WASHINGTON: U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue to follow the long standing practice of issuing and certifying a Certificate of Registration (CBP Form 4457) to ensure that no traveler attempting to legally take their firearm out of the country experiences significant delays or incurs additional cost due to the implementation of a new regulation requiring an electronic filing. CBP’s enforcement focus is on those engaged in illegal exportation of firearms for use by overseas organizations and individuals wishing to cause harm.
During this time, when a traveler contacts CBP to report export of a firearm, CBP will:
Assist the traveler to complete a CBP Form 4457 to assist in an issue free return to the U.S.
Provide a fact sheet about the regulation and how to comply.
Additionally, CBP is working with our other government partners to modify the AES system and the reporting process to make a more user-friendly experience for individual travelers.
CBP recommends that travelers allow a few hours for the declaration of the firearms to CBP and advises travelers to become familiar with the import requirements of the foreign country(s) that they may be traveling through or visiting. The countries may have more restrictive laws and regulations regarding the use of firearms.
Current export regulations issued by the Department of State require the traveler to file electronic export information (EEI) for temporary export of personally owned firearms via the Automated Export System (AES) prior to departure from the United States. AES has a free web-based internet application known as AESDirect that permits the traveling public to electronically report the Electronic Export Information (EEI) for temporary export of their firearm(s).
