(a) Exemption. Each returning resident (including American citizens who are residents of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands of the United States) is entitled to bring in free of duty and internal revenue tax under subheading 9804.00.45, and Chapter 98, U.S Note 3, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, (19 U.S.C. 1202), all personal and household effects taken abroad. To ensure allowance of the exemption, articles of foreign origin should be registered in accordance with § 148.1. Automobiles and other vehicles, aircraft, boats, teams and saddle horses, together with their accessories, may be brought in free of duty if taken abroad for noncommercial use (see § 148.32).

(b) Repair or alteration while abroad. If any such personal or household effect taken abroad has been advanced in value or improved in condition while abroad by repairs (including cleaning) not merely incidental to wear or use while abroad, or by alterations (including additions) which did not change the identity of the article, the cost or value of such repairs or alterations is subject to duty unless all or part of such cost or value is covered by an allowance of the $800 or $1,600 exemption for articles acquired abroad (see § 148.33). An effect taken abroad and there changed into a different article is dutiable at its full value when returned to the United States, unless covered in whole or in part by some provision for free entry.

(a) Admission free of duty. Automobiles and other vehicles, aircraft, boats, teams and saddle horses, together with their accessories, taken abroad for noncommercial use and returned by a returning resident will be admitted free of duty upon being satisfactorily identified.

(b) Identification of articles taken abroad. Upon the request of the owner or his agent, the port director will cause any article described in paragraph (a) of this section to be examined before it is taken abroad, and will issue a certificate of registration therefor on CBP Form 4455, or its electronic equivalent. On the return of the article, the certificate may be accepted as satisfactory identification of the described article for the purpose of admitting the article free of duty. In lieu of CBP Form 4455, or its electronic equivalent, the following may be accepted as satisfactory identification of such articles taken abroad:

(1) For an automobile, the State registration card;

(2) For an aircraft, the certificate of registration issued by the Federal Aviation Administration; and

(3) For a pleasure boat, the yacht license or motorboat identification certificate.

(c) Repairs, alterations, and accessories. Repairs made abroad to articles described in paragraph (a) of this section, if incidental to use abroad, are not subject to duty. Repairs not incidental to use abroad, and alterations and additions made abroad, will be assessed with duty upon their value at the rate at which the article itself would be dutiable if imported. Accessories for articles described in paragraph (a) of this section which are acquired abroad are dutiable as if separately imported. Any accessories, repairs, alterations, or additions, which accompany the returning resident at the time of his return to the United States must be included in his baggage declaration.

(d) Entry. Entry on a baggage declaration or regular entry (see § 148.5) will be required if:

(1) The owner or his agent is unable to produce a proper registration card or certificate to cover the article;

(2) A claim for free entry of repairs, alterations, additions, or accessories is to be made under the $800 or $1,600 returning resident's exemption for articles acquired abroad; or

(3) Duty is to be collected.

(a) Exemption. Each returning resident is entitled to bring in free of duty and internal revenue tax under subheadings 9804.00.65, 9804.00.70 and 9804.00.72, and Chapter 98, U.S. Note 3, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (19 U.S.C. 1202), articles for his personal or household use which were purchased or otherwise acquired abroad merely as an incident of the foreign journey from which he is returning, subject to the limitations and conditions set forth in this section and §§ 148.34-148.38. The aggregate fair retail value in the country of acquisition of such articles for personal and household use must not exceed:

(1) $800, and provided that the articles accompany the returning resident;

(2) $800 in the case of a direct arrival from a beneficiary country, as defined in U.S. Note 4 to Chapter 98, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, whether or not the articles accompany the returning resident. Articles acquired elsewhere than in such beneficiary country that do not accompany the returning resident are not entitled to the duty exemption; or

(3) $1,600 in the case of a direct or indirect arrival from American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands of the United States, whether or not the articles accompany the returning resident, not more than $800 of which may have been acquired elsewhere than in such locations. Articles acquired elsewhere than in such insular possessions that do not accompany the returning resident are not entitled to the duty exemption.

