US Customs Decals -- buy them in advance

When I returned to the US from Canada on Sunday the inspector told me
he could no longer accept a form 339 and the $25 fee in person. He
said I should just buy one online. That probably explains why I had so
much trouble finding the PDF form before I left.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

(Ben Jackson) wrote in message news:fJzWc.300391$a24.77886@attbi_s03...
When I returned to the US from Canada on Sunday the inspector told me
he could no longer accept a form 339 and the $25 fee in person. He
said I should just buy one online. That probably explains why I had so
much trouble finding the PDF form before I left.

Even better, I just file out the form and give my credit card number.
The sticker shows up in the mail sometime afterwards. I've done this
for years. I never buy the sticker in advance because I'm never sure
I'm going out of the country that year. However, I always do. I've
done this enter from Canada and Mexico.

-Robert

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 04:44:59 GMT, (Ben Jackson) wrote:

When I returned to the US from Canada on Sunday the inspector told me
he could no longer accept a form 339 and the $25 fee in person. He
said I should just buy one online. That probably explains why I had so
much trouble finding the PDF form before I left.

He was just being lazy. You do not have to get the sticker in advance.

I have been told the same thing. The sticker cannot be purchased from local
inspectors. Ordering via the web site is the best way to go. Stickers show up
in less than a week after the order is placed.

Lyman

Jay Somerset wrote:

He was just being lazy. You do not have to get the sticker in
advance.

You're just being lazy by offering this blatantly incorrect piece of
misinformation without even thinking about checking it.

Acquiring the user fee decal in advance has been a requirement for
years.

In article ,
Brien K. Meehan wrote:
You're just being lazy by offering this blatantly incorrect piece of
misinformation without even thinking about checking it.

No *I* was being lazy by trying to buy a sticker from the inspector at
the last moment. ;-)

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

In article , Brien K. Meehan
wrote:

Acquiring the user fee decal in advance has been a requirement for
years.

I'm not so sure about that.

Almost exactly one year ago, upon returning from Canada to the US at
Bellingham, I bought the sticker upon arrival at customs. There was
definitely no expectation that I was supposed to have one before I got
there.

On the other hand, just a few weeks ago I was at a much smaller Airport
of Entry (also here in Washington state). I was just visiting, not
crossing the border, but the customs guy I spoke with told me that at
least at that port of entry, they didn't sell the stickers and you had
to have bought/brought one previously.

It may be different at different places. Next time I'm planning to
cross the Canadian border, I'll call ahead to make sure.

Cheers.

David Herman
N6170T 1965 Cessna 150E
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Visit the Pacific Northwest Flying Forum -
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/pnwflying

"Brien K. Meehan" wrote in message ...
Jay Somerset wrote:

He was just being lazy. You do not have to get the sticker in
advance.

You're just being lazy by offering this blatantly incorrect piece of
misinformation without even thinking about checking it.

Acquiring the user fee decal in advance has been a requirement for
years.


That hasn't been the case for at least the last 5 years I've been
crossing Mexico and Canada. You only have to PAY for the decal at the
customs office when you reenter the U.S. The decal shows up several
weeks later by mail. There is no reason to buy it ahead of time.

-Robert

wrote:
Acquiring the user fee decal in advance has been a requirement for
years.

I'm not so sure about that.

It's a post-911 thing.
In 1990 I acquired one when I came back from Canada.
Prior to departing for Canada in October 1991,because of all the press
about new entry requirements, I spoke with US Customs and was informed
that they no longer sold the decals at that Airport of Entry. I was
advised to purchase the decal prior to departure.
I think that if you are landing at a US Customs base of operations
airport, you should be able to purchase a sticker on the spot, as long
as it is during normal office hours. Just a guess.
It also used to be that Customs and Border Patrol would alternate months
serving the remote Airports of Entry. Post 911 and now that they are
combined under the same agency, you get two "agents" greeting you, one
in each uniform.

I bought a sticker just yesterday when returning from Canada to the
Sandusky, OH airport.I called ahead to make sure that they sold stickers.
I did not purchase one early because I wasn't sure which airplane I was
flying. The sticker is not transferable to a different airplane.


john smith wrote in news:6WTWc.1783$0J6.1640
@fe1.columbus.rr.com:

wrote:
Acquiring the user fee decal in advance has been a requirement for
years.

I'm not so sure about that.

It's a post-911 thing.
In 1990 I acquired one when I came back from Canada.
Prior to departing for Canada in October 1991,because of all the press
about new entry requirements, I spoke with US Customs and was informed
that they no longer sold the decals at that Airport of Entry. I was
advised to purchase the decal prior to departure.
I think that if you are landing at a US Customs base of operations
airport, you should be able to purchase a sticker on the spot, as long
as it is during normal office hours. Just a guess.
It also used to be that Customs and Border Patrol would alternate months
serving the remote Airports of Entry. Post 911 and now that they are
combined under the same agency, you get two "agents" greeting you, one
in each uniform.