Returning US resident · personal exemption

US Returning-Traveler Duty-Free Exemption Checker

Find your exact duty-free personal exemption — $200.00, $800.00 or $1,600.00 depending on time abroad, where from, and recent use — and the 3% general flat-rate duty (1.5% insular) on the first $1,000 of dutiable value. The reduced $200 exemption is all-or-nothing: above $200, the full value is dutiable. Fill the declaration card below ↓

U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionWelcome Home · Personal Declaration
CBP 6059B
RETURNING RESIDENT · DUTY-FREE ALLOWANCE
Duty owed
Your exemption$800.00Standard exemption
Est. flat-rate duty$30.00next $1,000 @ 3% (9816.00.20)
Where are you arriving directly from?
1. Were you outside the United States for at least 48 hours?

Under 48 hours means the all-or-nothing $200 limit, except direct arrivals from Mexico or the US Virgin Islands (19 CFR 148.35 / 148.51).

2. Are you arriving directly or indirectly from a US insular possession?

American Samoa, Guam, the CNMI, or the US Virgin Islands → $1,600 exemption (19 CFR 148.33).

3. Have you used your duty-free exemption within the last 30 days?

If so, the $800/$1,600 exemption is not available — the reduced exemption applies only if the total is $200 or less (19 CFR 148.36 / 148.51).

What you actually paid (retail value) for goods, gifts and souvenirs you are bringing back.

Your duty-free personal exemption

$800.00

Your duty-free personal exemption is $800 (standard). The next $1,000 over it is dutiable at the 3% flat rate (HTSUS 9816.00.20), an estimated $30; anything above that is charged at regular HTS rates that vary by item. This is an estimate, not a guarantee — CBP decides at the port of entry.

Dutiable base
$1,000.00
Next $1,000 @ 3% flat
$30.00
Above the flat band
$0
nothing above the band

The estimated $30.00 is the 3% flat-rate duty on the first $1,000 over your exemption (HTSUS 9816.00.20).

Rules behind the number

  • You get the standard $800 duty-free exemption: abroad at least 48 hours or arriving directly from Mexico, not qualifying for the insular tier, and you have not used the exemption in the prior 30 days. (19 CFR 148.33)
  • Over your exemption, the next $1,000 of fair retail value is dutiable at a flat 3% (HTSUS 9816.00.20, the General / Column 1 rate; goods from a Column 2 / non-normal-trade-relations country are 4%). (HTSUS 9816.00.20)
  • Above the first $1,000 of dutiable base, goods are dutiable at the regular HTS rate for each item — which varies by product and is not estimated here. (HTSUS)
  • Alcohol and tobacco count within your exemption and carry their own quantity limits (commonly 1 liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, and 100 cigars for the $800 exemption; more from a US insular possession). You must be 21+ for alcohol and tobacco. Confirm current limits with CBP. (CBP — Know Before You Go)
  • This returning-traveler personal exemption (goods you carry back in your baggage, 19 CFR Part 148) is NOT the commercial $800 de minimis for low-value shipments (19 CFR 10.151), which was suspended in 2025 under Executive Order 14324 and continued in 2026 under Executive Order 14388. They are different rules. (19 CFR 148 vs 19 CFR 10.151 / EO 14324 + EO 14388)

Governing authority: 19 CFR 148.33, 19 CFR 148.35, 19 CFR 148.36, HTSUS 9804.00.65, HTSUS 9816.00.20. General guidance and an estimate, not legal or customs advice — CBP determines your exemption, admissibility and duty at the port of entry.

Rules verified 2026-10-17 · 19 CFR Part 148 · HTSUS 9816.00.20

A returning US resident gets a $800.00 duty-free exemption after at least 48 hours abroad, or $1,600.00 arriving from a US insular possession (American Samoa, Guam, the CNMI, or the US Virgin Islands), or a reduced $200.00 if you were away under 48 hours without an exception, or used the exemption in the last 30 days. Direct arrivals from Mexico or the US Virgin Islands have no 48-hour minimum. The reduced exemption applies only if the aggregate value of articles not otherwise exempt is $200 or less (19 CFR 148.51). Above $200, the full value is dutiable, with no $200 deduction. For the standard and insular tiers, subtract the exemption. The first $1,000 of dutiable value is charged at a flat 3% generally, or 1.5% for the insular tier (HTSUS 9816.00.20/.40); above that, regular HTS rates apply. Declare everything — this is an estimate, CBP decides at the port of entry.

$800.00

General exemption, 48h+ or direct from Mexico (19 CFR 148.33)

$1,600.00

From a US insular possession (19 CFR 148.33)

$200.00

Under 48h without exception / used within 30 days; exempt only if total ≤ $200 (148.35 / 148.36 / 148.51)

General guidance and an estimate, not legal or customs advice. Your exemption, admissibility and duty are determined by CBP at the port of entry under 19 CFR Part 148 and the HTSUS. Computed entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server.

