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Title 19 — Customs DutiesRelease 119-73not60

§1605 Seizure; Custody; Storage

Title 19 › Chapter 4— TARIFF ACT OF 1930 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › Part V— Enforcement Provisions › § 1605

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

When customs seizes a vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage, the customs officer for the district where the seizure happened must keep it in their custody until the law decides what to do with it. The officer must store the property where it is most convenient and reasonably priced. The storage can be inside or outside the judicial or customs district where it was seized, and moving it does not change which court has authority over it.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §1605

Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

All vessels, vehicles, aircraft, merchandise, and baggage seized under the provisions of the customs laws, or laws relating to the navigation, registering, enrolling or licensing, or entry or clearance, of vessels, unless otherwise provided by law, shall be placed and remain in the custody of the appropriate customs officer for the district in which the seizure was made to await disposition according to law. Pending such disposition, the property shall be stored in such place as, in the customs officer’s opinion, is most convenient and appropriate with due regard to the expense involved, whether or not the place of storage is within the judicial district or the customs collection district in which the property was seized; and storage of the property outside the judicial district or customs collection district in which it was seized shall in no way affect the jurisdiction of the court which would otherwise have jurisdiction over such property.

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, § 605, 42 Stat. 985. That section was superseded by section 605 of act June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act. Provisions substantially similar to those in this section so far as it relates to merchandise or property seized under the customs laws, were contained in R.S. § 3086, prior to repeal by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 642, 42 Stat. 989.

Amendments

1984—Pub. L. 98–573 and Pub. L. 98–473 inserted reference to aircraft in first par. 1970—Pub. L. 91–271 substituted references to appropriate customs officer or customs officer for references to collector wherever appearing. 1954—Act Sept. 1, 1954, permitted collector of seized property to store it in such places as he considers convenient or appropriate, whether within or without the judicial district in which it was seized, without affecting the jurisdiction of the court over such property.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–573 effective Oct. 15, 1984, see section 214(e) of Pub. L. 98–573, set out as a note under section 1304 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1970 AmendmentFor

Effective Date

of amendment by Pub. L. 91–271, see section 203 of Pub. L. 91–271, set out as a note under section 1500 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 1605

Title 19 — Customs Duties

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60