How to Clear Customs and Border Protection Arriving by Boat
Operators of small pleasure vessels, arriving in the U.S. from a foreign port are required to report their arrival to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immediately.
The captain of the vessel reports their arrival at the nearest Customs facility or other designated location. These reports are tracked in the Pleasure Boat Reporting System. An application to lawfully enter the U.S. must be made in person to a CBP officer at a U.S. port-of-entry when the port is open for inspection.
Finding a Field Office
CBP has designated specific reporting locations within the Field Offices that are staffed during boating season for pleasure boats to report their arrival and be inspected by CBP.
The master of the boat must report to CBP telephonically and be directed to the nearest Port of Entry to satisfy the face-to-face requirement, or report to the nearest designated reporting location, along with the boat's passengers for inspection.
You may be required to rent a car or take a cab to the nearest airport or federal office several miles away for the inspection. These offices are often closed on weekends.
Arriving After Hours
If your arrival is after working hours, you are required to stay on board and clear in the next morning. You must, however, clear in within 24 hours of your arrival. Everyone on board, regardless of nationality, has to report in person. U.S. nationals must take their passports or passport cards.
All non-U.S. Nationals should take their passports with valid visas and a Green Card, if held. Take your boat papers, either U.S. documentation or state registration with state decal number. You should also present a list of firearms and ammunition on board.
Clearing Customs Through an App
Travelers arriving by boat into many popular U.S. ports can check into the country on their phones or tablets.
The Reporting Offsite Arrival–Mobile (ROAM) app is the official replacement for the Local Boater Option (LBO) and Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS) programs that have been used over the years. These programs required an initial interview to get in but usually resulted in a quick phone call instead of a face-to-face meeting to re-enter the U.S.
How ROAM App Works
If you have a Login.gov account, you can log into the app immediately. If you need a password, the app directs you to the website. It then walks you through the steps, including entering the specifics for each person on board and for your vessel.
Once you’ve entered all of the details and submitted it for a review, an officer may initiate a video call to discuss the trip or to ask any necessary questions. All of this happens directly inside the app. Of course, there are still instances where in-person reporting is required. If you require an I-94, need to pay customs fees or duties or need to obtain a cruising permit, you will still need to check in in-person. Boaters are still required to have a current fee decal onboard.
More Ports Accepting App
Now that the app has been implemented on a larger scale, travelers entering by boat in the Great Lakes, most of the East Coast (Delaware to Florida), Texas and San Diego, CA, and the U.S. territories in the Caribbean can use the app.
New locations are continually being added, and because the program is new, it’s probably a good idea to call your port of arrival to ensure they are using the ROAM app.
To download the ROAM app, just search the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store on your device. For more information, visit the CBP website or contact the CBP office at your port of arrival.