(b) Application to articles of highest rate of duty. The $800 or $1,600 exemption will be applied to the aggregate fair retail value in the country of acquisition of the articles acquired abroad which are subject to the highest rates of duty. If an internal revenue tax is applicable, it will be combined with the duty in determining which rates are highest.

(c) Gifts. An article acquired abroad by a returning resident and imported by him to be disposed of after importation as his bona fide gift is considered to be for the personal use of the returning resident and may be included in the exemption.

(d) Tobacco products and alcoholic beverages. Cigars, cigarettes, manufactured tobacco, and alcoholic beverages may be included in the exemption to which a returning resident is entitled, with the following limits:

(1) No more than 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars may be included, except that in the case of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands of the United States the cigarette limit is 1,000, not more than 200 of which shall have been acquired elsewhere than in such locations;

(2) No alcoholic beverages will be included in the case of an individual who has not attained the age of 21; and

(3) No more than 1 liter of alcoholic beverages may be included, except that:

(i) An individual returning directly or indirectly from American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or the Virgin Islands of the United States may include in the exemption not more than 5 liters of alcoholic beverages, not more than 1 liter of which was acquired elsewhere than in such locations and not more than 4 liters of which were produced elsewhere than in such locations; and

(ii) An individual returning directly from a beneficiary country as defined in U.S. Note 4 to Chapter 98, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (19 U.S.C. 1202) may include in the exemption not more than 2 liters of alcoholic beverages if at least 1 liter is the product of one or more beneficiary countries.

(e) Exemption not applicable. The exemption does not apply to articles intended for sale or acquired on commission, i.e., for the account of another person, with or without compensation for the service rendered. Articles acquired on one journey and left in a foreign country cannot be allowed the exemption accruing upon the return of the resident from a subsequent journey.

(f) Remainder not applicable to subsequent journey. A returning resident who has received a total exemption of less than the $800 or $1,600 maximum in connection with his return from one journey is not entitled to apply the unused portion of that maximum amount to articles acquired abroad on a subsequent journey.

(a) Grouping of exemptions. Each member of a family is entitled to the $800 or $1,600 exemption for articles acquired abroad, subject to the conditions prescribed in this subpart. When members of a family residing in one household travel together on their return to the United States, the $800 or $1,600 exemption to which the several members of the family may be entitled may be grouped and allowed without regard to which member of the family is the owner of the articles. However, a group exemption will not include an exemption for a family member not entitled to it in his own right, nor will a group exemption be applied to any property of such a member. The exemption of a family member who has not attained the age of 21 will not be applied under the group exemption to alcoholic beverages. No exemptions allowable to individuals employed by the household and accompanying the family but not related by blood, marriage, domestic relationship, or adoption will be included in the family grouping.

(b) Members of a family residing in one household. “Members of a family residing in one household” includes all persons who:

(1) Are related by blood, marriage, domestic relationship, or adoption;

(2) Lived together in one household at their last permanent residence; and

(3) Intend to live in one household after their arrival in the United States.

(c) Domestic relationship. As used in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the term “domestic relationship” includes foster children, stepchildren, half-siblings, legal wards, other dependents, individuals with an in loco parentis or guardianship relationship, and two adults who are in a committed relationship including, but not limited to, long-time companions, and couples in civil unions, or domestic partnerships, wherein the partners are financially interdependent, and are not married to, or a partner of, anyone else. The term “domestic relationship” does not extend to roommates or other cohabitants not otherwise meeting this definition.

(a) Requirements for allowance of $800 or $1,600 exemption. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph or in paragraph (b) of this section, the $800 or $1,600 exemption for articles acquired abroad will not be allowed unless the returning resident has remained beyond the territorial limits of the United States for a period of not less than 48 hours. The $800 exemption may be allowed on articles acquired abroad by a returning resident arriving directly from Mexico without regard to the length of time the person has remained outside the territorial limits of the United States.

