Currency and Other Monetary Instrument Seizures (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you ignore a customs seizure letter? ›

Ignoring a notice of seizure leads to automatic forfeiture and loss of goods with no compensation, hence timely legal advice and ensuring trade compliance are critical for prevention and optimal response to customs detentions and seizures.

Once the agency completes an investigation and determines that seized cash was used for illegal activity and not as a result of failing to declare the money, the currency goes to the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, an account with the Department of Treasury, CBP said.

If you fail to report to CBP that you are bringing more than $10,000 through customs or do so fraudulently, the penalties may include: Confiscation of all currency or monetary instruments.

The case is then referred to the Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures (FP&F) office within three working days. The FP&F Officer will send the suspected violator or all other interested parties a Notice of Seizure letter.

If you received the seizure notice because you were importing or exporting narcotics or other contraband, you may be facing criminal charges. If you believe that the property that was seized was not contraband, you may be able to challenge the seizure. You can do this by filing a petition with CBP's FP&F Branch.

No. For security reasons, CBP does not store bank account information in ACS. CBP keeps only your ACH payer number. The National Finance Center and the ACH processor bank have your account information.

Seized currency is for currency that has been seized for forfeiture (as opposed to being seized for evidence). A Notice of Seizure for Forfeiture should have been served upon all known parties by the police or other law enforcement agency (i.e. Narcotics Enforcement Division of the State Department of Public Safety).

The liquidation of an entry typically occurs within 314 days of the day it was imported into the United States. As long as the entry has not been suspended or extended by Customs, the entry will automatically be liquidated using the estimated rates given upon the entry of the goods.

If your goods were seized and you wish to dispute the action, you can appeal by writing a letter to the CBSA within 90 days of the date of the seizure. You can find more information about the appeal process on your seizure receipt form.

What happens if you carry more than $10,000? ›

Not reporting cash or cash equivalents over the amount of $10,000 can come with serious consequences. U.S. Customs and Border Protection notes that consequences can include: Forfeiture of the money you're carrying—meaning they take the money at customs and you don't get it back. Civil penalties such as fines.

Members of a family residing in one household entering the United States that submit a joint or family declaration must declare if the members are collectively carrying currency or monetary instruments in a combined amount over $10,000 on their Customs Declaration Form (CBP Form 6059B).

Remember that you are NOT required to wait on the letter from Customs before filing the verified claim for court action. If you have no claim to the item seized, you can ignore the customs seizure letter and allow CBP to take the property.

Once the agency completes an investigation and determines that seized cash was used for illegal activity and not as a result of failing to declare the money, the currency goes to the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, an account with the Department of Treasury, CBP said.

If a violation does occur, U.S. Customs will seize the merchandise and transport it from the Centralized Examination Station to an official property warehouse. The merchan- dise will remain in the warehouse until Customs authorizes its release.

If you don't, the customs officials in the receiving country may reject and return (or, in certain cases, may even destroy) your package. Note: If you're mailing First-Class Mail International^® service envelopes containing only documents that don't require customs forms, these new rules don't apply to you.

Once the property is not declared, Customs will generally seize it at the time.

What Does This Notice Mean? U.S. Customs may seize goods if they are contrary to law. If your merchandise is seized, you have options. In your seizure notice, you are provided a Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures (FP&F) case number and assigned a paralegal.

Customs will destroy or sell anything it seizes from you for breaking the rules on bringing or receiving goods from abroad, unless you: ask for your things back - you can do this even if you agree customs was right to seize them. think customs was wrong to seize your things - you'll have to go to court.