Shipments Into and Out of the United States

Published: September 12, 2026    Legislation and Regulations, Wiki Home

Contents

Statement of Purpose

This page contains an overview on shipping natural history collections into and out of the United States. For more general information about shipping natural history collections, see Shipping Natural History Specimens.

Contributors

Dirk Neumann, Jeremy Kisala, Peter Giere, Stephanie Carson, Jacqueline Miller, Benjamin Hess, Breda Zimkus

Disclaimer

Regulations constantly change, so always consult the current versions and contact the relevant authorities for clarification. The information provided below should not be considered comprehensive and may be out of date. It is recommended that shippers confer with colleagues in the destination country since they would be most familiar with the requirements.

Declaration of Wildlife

All wildlife and parts thereof (including samples) entering or leaving the U.S. must be declared using Fish and Wildlife Service Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife (form 3-177). Declarations can be submitted online via the Electronic Declarations (eDecs) webpage. The U.S. institution shipping or receiving will file the eDec for import and export. For material being sent to the U.S., be sure to inform the receiving institution in advance so they can file the paperwork. Current requirements are to submit the 3-177 at least 48 hours in advance of material arriving at the border; it does not need to be cleared prior to arrival, but must be submitted. Note: designated ports may differ in their practices or requirements. For CITES material, the 3-177 must be present in the document package. In addition to filing the 3-177, you must verbally notify USFWS as well as Customs and Border Protection. Packages that require permits (e.g., CITES, ESA, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act) may be subject to additional inspection fees.

Marking Packages

  • Conspicuously mark the outside of each package either with the word “FISH” or “WILDLIFE”.
  • Include an invoice with the name and address of shipper and consignee, and for each species in the shipment:
    1. the species’ common name
    2. whether or not the listed species is venomous
    3. number of that species
  • The invoice must be securely attached to the outside of the package so it is readily accessible for inspection.

Inspections

For material requiring permits, an inspection may be required and may be subject to additional fees. Prior to shipping, contact the FWS Office of Law Enforcement OLE) at the port through which your material will pass to confirm if an inspection is required. A list of Designated Port OLEs may be found here: https://www.fws.gov/media/wildlife-trade-designated-ports.pdf.

Additional Information