(b) Not required for allowance of $1,600 exemption on return from the Virgin Islands. The $1,600 exemption applicable in the case of the arrival of a returning resident directly or indirectly from the Virgin Islands of the United States may be allowed without regard to the length of time such person has remained outside the territorial limits of the United States.

(c) Computation of time. The 48-hour period a returning resident must have completed abroad to be entitled to an exemption will be computed exactly. For example, a resident leaving United States territory at 1:30 p.m. on June 1 would complete the 48-hour period at 1:30 p.m. on June 3.

(a) 30-day period. The $800 or $1,600 exemption for articles acquired abroad will not be granted to a returning resident who has taken advantage of such exemption within the 30-day period immediately preceding his return to the United States. The date of the returning resident's latest prior arrival on which he declared articles acquired abroad for allowance of the $800 or $1,600 exemption will be deemed the date he took advantage of the applicable exemption.

(b) Computation of time. The 30-day period immediately preceding the resident's return will be computed by excluding the day of arrival and counting backward 30 days. For example, in the case of an arrival on May 28, the resident would not be entitled to the $800 or $1,600 exemption if he had taken advantage of such exemption on or after the preceding April 28.

(a) Free entry of replacement articles. An article furnished by a foreign supplier to replace a like article of comparable value previously exempted from duty under the $800 or $1,600 exemptions for articles acquired abroad will be allowed free entry if the original article is found by the importer to be unsatisfactory and the procedures provided by paragraph (b) of this section are followed. In any case in which the importer has failed to follow these procedures, the port director may allow free entry of the replacement article if he is satisfied that the unsatisfactory article was timely exported and that the failure to comply with the procedures of paragraph (b) of this section was due to inadvertence or lack of experience in customs matters and was without willful intent to avoid CBP supervision.

(b) Procedure for replacement. Any article previously exempted from duty under the $800 or $1,600 exemptions found by the importer to be unsatisfactory must be returned to CBP custody and exported under CBP supervision at the expense of the importer within 60 days after its importation. A certificate of registration on CBP Form 4455, or its electronic equivalent, will be issued to the importer with instructions as to its use when the unsatisfactory article is exported for replacement under the provisions of subheading 9804.00.75, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.

(c) Articles found damaged upon declaration. The requirement that the original article be exported under CBP supervision does not apply when a duplicate article is furnished by a foreign supplier as a replacement for an article declared for entry under the $800 or $1,600 exemption and found by the CBP inspector or other examining officer to be so damaged as to constitute a nonimportation (§ 158.11 of this chapter). In such a case, CBP Form 4455, or its electronic equivalent, will be issued to the importer at the time the determination of nonimportation is made and the duplicate replacement will be considered to have been acquired abroad for the purposes of the $800 or $1,600 exemption provision, provided no charge is made to the importer for the duplicate replacement.

An article brought in under the $800 or $1,600 exemption for articles acquired abroad for personal or household use and subsequently sold is not dutiable or subject to forfeiture by reason of the sale if the returning resident actually acquired and imported the article for his bona fide personal or household use and not for sale.

(a) Importation for temporary period. An automobile rented by a resident of the United States while abroad may be brought into the United States by or on behalf of such resident for a temporary period not to exceed 30 days under subheading 9804.00.60, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) (19 U.S.C. 1202), without payment of duty. The automobile shall be used for the transportation of the resident and that of his family and guests, and for such incidental carriage of articles as may be appropriate to his personal use of the automobile. No entry or security for exportation shall be required.

(b) Unauthorized use or failure to export. If any automobile exempted from duty under subheading 9804.00.60, HTSUS (19 U.S.C. 1202), is used otherwise than for the purpose expressed or is not returned abroad within 30 days, without prior payment to a port director of the duty which would have been payable at the time of entry if entered without benefit of the exemption, the automobile or its value (to be recovered from the importer) shall be subject to forfeiture.