How to Apply for a CBP ACE Secure Data Portal Account

To apply for a CBP ACE Secure Data Portal account, choose the application path that matches your role in the trade community — importer, exporter, protest filer, or another activity such as carrier or customs broker — designate an Account Owner, and submit the correct form to CBP. There is no application fee. The form you use, the information you must provide, and whether you file online or by email all depend on which category applies to your business, so identifying the right path is the first decision.

Pick the Right Application Path

CBP maintains four separate application methods. On April 1, 2026, the agency released modernized web-based forms and encouraged new applicants to use them instead of the older PDF process.¹

Importers apply through the web form at ace-accounts.cbp.gov/s/importer-form. This path is only for companies that already have a CBP Form 5106 on file and do not yet have ACE Portal access.
Exporters apply through the web form at ace.cbp.dhs.gov/acexpub/expapp. Only U.S. and U.S. territory entities are eligible.
Protest filers apply through a separate web form under the protest filer application section at ace.cbp.dhs.gov.
Carriers, customs brokers, bonded warehouse operators, foreign trade zone operators, cartage firms, and other trade participants download the PDF-based ACE Data Portal Account Application Form and email it to ace.applications@cbp.dhs.gov.

If your business activity is not obvious, CBP’s portal introduction page lists sub-account types by activity. Choosing the wrong one delivers the wrong data views after activation, so confirm the fit before filling anything out.²

Designate an Account Owner

Every ACE Portal account requires a designated Account Owner. This person manages the corporate account, controls user access, and creates sub-accounts. They do not need to be the owner of the company; a compliance officer, an operations manager, or anyone else with authority to interact with CBP on the firm’s behalf will do.²

The Account Owner’s email address becomes the login credential. Use a stable business email that will still exist if the person leaves. A personal Gmail or Yahoo address works technically but creates access problems later.

Applying as an Importer

The importer web form asks for only three things: your company name, your Importer of Record Number (IR#), and the business email address for the designated Account Owner.³

Three eligibility rules trip applicants up. First, your company must already have a CBP Form 5106 on file. This is the importer identity form your customs broker files the first time you import; if you have never imported, you need a 5106 before you can apply for portal access. Second, no existing ACE Portal account can already be tied to your importer record. If someone at your company set one up, contact that Account Owner rather than reapplying. Third, the email address you provide for the Account Owner cannot already be tied to an existing ACE Portal owner or user.³

After you submit, CBP sends a system-generated verification code to the point-of-contact email in your 5106 record, not to the email you typed on the application. The code is valid for only 10 minutes. Coordinate with whoever owns that address before you hit submit. If the email in your 5106 record is outdated or belongs to a former employee, ask your customs broker to update it and wait 24 hours for CBP systems to synchronize.⁴

Applying as an Exporter

The exporter form collects more information because exporters often have no pre-existing CBP record. You will need your company’s Employer Identification Number (EIN), company name, DUNS number, fiscal year end date, and full physical address. Post office boxes are not accepted.⁵

The Account Owner section asks for the person’s first and last name, date of birth (or another valid date), telephone number, email address, and a separate mailing address if it differs from the company headquarters. A fax number field appears but is not required. Before submitting, you must accept CBP’s terms and conditions. Only U.S. and U.S. territory entities are eligible.⁵

An exporter account provides access to AES Direct for filing Electronic Export Information (EEI) and starts the approval process for ACE export reports.⁵

Applying for All Other Trade Activities

Carriers, customs brokers, bonded warehouse operators, foreign trade zone managers, cartage firms, and other trade participants use the PDF-based application. Download it from CBP’s applying page, complete it, and email it to ace.applications@cbp.dhs.gov.²

The identifying data you need depends on your role:

All applicants: an EIN issued by the IRS. Sole proprietors without an EIN may use a Social Security Number. Applicants with neither will be assigned a temporary importer identification number by CBP.⁶
Carriers: the Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) assigned by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association.
Customs brokers: the entry filer code, a three-character alphanumeric code assigned by CBP that appears at the beginning of every entry number filed.⁷
Bonded warehouse and FTZ operators: facility identification codes and any relevant bond information.

Processing for PDF-based applications typically takes three to five business days, though heavy volume can extend that. For status updates, email ACE.Support@cbp.dhs.gov.²

CBP still accepts the legacy PDF form during the rollout of the new web-based tools, but has urged applicants to use the web forms where available for faster processing.¹

Errors That Stop Applications

The importer web form throws a few recurring errors. Knowing what each one means saves a round trip.

“The EIN provided is in use and associated with an existing top account.” Someone at your company already has an ACE Portal account under that EIN. Find your existing Account Owner and request access rather than reapplying.
“No Email Address On File.” CBP has no email tied to your Importer of Record number. Ask your customs broker to add one to your 5106 record. The email must be associated with your company’s physical address, not its mailing address. Allow 24 hours for systems to synchronize.
Verification code never arrives. The code goes to the point-of-contact email in your 5106 record, which may belong to your broker or a former employee. Coordinate with that person, or update the email through your broker before reapplying.
Bank routing number rejected. CBP rejects routing numbers that do not process FedACH payments. Confirm with your bank that yours does before entering it.

These errors and their fixes are documented on CBP’s ACE Portal FAQ page.⁴

First Login and Password Rules

After CBP verifies the application, the Account Owner receives access credentials and logs in at ace.cbp.gov. The first login requires setting a permanent password.²

CBP’s password policy is stricter than most. Your password must:

Contain at least 15 characters
Include at least 2 letters
Use uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numbers
Include at least one special symbol
Not contain your User ID, first name, or last name
Not contain any consecutively repeated characters
Not match or reverse any previously used password

These rules come from DHS/CBP security policy and apply to every ACE Portal user.⁸ A password manager is worth using; a 15-character password under all these constraints is not something to memorize.

Adding Users or More IR Numbers Later

Once activated, the Account Owner adds other people at the company through the built-in access management tool. They do not submit separate applications. The Account Owner also assigns sub-accounts and controls what each user can see and do.⁹

One boundary is worth flagging. If your company needs to add the Importer sub-account view for more than one Importer of Record number, the automated importer web form cannot do it. Use the legacy PDF application form and email it to ace.applications@cbp.dhs.gov.¹

1
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CSMS 68228015 – New ACE Portal Account Application Now Available
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Applying for an ACE Secure Data Portal Account
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP ACE Secure Data Portal Account Application
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQs
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. ACE Exporter Account Application
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eCFR. 19 CFR 24.5 – Filing Identification Number
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eCFR. 19 CFR 142.3a – Entry Numbers
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CSMS 49635008 – ACE Portal Password Rule Changes
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Managing an ACE Secure Data Portal Account