
CBP also encourages the use of CBP ROAM, a free mobile app available on Apple’s app store and Google Play, for reporting offsite arrival. The app allows pleasure boaters to report their U.S. entry to CBP from their phone, tablet and other smart devices.
CBP ROAM also qualifies as an Alternative Inspection System that satisfies a boater’s legal requirement to report for face-to-face inspections to comply with 8 CFR 235.1. Exceptions to the requirement include travelers who require an I-94, travelers who must pay duties on imported goods, and other applicable circumstances.
Alternatively, boaters without the app can report to the CBP office closest to their point of entry.
Click here for more information on CPB requirements for entering the U.S. in a small vessel.