US Customs

Has anyone registered their equipment with US Customs before going outside of the US? I know it seems unlikely but you could possibly be held accountable for import duties if you don't declare the equipment when you leave. I've got an upcoming trip to Peru so this will be the first time I take my cameras outside of the US. I'm not sure if it's worth takiing the time to fill out the form and heading to the nearest airport customs office.

Mike

Any thing that was not made in the US subject to import taxes,so either declare it on the way out or carry receipts showing that you purchased it in the OIS.bbaird

I've never heard of a problem or had a problem. Especially with current exchange rates, Americans wouldn't benefit from buying in another country. Customs people are well aware of these things.

I've been traveling overseas with cameras since 1976, so I'm well acquainted. Last time though, we searched for the customs office in the Denver airport. Folks we asked thought we were nuts! After finding the office, registry wasn't any more of a problem than it's ever been, though the customs agent seemed to be surprised at our request.

It's not a big deal. Show up with model #'s and serial #'s for the gear on a list, along with the gear. Take two minutes to fill out the form and let the agents verify if they want. It's been over 10 years since anyone wanted to verify #'s, but we get the official stamps on our forms anyway.

Here's a thought for anyone who has international travel insurance on their gear (as they should): It's sure going to be a lot easier to document your claim for a loss if you've got that handy little customs form with you.

Search for the nearest customs office as you must. But get the form.

I registered all my gear a few years ago when I was making frequent trips to Canada. I've never had my car searched, but Hank made a good point. It will probably be a lot easier to put in a claim on your insurance if you have the customs form.

I would say it's a good 5 minutes spent at the airport. Usually if the equipment is older than a year, the customs guys don't bother, but customs export declarations can be really handy in sometimes wierd ways.

For example: I always get customs export clearance whenever I go to India - that saves me the hassle of trying to prove to the Indian customs guys that I'm not trying to smuggle in goods for sale in India!

I would agree that if you are going to India it is worthwhile to have the custom's form in order to show what you are bringing into India and taking back out. The Indian customs even put my camera's serial number on my passport. Otherwise, unless your camera equipent looks brand-new and you are carrying the original boxes and documentation along, I wouldn't bother with it.

To get an insurance rider on my equipment I have to provide my insurance agent with a list of all my equipment, any serial numbers of equipment that have them and an original price for each. This list has to be signed and dated by a third party (in my case my local camera store owner) and this is what the insurance company uses to create the equipment list for my insurance rider policy. I always carry this list with me and haven't had any questions but my out of country experience only includes Canada.

Thanks for all of the replies. I finally did register my equipment yesterday. I think it took me longer to fill out the form with all of the serial numbers than it did to get the form signed and stamped. A pretty easy procedere after all. It helps to have an airport close by too.

Mike

Thanks for all of the replies. I finally did register my equipment yesterday. I think it took me longer to fill out the form with all of the serial numbers than it did to get the form signed and stamped. A pretty easy procedere after all. It helps to have an airport close by too.

Mike