FAQ

The exam is held twice each year in April and October.

Application is to be made online at a web address that will be notified by CBP on their website. Read our blog to obtain updates.

In order to obtain a broker’s license, an individual must:
• Be a citizen of the United States on the date of submission of the license application and not an officer or employee of the United States Government.
• Attain the age of 21 prior to the date of submission of the license application;
• Be of good moral character; and
• Hold a passing score on the broker’s exam of 75% or higher.

Payment of the required $390 license examination fee must be made online via the examination application, and must be made by credit card, by debit card that can be used as a credit card, or by PayPal.

According to the CBP, the purpose of the broker license examination is to “determine the individual’s knowledge of Customs and related laws, regulations and procedures, bookkeeping, accounting, and all other appropriate matters, necessary to render valuable service to importers and exporters.” (19 CFR 111.13(a)).

Exam topics typically include: Entry; Classification; Trade Agreements; Valuation; Broker Compliance; Power of Attorney; Marking; Drawback; Bonds; Foreign Trade Zones/Bonded Warehouse; Warehouse Entries; Intellectual Property Rights; Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures: and other subjects pertinent to a broker’s duties.

The exam is currently administered online at test centers designated by the CBP. The Customs Broker License Examination consists of 80 multiple-choice questions to be answered within 4.5 hours. A score of 75 percent is required to pass. The examination lasts 4.5 hours.

The reference materials that can be used for taking the exam are as follows:

• Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States HTSUS.
• Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (2016, Parts 0 to 199.)
• Instructions for Preparation of CBP Form 7501 (July 24, 2012)
• Right to Make Entry Directive 3530-002A

The exam is open book and the required reference material and any other pertinent reference materials are allowed during the examination. All reference material are to be brought in written or printed form and access to the internet or to digital files is not allowed. Applicants must provide their own reference materials and access to any electronic devices is prohibited.

Yes, there is a process of appeal to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The applicant must submit a compelling argument why his or her answer is better than the official answer for a specific question, or why the appealed question has no possible correct answer.Any appeal must be submitted within 60 days of the date of the letter notifying the applicant of his or her score.

Denial of an appeal results in denial of an application for a Customs Broker license and may be appealable to the Court of International Trade.