International Travel

U.S. Coast Guard Liaison Officer
Reminder for All Pleasure Boaters

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is advising boaters to make sure they follow the below guidelines while they are cruising on their boats.

We ask those private boaters operating in our area of responsibility to be safe and to properly report into CBP while enjoying the waterways in their private boats.

The “Notice of Violation” is a warning, not a penalty. It will serve as a record of formal notification to the master of the vessel who is responsible for fulfilling proper vessel reporting requirements to CBP. This formal notification provides individuals arriving by vessel the responsibility of reporting their arrival as well as all articles accompanying them to CBP.

The master of a vessel who fails to report arrival is liable for a civil penalty of $5,000 for the first violation and $10,000 for each subsequent violation, and any conveyance used in connection with any such violation is subject to seizure and forfeiture. Any individual who fails to report their arrival, as well as all articles accompanying them, is liable for a civil penalty of $5,000 for the first violation, and $10,000 for each subsequent violation.

Pursuant to 19 CFR 4.2, operators of small pleasure vessels, arriving in the United States from a foreign port or place to include any vessel which has visited a hovering vessel or received merchandise outside the territorial sea, are required to report their arrival to CBP immediately (see 19 U.S.C. 1433).

The master of the vessel reports their arrival at the nearest Customs facility or such other place as the Secretary may prescribe by regulations. These reports are tracked in the Pleasure Boat Reporting System. Pursuant to 8 CFR 235.1, an application to lawfully enter the United States must be made in person to a CBP officer at a U.S. port-of-entry when the port is open for inspection.

Local Boater Option (LBO)

Local Boater Option (Miami, Tampa, and San Juan) is a voluntary effort that will allow eligible, frequent pleasure boat operators and passengers, who are U.S. Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) of the United States, to register themselves and their vessel with CBP.

The Local Boater Option offers facilitated customs and immigration clearance for recreational, low-risk boaters at time of arrival. Enrollment to the LBO Program is voluntary and will allow CBP to expedite the arrival reporting process to boaters who have enrolled into the program.

This program will satisfy the boat operator’s legal requirement to report to a port-of-entry for face-to-face inspection in accordance with 8 CFR 235.1, but boaters must still phone in their arrival to satisfy 19 USC 1433.

What telephone number do I call upon arrival into Florida?

The Florida Small Vessel Call Center (SVCC) can be reached at 1-800-432-1216 or 1-800-451-0393

To make formal notification of arrival on a float plan filed in SVRS call 1-877-330-7327.

What Information Do I Have to Have When I Call?

Vessel masters must have the following information available:

• Name, date of birth and citizenship of all persons on board (including passport number)
• Name of the boat and/or boat registration number
• CBP user-fee decal number (if 30 feet or longer)
• Homeport and current location
• Return contact number

Vessel masters who filed a float plan in SVRS only have to provide the float plan number.

For further information regarding Pleasure Boat Reporting Requirements, please visit the CBP website. (Pleasure Boat Reporting Requirements).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Copies of the US Coast Guard Float Plan can be printed from the following link:
http://www.floatplancentral.org