Title 19 — Customs DutiesRelease 119-73not60
§1433 Report of Arrival of Vessels, Vehicles, and Aircraft
Title 19 › Chapter 4— TARIFF ACT OF 1930 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › Part II— Report, Entry, and Unlading of Vessels and Vehicles › § 1433
Summary
Vessels, vehicles, and aircraft must be reported as soon as they arrive in the United States or the Virgin Islands. That includes ships coming from foreign places, ships that carry foreign goods not yet entered, and ships that picked up goods from other vessels offshore. The Secretary can make rules about how to report and can give more time to report, but never more than 24 hours after arrival. Vehicles may enter only at border crossings the Secretary names. The person in charge must report right away and present the vehicle, everyone on board, and all goods (including baggage) for inspection unless the Secretary allows otherwise. Pilots must follow any advance notice, arrival report, and landing rules the Secretary sets. Masters, drivers, or pilots must give or send required information, documents, and manifests to the Customs Service. After arrival, a vessel, vehicle, or aircraft may only leave or unload passengers or goods under the Secretary’s rules, unless another law says otherwise.
Full Legal Text
Title 19, §1433
Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)Immediately upon the arrival at any port or place within the United States or the Virgin Islands of—
(A)any vessel from a foreign port or place;
(B)any foreign vessel from a domestic port;
(C)any vessel of the United States carrying foreign merchandise for which entry has not been made; or
(D)any vessel which has visited a hovering vessel or received merchandise while outside the territorial sea;
(2)The Secretary may by regulation—
(A)prescribe the manner in which arrivals are to be reported under paragraph (1); and
(B)extend the time in which reports of arrival must be made, but not later than 24 hours after arrival.
(b)(1)Vehicles may arrive in the United States only at border crossing points designated by the Secretary.
(2)Except as otherwise authorized by the Secretary, immediately upon the arrival of any vehicle in the United States at a border crossing point, the person in charge of the vehicle shall—
(A)report the arrival; and
(B)present the vehicle, and all persons and merchandise (including baggage) on board, for inspection;
(c)The pilot of any aircraft arriving in the United States or the Virgin Islands from any foreign airport or place shall comply with such advance notification, arrival reporting, and landing requirements as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe.
(d)The master, person in charge of a vehicle, or aircraft pilot shall present, or transmit pursuant to an electronic data interchange system, to the Customs Service such information, data, documents, papers, or manifests as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe.
(e)Unless otherwise authorized by law, a vessel, aircraft or vehicle after arriving in the United States or Virgin Islands may, but only in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary—
(1)depart from the port, place, or airport of arrival; or
(2)discharge any passenger or merchandise (including baggage).
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 433, 42 Stat. 951. That section was superseded by section 433 of act June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act. R.S. § 2774, requiring a report of arrival, and a further report in the form of a manifest, and imposing a penalty for violations was superseded by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 433, 42 Stat. 951, and repealed by section 642 of that act. R.S. § 2772, relative to report and entry by the master of every vessel, bound to a port of delivery; section 2775, requiring a special report by the master of any vessel having on board distilled spirits or wines; and section 2832, relative to report of arrival of vessels proceeding to the ports of Natchez or Vicksburg, were also repealed by section 642 of the act of Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356.
Amendments
2000—Subsec. (a)(1)(C). Pub. L. 106–476 struck out “bonded merchandise, or” before “foreign merchandise”. 1993—Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 103–182, § 652(1), added subpar. (D). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–182, § 652(2), substituted “present, or transmit pursuant to an electronic data interchange system, to the Customs Service such information, data,” for “present to customs officers such”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103–182, § 652(3), amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (e) read as follows: “Unless otherwise authorized by law, a vessel, aircraft, or vehicle may, after arriving in the United States or the Virgin Islands— “(1) depart from the port, place, or airport of arrival; or “(2) discharge any passenger or merchandise (including baggage); only in accordance with
Regulations
prescribed by the Secretary.” 1986—Pub. L. 99–570 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “Within twenty-four hours after the arrival of any vessel from a foreign port or place, or of a foreign vessel from a domestic port, or of a vessel of the United States carrying bonded merchandise, or foreign merchandise for which entry has not been made, at any port or place within the United States at which such vessel shall come to, the master shall, unless otherwise provided by law, report the arrival of the vessel at the nearest customhouse, under such
Regulations
as the Commissioner of Customs may prescribe.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2000 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 106–476, except as otherwise provided, applicable with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption, on or after the 15th day after Nov. 9, 2000, see section 1471 of Pub. L. 106–476, set out as a note under section 58c 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. § 1433
Title 19 — Customs Duties
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60