What am I not allowed to bring over the US border?

Examples of restricted items include firearms, certain fruits and vegetables, animal products, animal by products, and some animals.


What items are prohibited by US customs?

U.S. Customs Restrictions – What You Cannot Bring Into the United States
  • All products made from sea turtles.
  • All ivory, both Asian and African elephant.
  • Rhinoceros horn and horn products.
  • Furs from spotted cats.
  • Furs and ivory from marine mammals.
  • Feathers and feather products from wild birds.


What are the U.S. border restrictions?

TRAVEL ALERT: Beginning on January 22, 2022, DHS will require non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise ...


What items do I have to declare at US Customs?

You must declare all items you purchased and are carrying with you upon return to the United States, including gifts for other people as well as items you bought for yourself. This includes duty-free items purchased in foreign countries, as well as any merchandise you intend to sell or use in your business.

What food can I bring through US customs?

What food products can you bring? A long list of food items are allowed into the US, including condiments, cooking oils, bread, cookies, crackers, cakes, cereal, packed tea and other baked and processed products. The CBP provides a list of allowed items on its website.


The Places Where Sneaking Over the US-Canada Border is Legal



Can you bring unopened food through customs?

Solid food items (not liquids or gels) can be transported in either your carry-on or checked bags. Liquid or gel food items larger than 3.4 oz are not allowed in carry-on bags and should be placed in your checked bags if possible.

What fruits and vegetables can cross the border?

The following dried products are generally allowed but you must declare and present them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for inspection:
  • Beans.
  • Dates.
  • Figs.
  • Nuts (but not chestnuts or acorns)
  • Okra.
  • Peas.
  • Raisins.
  • Szechwan peppercorns.


What does US Customs check for?

In fact, the CBP assesses all people who arrive by airplane, overland vehicle, ship or on foot and want to enter the U.S. The job of U.S. customs agents is to search for banned agricultural products and counterfeit goods, but they also are trained to seize street and pharmaceutical drugs, illegal immigrants and ...


Does US Customs check every package?

Does customs check every package? The short answer is yes. Customs checks all inbound international packages and mail. During this process, a customs officer in the country you're shipping to will review the package to make sure it meets the country's laws, regulations and policies.

What is customs nothing to declare?

Nothing to Declare UK (known as Customs UK for Series 1) was a British reality TV series shown from 2008 onwards. It is filmed at Gatwick and Bristol airports, and occasionally shows the work of customs and immigration officials at the Port of Dover, alongside at the airports for the other parts of the time.

What do U.S. border guards see on their computer?

Any criminal history you have. Your citizenship status. Employment information. Your phone numbers.


Do I have to declare clothes at customs?

Complete the CBP Declaration Form 6059B

All travelers must complete a CBP Declaration Form 6059B itemizing all purchased merchandise and agricultural products. Here are your options: Complete a paper form that may be obtained at the port of entry or on the flight or cruise.

Can I take food into america?

All the fresh fruit and veg you bring into the USA, whether an allowed commodity or not, has to be inspected for disease and insects by a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Specialist or CBP Officer.

Does US Customs check your bag?

When you board your flight, you'll go through a typical security process: checking your luggage and declaring there's nothing hazardous in it, scanning carry-on bags and so on. Beyond the usual questions about hazardous items in luggage, you won't need to declare anything else you're leaving the country with.


Are bags searched at customs?

As such, bag searches are very common here. Whether you've been flagged by a CBP agent for search or if it's just a random check, a CBP agent will open your bag to see if your declaration list matches up with what you have in the bag.

How do customs detect drugs?

Customs inspectors use giant X-ray machines to search for contraband inside a truck. Customs agencies also use drug-sniffing and bomb-sniffing dogs to stop smugglers. These animals go through an intense training process that teaches them to recognize and locate particular odors in exchange for some play time.

Do they check whats inside packages?

When you bring your mail to the post office, employees will ask if there are any liquids, flammable, or hazardous material inside the package. It's your responsibility to make sure anything you mail complies with what's allowed.


How do packages get flagged?

Items of unusual weight relative to their size, or that are lopsided or oddly shaped. Items which are sealed with excessive amounts of tape. An item containing a postmark which does not match the return address or bears an excessive amount of postage. Mailpiece is leaking an unknown powdery substance.

What do border agents see when they scan your passport?

That chip holds biometric information that's printed on the picture page - name, date of birth, sex, nationality, date of issue, passport number, and photograph. The machine readable zone (below the photograph) also holds encoded identity information.

What can you not bring back from Mexico?

Examples of restricted items include firearms, certain fruits and vegetables, animal products, animal by products, and some animals.


Why would US Customs deny entry?

According to the Department of Homeland Security website, travelers may be denied entry to the US for the following reasons: Previously worked illegally in the US. Suspected of overstaying their visa. Suspected of having ties to terrorist or criminal organizations.

Can you bring groceries across the border?

As a general rule, processed foods for personal consumption or for family/friend gatherings are allowed. This typically means food that's commercially packaged, or thoroughly cooked throughout.

Can I cross U.S. border for groceries?

We recommend that you keep receipts and original packaging of agricultural products as proof of the country of origin. Some foods are generally admissible if they are unopened and commercially packed. Many prepared foods that are unopened and commercially labeled are admissible (excluding meats and meat products).


Can you cross the border with snacks?

Food - Bringing food into the U.S. from Canada

If you are bringing food with you, you must declare all of it at the border, in particular, any dairy or meat products, as well as fruit, vegetables, plants, nuts and seeds. Again, we recommend that you do NOT attempt to cross the border with these items.

Can you take sweets through customs?

You can carry cakes, fruit, vegetables, sandwiches and all solid foods in your hand baggage. However, foods in sauces or with a high liquid content (such as sauces, pastes, soups and stews) cannot come through security. The size of container must not exceed 100ml, regardless of the amount contained inside.