Contact

Reaching the right channel within U.S. Customs and Border Protection determines how quickly a question, complaint, or formal inquiry receives a substantive response. CBP administers more than 300 ports of entry, employs over 60,000 personnel, and enforces hundreds of federal statutes — meaning inquiries range from routine traveler questions to complex trade compliance matters, each routed through distinct offices. This page explains how to structure a message, what response timelines to expect, and which specific CBP channels handle which categories of contact.

What to include in your message

A complete, well-structured message reduces back-and-forth and accelerates resolution. CBP contact channels handle a high daily volume of inquiries across enforcement, trade, travel, and employment topics, so specificity is the single most effective way to receive a useful reply.

Every message should include the following elements:

1. Subject category — Identify whether the inquiry concerns travel and entry, trade and imports, a FOIA request, a civil rights complaint, an administrative appeal, or a trusted traveler program such as Global Entry or NEXUS.
2. Reference numbers — Include any case numbers, entry numbers, seizure receipt numbers, or PASSID numbers associated with a trusted traveler account. For trade matters, provide the ACE entry summary number where applicable.
3. Port or location — Name the specific port of entry or checkpoint where an incident or transaction occurred. CBP's field structure assigns jurisdiction by location, so routing depends on geography.
4. Dates and times — State the date of travel, import filing, or enforcement encounter. Vague date ranges slow routing.
5. Supporting documentation — Note which documents are available to attach or provide upon request: passports, commercial invoices, CBP Form 6051 (seizure receipt), or broker correspondence.

Trade inquiries vs. traveler inquiries — a key distinction: Trade and import questions — covering customs bonds, drawback claims, C-TPAT program status, or intellectual property rights enforcement — are handled by the Office of Trade and its Centers of Excellence and Expertise. Traveler questions — covering secondary inspection, duty-free exemptions, or prohibited items — are handled by the Office of Field Operations. Sending a trade matter through a traveler helpline, or vice versa, results in delayed routing.

Response expectations

CBP processes millions of traveler admissions and hundreds of thousands of trade entries annually. Response timelines vary significantly by inquiry type and legal category.

• General inquiries submitted through the CBP.gov Info Center typically receive an acknowledgment within 3–5 business days. Resolution of substantive questions may take longer depending on workload.
• FOIA requests are governed by the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, which establishes a statutory 20-business-day response window for initial determinations. Complex or voluminous requests qualify for extended timelines under the statute. CBP's FOIA Division tracks requests through a public portal at cbp.gov/document/guidance/foia.
• Civil rights and civil liberties complaints filed with CBP's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties follow DHS-wide processing standards. The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (hhs.gov-equivalent: dhs.gov/office-civil-rights-civil-liberties) publishes annual complaint data.
• Administrative appeals of penalty notices or seizures have deadlines set by statute or notice — missing these windows forfeits appeal rights. The CBP administrative appeals process page details those timelines.
• Trusted Traveler program inquiries routed through the Trusted Traveler Programs Help Center at ttp.cbp.dhs.gov typically see account-specific responses within 5–10 business days.

Expedited handling is available for certain FOIA requests under 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(E) if a requester demonstrates compelling need.

Additional contact options

Beyond direct messaging, CBP maintains structured channels for specific legal and procedural needs.

• CBP Information Center — The primary public-facing portal at cbp.gov/contact routes traveler, trade, and general inquiries.
• Automated Broker Interface / ACE Help Desk — Trade operators using the Automated Commercial Environment can reach ACE support at 1-571-468-5000.
• Trusted Traveler Programs portal — Account management, conditional approval inquiries, and interview scheduling at ttp.cbp.dhs.gov.
• Reporting trade fraud or forced labor violations — The CBP forced labor enforcement program accepts allegations through the e-Allegation portal at cbp.gov/trade/trade-community/e-allegations.
• Reporting border security concerns — Tips related to smuggling or border security can be submitted to the U.S. Border Patrol tip line at 1-800-232-5378.

How to reach this office

CBP does not maintain a single national public office for walk-in contact. Jurisdiction is distributed across field offices, ports, and directorates aligned to geographic and functional areas.

• Primary web contact form: cbp.gov/contact
• CBP Information Center phone: 1-877-227-5511 (staffed for traveler and general inquiries)
• ACE/Trade support: 1-571-468-5000
• TTY/TDD for hearing-impaired callers: 1-866-880-6582
• Mailing address for headquarters correspondence:
  U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
  Washington, DC 20229

For port-specific matters, CBP's port directory at cbp.gov/contact/ports lists direct contact information for individual ports of entry by state. CBP careers and hiring inquiries are handled separately through USAJOBS at usajobs.gov, not through the general information center.

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