Last verified:

How this checker works

This checker resolves your US returning-traveler duty-free personal exemption and estimates the flat-rate duty on the dutiable base, computed entirely in your browser — no inputs are sent to a server. The all-or-nothing $200 limit applies if you were abroad under 48 hours without a direct-arrival exception for Mexico or the US Virgin Islands (19 CFR 148.35) or have used the exemption within the prior 30 days (19 CFR 148.36); otherwise $1,600 if you arrive directly or indirectly from a US insular possession (American Samoa, Guam, the CNMI, or the US Virgin Islands), else $800 (19 CFR 148.33). For the reduced tier, a total of $200 or less is exempt; above $200, the full value is dutiable, with no $200 deduction (19 CFR 148.51(b)(1)). For the standard and insular tiers, subtract the exemption. The first $1,000 of dutiable base is dutiable at 1.5% for the insular tier or a general 3% (HTSUS 9816.00.40/.20, the General/Column 1 rate; Column 2 is 4%, the insular band under 9816.00.40 is 1.5%); above that, regular HTS rates apply and vary by item. Alcohol and tobacco count within the exemption and carry their own quantity limits (age 21+). This returning-traveler exemption (19 CFR Part 148) is distinct from the commercial $800 de minimis (19 CFR 10.151) suspended in 2025 under EO 14324 and continued in 2026 under EO 14388. Figures are an estimate, not a guarantee — CBP decides at the port of entry. Rules verified 2026-10-17 by the coordinator against eCFR, HTS Revision 21 and CBP.

How your US duty-free personal exemption works

When you return to the United States from a trip, you can bring back a certain dollar value of goods, gifts and souvenirs duty-free — this is your personal exemption, set out in 19 CFR Part 148, Subpart D and keyed to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The exemption is $800 for most travelers, $1,600 if you are coming from a US insular possession, or a reduced $200 if you do not meet the time-and-frequency conditions. The reduced exemption applies only if the total value of articles not otherwise exempt is $200 or less; above $200, the full value is dutiable. The standard and insular exemptions remain deductions. The first $1,000 of dutiable base is charged at a single low flat rate rather than item-by-item. This checker turns those rules into one estimated figure for your trip.

$800, $1,600 or $200 — which exemption you get

The standard $800 exemption applies to a returning resident who has been outside the United States for at least 48 hours (no minimum for direct arrivals from Mexico) and has not used the exemption in the prior 30 days (19 CFR 148.33). If you arrive directly or indirectly from a US insular possession — American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the US Virgin Islands — the exemption rises to $1,600. Except for direct arrivals from Mexico or the US Virgin Islands, if you were abroad less than 48 hours (19 CFR 148.35) or you have already used your exemption within the last 30 days (19 CFR 148.36), the higher exemption is not available and you fall to the reduced $200. Direct arrivals from Mexico qualify for $800 without a 48-hour minimum; direct arrivals from the US Virgin Islands qualify for $1,600 without that minimum (148.35(a)-(b)). The 30-day restriction still applies to both. The $200 reduced exemption is based on 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(B), with declaration under 19 CFR 148.12. Under 19 CFR 148.51(b)(1), it applies only if the aggregate value of articles not otherwise exempt is $200 or less. If that total exceeds $200, there is no $200 deduction: the full value is dutiable.

The flat rate: the first $1,000 of dutiable base

For goods eligible for the flat rate, the first slice of dutiable base uses a flat rate. Under HTSUS 9816.00.20, the first $1,000 of dutiable base is dutiable at a flat 3% — the General (Column 1) rate used here; special free rates under trade agreements and Column 2 rates require separate confirmation. (Goods from a Column 2 / non-normal-trade-relations country, such as Cuba or North Korea, are charged 4% instead, and the insular-possession flat band under HTSUS 9816.00.40 is 1.5%.) So a traveler with the standard $800 exemption and $1,800 of goods has $1,000 over the exemption, all inside the flat band — an estimated $30 in flat-rate duty. In the reduced tier, $200 is exempt, but $200.01 has a full dutiable base of $200.01 and estimated duty of $6.00; $300 has a base of $300 and duty of $9.00. Above that $1,000 band, goods are charged at the regular HTS rate for each item, which varies by product and is not estimated here.

Alcohol and tobacco count within your exemption

Alcohol and tobacco are included within your personal exemption and carry their own quantity limits. As general CBP guidance, the $800 exemption commonly covers 1 liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, and 100 cigars; arrivals from a US insular possession get higher allowances. You must be 21 or older to bring back alcohol or tobacco, and some states set their own limits. Confirm current allowances with CBP “Know Before You Go” before you travel — quantities change and this tool does not assert a precise current limit.

