Quick answer
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When you return to the US, you must declare everything you bought or received abroad. Most returning residents can bring back $800 worth of goods duty-free if they’ve been away at least 48 hours and haven’t used the exemption in the past 30 days. The next $1,000 is generally dutiable at a flat 3%. Declare all food, and report currency over $10,000.
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- Personal exemption
- $800 for most trips (as of 2026)
- Short trips
- $200 if conditions aren’t met
- Next $1,000
- Flat 3% duty on most items
- Alcohol
- 1 liter duty-free, age 21+
- Tobacco
- 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars
What do you have to declare at US customs?
Everything you acquired abroad and are bringing back: purchases, gifts you received, gifts you bought for others, items from duty-free shops, and repairs or alterations made abroad. Declare items at the price you paid, and keep receipts handy in case an officer asks.
Families living in the same household and returning together can file one joint declaration and combine their exemptions. You can declare on a paper form, at a kiosk, or through Mobile Passport Control at participating airports.
How much can you bring back duty-free?
CBP’s personal exemption depends on where you’ve been and for how long. As of 2026, the main amounts are as follows.
- $800 for most trips, if you were abroad at least 48 hours and haven’t used the exemption in the past 30 days
- $1,600 when returning from the US Virgin Islands, Guam or American Samoa
- $200 if you don’t meet the 48-hour or 30-day conditions
- Flat 3% duty on the next $1,000 of most goods above your exemption; higher-value items are dutied at their specific rates
What are the limits on alcohol and tobacco?
Returning residents aged 21 or older can include one liter of alcohol in their exemption. You can usually bring more, subject to your arrival state’s laws, but the extra is dutiable and taxable even if you’re under $800 overall. The tobacco allowance is 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars per adult.
Items bought in a duty-free shop abroad are free of that country’s taxes, not US duty. They count toward your personal exemption like any other purchase. Black pearls from French Polynesia’s pearl farms, for example, need to be declared like any jewelry you buy.
Which items are restricted or prohibited?
Many everyday souvenirs are fine, but some categories need permits or aren’t allowed at all.
- Food and agricultural items: declare all of them; fresh fruit, vegetables and meat are often refused, and failing to declare agricultural items can bring a civil penalty, commonly $300 for a first offense
- Medications: original containers, a prescription or doctor’s note in English and generally no more than a 90-day supply; see traveling with medications abroad
- Wildlife products: items from endangered species, such as ivory, are generally prohibited
- Cultural artifacts: may require export permits and receipts
- Counterfeit goods: subject to seizure
- Currency: no limit, but amounts over $10,000 must be reported
How can you get through US customs faster?
Global Entry lets pre-approved travelers use dedicated kiosks or facial recognition lanes, and includes TSA PreCheck. Mobile Passport Control is free and lets you submit your information in an app before you reach the officer. Compare options in Global Entry vs TSA PreCheck.
Remember that you clear customs at your first US airport, even when connecting onward, unless you departed from a preclearance airport abroad. Leave enough time for it when you book a connection.
Frequently asked questions
Is the $800 duty-free limit per person?
Do I have to declare gifts I bought for other people?
Do duty-free shop purchases count toward my exemption?
What happens if I don’t declare something at customs?
How much cash can I bring into the US?
Official sources
Rules, fees and schedules change — confirm the latest details at the source before you travel.