Yes, you can call U.S. Customs and Border Protection about a package. The CBP Information Center takes calls at 877-227-5511, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. From outside the United States, the number is +1-202-325-8000. You can also submit a written question at help.cbp.gov.1U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Information Center Contact Information Before you dial, though, check your tracking. Most shipping delays are not customs delays, and CBP won’t have information on a package that isn’t actually in their hands.
Check Your Tracking First
Pull up your tracking number and look for language that specifically names customs: “held in customs,” “inbound into customs,” “customs clearance delay,” or “awaiting customs documentation.” Those phrases mean CBP is processing the package. If tracking says “in transit” or “arrival at gateway” without mentioning customs, the delay is on the carrier’s side and CBP can’t help.
Routine customs clearance can take a few hours or a few days. Packages flagged for inspection, missing paperwork, or owing duties take longer. If a customs-related status has sat unchanged for more than a week, that’s a reasonable point to start making calls.
When to Call the Carrier Instead
For lost packages, misrouted shipments, address corrections, and general transit problems, your carrier is the right contact. Carriers also communicate directly with CBP for routine clearance, so they often know more about your specific shipment than the hotline does.
CBP is the right call when tracking confirms customs involvement and neither the carrier nor the sender can explain what’s happening. CBP can tell you whether a package is under inspection, whether it needs documentation, or whether duties must be paid before release. Those are decisions CBP makes independently, and the carrier can’t answer for them.
How to Reach CBP
The main number is 877-227-5511 in the U.S. and +1-202-325-8000 from abroad, both weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern. CBP recommends checking help.cbp.gov before calling; the site hosts more than 500 answers and lets you file a written inquiry.2U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Contact Us
If the hotline can’t resolve your issue, you can contact the specific port of entry where your package is being held. CBP maintains a searchable directory at cbp.gov/about/contact/ports, organized by state and territory.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Locate a Port of Entry Port offices handle hands-on inspections and releases, so they sometimes have more detailed information about a shipment than the national call center.
Have This Information Ready
The tracking number matters most. Without it, CBP has no way to find your package. Also pull together the sender’s name and address, a description of the contents including quantity and value, and any purchase receipt or invoice. If CBP or USPS has already sent you a notice, have the reference number in front of you.
Shipments worth more than $2,500 require a formal customs entry with a commercial invoice, packing list, and identification of the consignee.4eCFR. 19 CFR Part 142 – Entry Process
What CBP Can and Cannot Tell You
If CBP has your package, they can confirm the hold and explain why. Common reasons include a random inspection, incomplete customs declarations, restricted contents requiring permits, or unpaid duties. They can also tell you what release requires: submit a document, pay a fee, or wait out an inspection.
What CBP cannot do is give you a delivery date. Once they release a package back to the carrier, delivery is the carrier’s job and CBP has no visibility into that timeline. They also can’t fix carrier-side issues like misdelivery or damage.
Why Your Package Might Be Held
Unpaid Duties
The $800 de minimis exemption that used to let low-value packages enter duty-free has been suspended. As of 2026, virtually all international shipments are subject to duties regardless of value.5WhiteHouse.gov. Continuing the Suspension of Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries For packages arriving through the international postal network, an ad valorem duty based on the effective tariff rate for the country of origin applies to each dutiable item.6Federal Register. Notice of Implementation of the President’s Executive Order 14324
The surviving exception is bona fide gifts sent through international mail: $100 or less, or $200 if sent from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa.7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. E-Commerce Frequently Asked Questions
If you ordered something inexpensive from overseas and tracking now shows a customs hold, unpaid duties are the most likely reason. USPS collects duty at delivery on packages that came through the international mail. FedEx, UPS, and DHL usually act as broker, pay the duty on your behalf, and invoice you for the duty plus a brokerage fee that varies by carrier.
Restricted or Prohibited Contents
Sometimes the contents are the issue. CBP enforces import restrictions on behalf of several federal agencies, and certain categories are flatly prohibited through international mail, including explosives, ammunition, marijuana, mercury, and aerosols.
Prescription medications cause a lot of confusion. Federal law allows individuals to import prescription drugs for personal use if the drug doesn’t pose an unreasonable safety risk. For imports from Canada, the law contemplates a waiver for quantities up to a 90-day supply, with a valid prescription, when the drug is FDA-approved and in finished dosage form.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 21 USC 384 – Importation of Prescription Drugs
When contents trigger the hold, CBP will tell you which item is the problem and what your options are. Sometimes additional documentation, like a prescription or import permit, gets the package released. Sometimes the item is seized.
If Your Package Has Been Seized
A seizure is different from a hold. A hold means CBP is reviewing the package. A seizure means CBP has taken legal possession because they believe the contents violate import laws. CBP must send written notice of the seizure within 60 calendar days, though that deadline can be extended by up to 30 additional days by CBP or ICE leadership, or by a court in 60-day increments.9eCFR. 19 CFR 162.92 – Notice of Seizure
Once you receive the notice, you have 30 days to file a petition for remission or mitigation. The petition asks CBP to return the goods or reduce the penalty, and CBP can grant it on a finding that the violation wasn’t willful and there was no intent to defraud.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 USC 1618 – Remission or Mitigation of Penalties The Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures Officer can extend the 30-day window when circumstances justify it, but don’t count on it.11eCFR. 19 CFR Part 171 Subpart A – Application for Relief
Challenging a Duty or Classification Decision
If you disagree with what CBP decided about your shipment, whether it’s the duty amount, a classification determination, or an exclusion from entry, you can file a formal administrative protest. The deadline is 180 days from the date of the decision or liquidation of the entry.12GovInfo. 19 USC 1514 – Protest Against Decisions of Customs Service
The protest must be in writing and must identify the specific decision you’re challenging, the merchandise involved, and your reasons for objecting. Only one protest is allowed per entry, though separate protests can cover different categories of merchandise within the same entry. For most people dealing with a single package, one protest is enough. If CBP denies it, the next step is the U.S. Court of International Trade.