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Title 19 — Customs DutiesRelease 119-73

§58b User fee for customs services at certain small airports and other facilities

Title 19 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - COLLECTION DISTRICTS, PORTS, AND OFFICERS › § 58b

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Treasury Secretary must provide customs services and charge users a fee at the Lebanon, New Hampshire airport, the Pontiac/Oakland, Michigan airport, and any other airport, seaport, or facility the Secretary picks under the rules below. Each person who uses the customs services must pay a fee equal to the Treasury’s cost to serve that person, including staff pay and other expenses. The Secretary may only add other places if the volume or value of business there is too low to justify regular customs staff and the state’s governor agrees. If someone does not pay after being notified, it is a misdemeanor and the fine can be up to 200 percent of the fee. Fees collected for a specific place go into a special Treasury account for that place. The Treasury must use money in that account only to pay the government’s costs of providing customs services at that place. Customs work connected to a foreign trade zone at or near the place counts as services at that place.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §58b

Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of the Treasury shall make customs services available and charge a fee for the use of such customs services at—
(1)the airport located at Lebanon, New Hampshire,
(2)the airport located at Pontiac/Oakland, Michigan, and
(3)any other airport, seaport, or other facility designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under subsection (c).
(b)The fee which is charged under subsection (a) shall be paid by each person using the customs services at the airport, seaport, or other facility and shall be in an amount equal to the expenses incurred by the Secretary of the Treasury in providing the customs services which are rendered to such person at such airport, seaport, or other facility (including the salary and expenses of individuals employed by the Secretary of the Treasury to provide such customs services).
(c)The Secretary of the Treasury may designate airports, seaports, and other facilities under this subsection. An airport, seaport, or other facility may be designated under this subsection only if—
(1)the Secretary of the Treasury has made a determination that the volume or value of business cleared through such airport, seaport, or other facility is insufficient to justify the availability of customs services at such airport, seaport, or other facility, and
(2)the governor of the State in which such airport, seaport, or other facility is located approves such designation.
(d)Any person who, after notice and demand for payment of any fee charged under subsection (a), fails to pay such fee shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and if convicted thereof shall pay a fine that does not exceed an amount equal to 200 percent of such fee.
(e)Fees collected by the Secretary of the Treasury under subsection (a) with respect to the provision of services at an airport, seaport, or other facility shall be deposited in an account within the Treasury of the United States that is specially designated for such airport, seaport, or other facility. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to pay out of any funds available in such account any expenses incurred by the Federal Government in providing customs services at such airport, seaport, or other facility (including expenses incurred for the salaries and expenses of individuals employed to provide such services). None of the funds deposited into such account shall be available for any purpose other than making payments authorized under the preceding sentence.
(f)For purposes of this section, customs services provided in connection with, or with respect to, any foreign trade zone or subzone that is located at, or in the vicinity of, any airport, seaport, or other facility described in subsection (a) or designated under subsection (c) shall be considered to be customs services provided at such airport, seaport, or other facility.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1989—Pub. L. 101–207, § 3(f)(1)(C), inserted “and other facilities” after “airports” in section catchline. Subsecs. (a)(3), (b). Pub. L. 101–207, § 3(f)(1)(A), inserted “, seaport, or other facility” after “airport” wherever appearing. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101–207, § 3(f)(1)(A), (B), inserted “, seaports, and other facilities” after “airports” in introductory provisions and “, seaport, or other facility” after “airport” wherever appearing. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 101–207, § 3(f)(1)(A), inserted “, seaport, or other facility” after “airport” wherever appearing. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 101–207, § 3(c)(2), (f)(1)(A), added subsec. (f) and inserted “, seaport, or other facility” after “airport” in two places. 1988—Subsec. (a)(2), (3). Pub. L. 100–418, § 1905(1)–(3), added par. (2) and redesignated former par. (2) as (3). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–418, § 1905(4), struck out “20” before “airports”. 1986—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–272, § 13032(1), made amendment identical to Pub. L. 99–190, substituting “20 airports” for “4 airports”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–272, § 13032(2), substituted last two sentences for former last sentence which read as follows: “The funds in such account shall only be available, as provided by appropriation Acts, for expenditures relating to the provision of customs services at such airport (including expenditures for the salaries and expenses of individuals employed to provide such services).” 1985—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–190 substituted “20 airports” for “4 airports”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on 15th day after Oct. 30, 1984, see section 214(a), (b) of Pub. L. 98–573, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1984 Amendment note under section 1304 of this title.

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. For establishment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, treated as if included in Pub. L. 107–296 as of Nov. 25, 2002, see section 211 of Title 6, as amended generally by Pub. L. 114–125, and section 802(b) of Pub. L. 114–125, set out as a note under section 211 of Title 6.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 58b

Title 19 — Customs Duties

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73