This is not the suspended $800 de minimis

It is easy to confuse two different $800 figures. This returning-traveler personal exemption applies to goods you physically carry back in your baggage, under 19 CFR Part 148. It is not the commercial $800 de minimis of 19 CFR 10.151 — the rule that let low-value shipments enter duty-free — which was suspended in 2025 under Executive Order 14324 and continued in 2026 under Executive Order 14388. They are different legal mechanisms: the traveler exemption (live, this tool) covers your luggage; the commercial de minimis (now suspended, covered by our post‑de‑minimis duty tools) covered parcels shipped to a US buyer.

How the estimate is built

  • Exemption threshold = $200 if (under 48h without the Mexico/US Virgin Islands exception OR used within 30 days), else $1,600 if arriving from a US insular possession, else $800.
  • Dutiable base = 0 for the reduced tier if value ≤ $200, otherwise the full value. For standard and insular tiers: max(0, value − exemption).
  • Flat-rate duty = min(base, $1,000) × 1.5% (insular) or 3% (general) (HTSUS 9816.00.20).
  • Above the flat band = max(0, base − $1,000) — charged at regular HTS rates, varies by item, not estimated here.

Everything is computed in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server. Every figure is an estimate, not a guarantee; CBP determines your exemption, admissibility and duty at the port of entry.

Frequently asked questions

Is the personal exemption always $800?

No. $800 is the standard amount after at least 48 hours abroad, or on direct arrival from Mexico with no minimum stay. You get $1,600 arriving from a US insular possession, or a reduced $200 if you were away under 48 hours without an exception or have used the exemption in the last 30 days. The reduced exemption is all-or-nothing: $200 or less is exempt; above $200, the full value is dutiable. CBP determines the actual exemption at the port of entry.

How much is the flat-rate duty on my dutiable base?

The first $1,000 of dutiable base is dutiable at a flat 3% (HTSUS 9816.00.20) for goods from a normal-trade-relations country, so the most the flat band can be is about $30. Goods from a Column 2 country are 4%, and the insular-possession flat band is 1.5%. For the reduced tier, a total above $200 is fully dutiable, with no $200 deduction. Standard and insular tiers deduct their exemption. Above the $1,000 band, regular HTS rates apply by item.

Is this the same as the $800 de minimis that was eliminated?

No. This returning-traveler exemption (19 CFR Part 148) applies to goods you carry back in your baggage and is still in force. The commercial $800 de minimis (19 CFR 10.151) for low-value shipments was suspended in 2025 under Executive Order 14324 and continued in 2026 under Executive Order 14388. They are different rules.

Is anything I enter sent to a server?

No. The estimate is computed entirely in your browser from the rules described above. Nothing you enter leaves your device.

Gear for the trip home

Checked luggageA durable hardshell case for the goods, gifts and souvenirs you are bringing back.TSA-approved luggage lockLocks CBP and TSA can open without cutting — keep a declarable haul secure in transit.Packing cubesKeep what you bought abroad organised and easy to itemise when you declare it.

Sources

  • 19 CFR 148.33 — exemption amounts: $800 standard (“must not exceed $800”) and $1,600 for a “direct or indirect arrival from American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands”, keyed to HTSUS 9804.00.65. Plus 148.35 (the 48-hour length-of-stay rule) and 148.36 (the 30-day frequency rule). Read from eCFR by the coordinator on 17 October 2026, including both exceptions to the 48-hour rule.
  • HTSUS 9816.00.20 — the flat rate of duty on the first $1,000 of dutiable base: 3% (General / Column 1), 4% (Column 2 / non-NTR). The insular-possession band HTSUS 9816.00.40 is 1.5%. The personal-exemption provision is HTSUS 9804.00.65. Rates confirmed in HTS Revision 21, effective 9 October 2026, read 17 October 2026.
  • CBP — “Know Before You Go” / “Types of Exemptions” for the $200 reduced-exemption amount and the alcohol/tobacco allowances. Confirmed by the coordinator on 17 October 2026 from CBP “What to expect when you return” and FR 2026‑12670. The $200 basis is 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(B), with the all-or-nothing value limit in 19 CFR 148.51(b)(1).
  • CBP: What to expect when you return; FR 2026‑12670; HTS 9816.00.
  • 19 CFR 148.51(b)(1), official 4-1-25 edition: the reduced exemption applies only when the aggregate value of articles not otherwise exempt does not exceed $200. This value-limit rule was checked on 23 October 2026.
  • Distinct-from-de-minimis basis: 19 CFR 10.151 (the commercial $800 de minimis) and Executive Order 14324 (the 2025 suspension, continued in 2026 by Executive Order 14388) — named only to keep the two $800 figures separate.

General guidance and an estimate, not legal or customs advice. Your exemption, admissibility and duty are determined by CBP at the port of entry under 19 CFR Part 148 and the HTSUS. Confirm current allowances at CBP “Know Before You Go” before you travel.