How Do I Become A Bonded U.S. Highway Carrier (DIY Customs Consulting)

This article is part of the Customs Compliance Guide

A bonded U.S. highway carrier is a carrier that has posted the appropriate customs bond with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) so it may transport bonded or in-bond merchandise under CBP control.

How to become a U.S. bonded highway carrier

Training video: How to become a U.S. bonded highway carrier.

A customs bond is a contract that helps ensure compliance with CBP laws and regulations and payment of duties, taxes, and fees where applicable. For highway carriers, bonded status is important when transporting in-bond shipments, moving goods through the United States, or moving merchandise to an inland airport, rail yard, seaport, CBP office, or bonded warehouse before final clearance or export.

Why Become Bonded

A bonded highway carrier may be needed to:

transport commercial goods under bond from the first U.S. port of arrival to an inland destination;
move goods through the United States for export or transit;
handle transportation and exportation or immediate exportation movements where applicable;
support customer requirements for bonded transportation; and
participate in certain in-bond workflows in ACE.

Bonded status does not replace ACE eManifest, in-bond filing, carrier registration, SCAC, USDOT, or other compliance requirements. It only addresses the customs bond/security side of the operation.

How to Obtain the Bond

CBP guidance for bonds directs carriers and importers to work through CBP bond processes and approved sureties.<ref name="bonds">CBP: Bonds</ref> CBP also publishes a list of active sureties with assigned CBP surety codes.<ref name="surety">CBP: Surety Names and Codes</ref>

The surety or customs broker agent will help determine the correct bond activity code, bond type, bond amount, and supporting documents for the carrier's operation. Carriers should not rely on a fixed generic bond amount without confirming the current CBP and surety requirements.

Common Forms and Information

The main customs bond form is CBP Form 301 - Customs Bond. CBP notes that the form remains valid for use even while the OMB date is under review.<ref name="form301">CBP Form 301 - Customs Bond</ref>

Depending on the bond and the carrier's situation, the application package may include:

CBP Form 301 for the customs bond;
CBP Form 301A if an addendum is required;
CBP Form 5106 if CBP needs importer, consignee, or other party identification information;
the legal business name and address;
IRS/EIN or CBP-assigned identification information, if applicable;
ownership or corporate documentation requested by the surety or CBP;
surety information, signatures, seals, powers of attorney, and witness information; and
any other supporting documents requested by the CBP Surety Bonds & Accounts Team, surety company, or customs broker agent.

Submitting the Bond

CBP's Bond Centralization Program states that all new bond applications should be submitted directly to the Surety Bonds & Accounts Team by email at bondquestions@cbp.dhs.gov.<ref name="centralization">CBP: Bond Centralization Program</ref>

Surety or broker procedures may vary, so carriers should follow the current instructions from their surety, customs broker agent, and CBP.

After Approval

Once the bond is approved, the carrier can begin using the bonded authority that applies to its bond and operation. Before moving in-bond freight, the carrier should also confirm that its other required setup is complete, such as ACE access or EDI transmission through a service provider, SCAC, USDOT/FMCSA requirements, and any customer or port-specific instructions.

The carrier may then review trusted-trader or expedited commercial programs such as FAST and CTPAT if those programs fit its business.

Official Resources

References