To check the status of a customs bond, pull three identifiers from your CBP Form 301 — the importer number, the bond number, and the surety code — and run a query through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal, or ask your surety company or customs broker to run it for you. All three routes read from the same CBP database, so the answer is the same; only the access differs.
Doing this before your freight arrives at the port is the whole point. A bond that shows as terminated, void, or insufficient will stop cargo from being released, and demurrage starts running while you scramble for a replacement.
Identifiers You Need Before You Query
CBP’s automated systems reject queries with extra spaces, missing suffixes, or transposed digits, so gather these from the original bond paperwork rather than from memory:
- Importer number. For most businesses, a nine-digit Employer Identification Number followed by a two-digit suffix, typically “00” unless you registered additional suffixes with CBP. Individuals without an EIN may use a Social Security Number.1U.S. Customs and Border Protection. General Guidelines for Completing the CBP Form 301 for Continuous Bonds
- Bond number. A unique number CBP assigns when the bond is filed. It appears at the top of your Form 301 and on CBP correspondence.
- Surety code. A three-digit number CBP assigns to your surety company.1U.S. Customs and Border Protection. General Guidelines for Completing the CBP Form 301 for Continuous Bonds
Foreign importers who have neither an EIN nor an SSN use a CBP-Assigned Importer Number. You can request one by submitting CBP Form 5106, or your customs broker can apply through the Automated Broker Interface on your behalf.2U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Importer Create/Update Identity Form CBP Form 5106 FAQ
One thing worth checking against your identifiers before you query: the bond amount on record. CBP sets a continuous bond at 10 percent of the duties, taxes, and fees you paid over the previous 12 months, with a $100 minimum. A single transaction bond is generally set at no less than the entered value of the merchandise plus duties, taxes, and fees.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Bonds – How Are Continuous and Single Entry Bond Amounts Determined If your bond amount looks low relative to what you’ve been importing, an insufficiency notice is likely on the way.
Checking Through the ACE Secure Data Portal
ACE is CBP’s central system for processing imports and exports.4Federal Register. Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) If you hold a direct ACE Secure Data Portal account, you can query your own bond through the portal’s reporting tools.5U.S. Customs and Border Protection. How to Use the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Open the reports section, select the bond query option, and enter your importer number, bond number, and surety code. The system checks the federal database in real time and returns the current status.
The results screen shows the bond’s execution date, its liability limit, and its standing. Save or print this screen as a PDF. That snapshot is your proof of valid coverage if anyone disputes it during clearance.
Setting Up an ACE Account
If you don’t already have portal access, you’ll need to submit the ACE Secure Data Portal Application. It asks for the company officer’s name and title, organizational structure, importer number with all registered suffixes, and details for a Trade Account Owner who will manage portal access. Both the principal and the account owner must sign. CBP typically responds within about two weeks with a temporary password.
Two weeks is often longer than importers can wait, so most people use one of the alternatives below.
Checking Through Your Surety or Broker
You don’t need direct ACE access to confirm your bond is active.
- Your surety company. The company that underwrote your bond keeps its own records. A phone call or email to your surety agent will confirm status, coverage amount, and anniversary date. Usually the fastest route.
- Your customs broker. Licensed brokers have permissioned access to CBP’s trade systems and can run a bond query for you. If a broker files your entries, they’ve almost certainly already verified the bond, but ask for written confirmation when your bond is nearing its anniversary or you’ve changed sureties.
The data behind every one of these channels is the same CBP database. A bond that shows active through your surety will show active in ACE.
Reading the Status Result
What comes back from the query is the point of the exercise: it tells you whether your next shipment will clear.
- Active. The bond is valid and you can proceed with entries.
- Terminated. The bond has been ended by you, your surety, or CBP. No new entries can be charged against it, and you need a replacement bond on CBP Form 301 before you can import again.6U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Terminating a Customs Bond
- Insufficient. CBP has determined the bond amount doesn’t adequately cover your import activity. This freezes clearance until you file a new bond or increase the existing one.
A terminated status does not wipe out obligations that already existed. Duties owed on entries made while the bond was active remain the responsibility of both the importer and the surety after termination.6U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Terminating a Customs Bond
Unresolved liquidated damages claims also surface in a bond query and can effectively prevent cargo from being released until they’re paid or mitigated. If your query shows outstanding claims, address them through your broker or surety before the next shipment moves.
If the Check Shows an Insufficiency
CBP periodically reviews every bond on file to decide whether the coverage still protects the revenue. When the agency decides a bond is inadequate, you and your surety receive a written insufficiency letter stating the current amount, the new minimum required, the reason, and a deadline.7eCFR. 19 CFR 113.13 – Amount of Bond
Two versions of the letter exist:
- Immediate insufficiency. The bond becomes insufficient at once. You cannot import until a new bond is filed and the old one terminated.
- Deadline-based insufficiency. You get 15 to 30 days from the date printed on the letter to remedy the deficiency. Imports continue under the existing bond until that deadline passes.7eCFR. 19 CFR 113.13 – Amount of Bond
The deadline runs from the date on the letter, not the day you open the envelope. Placing a new continuous bond and terminating the old one takes roughly 15 calendar days, so act the day you learn about it.
Habits That Keep the Bond Current Between Checks
A few practices prevent most of the bond problems that stall imports:
- Verify before shipping. Run a bond query or call your surety before high-value or time-sensitive cargo leaves the origin country. Discovering a terminated bond after your container is at the port means storage charges accumulate while you arrange a replacement.
- Track the anniversary date. Continuous bonds renew automatically only if the surety premium is paid. A missed premium can trigger a surety-initiated termination. Mark the renewal date and confirm payment in advance.
- Watch your duty totals. If annual duties, taxes, and fees climb past 10 times the current bond amount, expect an insufficiency letter. Requesting an increase before CBP forces the issue keeps shipments moving.
- Tell your broker about changes. If you switch sureties, change your EIN, or add a new importer number suffix, let the broker know right away. Mismatched records in ACE cause entry rejections that look like bond problems but are really data problems.