CBP Form 3509 · Box by box
CBP Form 3509, box by box
CBP Form 3509 is the Notice to Addressee of Arrival of Mail Shipment. CBP sends it when a parcel needs a formal entry or documents about its value. This guide explains each box and what to do.
Specimen
The notice at a glance
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Notice to Addressee of Arrival of Mail Shipment
19 CFR 132.22-23, 145.12
Date of Notice
09/01/2026
D1.Shipment Addressed to
JANE SAMPLE
123 SAMPLE STREET
ANYTOWN, NJ 00000
2.Port of Entry/Mail Facility Address
CBP MAIL FACILITY, JFK AIRPORT
BUILDING 250
JAMAICA, NY 11430
3.Local Reference Number
K26-00000
4.Port Code
4701
5.Number of Packages
1
6.Package Number(s)
CT000000000DE
7.Country of Origin
GERMANY
8.Foreign Shipper Name
SAMPLE SENDER GMBH
9.Shipper Address
MUSTERSTRASSE 1, 00000 MUSTERSTADT, GERMANY
10.Description of Contents
CLOTHING
11.The above shipment is being held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the following reasons:
- XFormal Entry required. Commercial shipment valued over $2,500.
- Formal Entry required. Commercial shipment regardless of value.
- Goods not legally marked
- No country of origin
- Other government agency requirement(s)
- Other
- Shipment value verification. Please (in English) provide bills of lading, invoices, receipts, and any other supporting documents of proof of value and/or origin of shipment.
- Value unknown. Addressee: initial here if you desire formal appraisement of this shipment.Initials
12.Remarks
13.If you would like to return this shipment or cannot satisfy customs requirements you may request to return this shipment to the sender. Please sign, date and return this document or a copy of this document to the originating Port of Entry (Box 2).
Name
Signature
Date
14.
- Mail parcels once cleared by CBP cannot be picked up. All shipments once cleared by CBP will be returned to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for delivery to the addressee.
- Shipments may be subject to customs duty based on, but not limited to: determined mail exemption, declared or fair market value, commodity duty rate, country of origin.
- Customs duties and fees will be collected on behalf of CBP by the USPS Postmaster upon delivery of the parcel(s) to the above address (Box 1).
- Please annotate the local reference number (Box 3) on all correspondence and supporting documentation submitted to CBP.
- If no response is provided or requirements are not met within 30 days, the shipment will be considered refused and returned to the USPS for redelivery to the sender. Extensions may be granted on a case by case basis.
CBP Official
CBP OFFICER SAMPLE
Signature
Date
09/01/2026
What the marked boxes mean
The numbers match the blue markers on the specimen. The data on the specimen is sample data.
Date of Notice
Your 30 days start on this date, not on the day the notice reaches you (19 CFR 132.25). Find this date first.
More about the Date of NoticeBox 1: Shipment Addressed to
The addressee. Only this person or company can authorize the entry, so the power of attorney must be in this name.
More about Box 1Box 3: Local Reference Number
CBP's control number for your parcel. At JFK it has the format K26-1234. Write it on all correspondence with CBP.
More about Box 3Box 4: Port Code
The CBP port that holds the parcel. JFK is port 4701. The entry is filed at this port.
More about Box 4Box 6: Package Number(s)
The postal item number: 2 letters, 9 digits and 2 letters, for example CT123456789DE. Track the parcel with it after release.
More about Box 6Box 11: Reason for the notice
Why CBP holds the parcel. The checked box tells us which entry to file, or if CBP wants value documents only.
More about Box 11Box 12: Remarks
Notes from the CBP officer. Read them before you reply. Upload the notice with this box easy to read.
More about Box 12Box 13: Request to return the shipment to the sender
Sign here only if you want CBP to return the parcel to the sender. Do not sign it if you want the parcel.
More about Box 13
Every box
What each box means, and what to do
Top right
Date of Notice
- What it shows
- The date that CBP issued the notice. It is at the top right of the form.
- What to do
- Count 30 days from this date. That is your deadline. If fewer than 10 days are left, call us before you upload.
Box 1
Shipment Addressed to
- What it shows
- The name and the address on the parcel. CBP sends the notice to this addressee.
- What to do
- Sign the power of attorney in exactly this name. If the name is not correct, call us before you upload.
Box 2
Port of Entry/Mail Facility Address
- What it shows
- The CBP mail facility that holds the parcel, and its address.
- What to do
- Use this address only if you return the parcel (Box 13). You cannot pick up the parcel at the facility.
Box 3
Local Reference Number
- What it shows
- CBP's control number for this parcel. At JFK the format is K, the 2-digit year, a dash and a number, for example K26-1234.
- What to do
- Write this number on every letter or email to CBP, as Box 14 says. The formal entry uses it in place of a bill of lading, without the dash.
Box 4
Port Code
- What it shows
- The 4-digit CBP port code of the mail facility. JFK is 4701.
- What to do
- Nothing. We put this code on the entry.
Box 5
Number of Packages
- What it shows
- How many packages the notice covers.
- What to do
- Check the number. If the notice covers more than one package, send the invoice for each package.
Box 6
Package Number(s)
- What it shows
- The postal item number of each package. It has 2 letters, 9 digits and 2 letters, for example CT123456789DE.
- What to do
- Compare it with your tracking number. After release, track the parcel with this number.
Box 7
Country of Origin
- What it shows
- The country of origin that CBP recorded for the goods.
- What to do
- Compare it with the invoice. The duty rate, and any Chapter 99 duty, depend on the country of origin.
Box 8
Foreign Shipper Name
- What it shows
- The sender abroad.
- What to do
- Make sure that your invoice or receipt is from this sender.
Box 9
Shipper Address
- What it shows
- The address of the sender abroad.
- What to do
- Nothing, unless you return the parcel. A returned parcel goes back to the sender.
Box 10
Description of Contents
- What it shows
- CBP's short description of the goods.
- What to do
- Compare it with the invoice. We classify the goods from the invoice, and we ask you for photos or a product link if we need them.
Box 11
Reason for the notice
- What it shows
- The reason for the notice, as checkboxes. The reasons are explained one by one below.
- What to do
- Find the checked box. Each reason needs a different reply.
Box 12
Remarks
- What it shows
- Free text from the CBP officer.
- What to do
- Read it before you reply. We read it too when you upload the notice.
Box 13
Request to return the shipment to the sender
- What it shows
- A request to return the parcel to the sender instead of an entry.
- What to do
- To return the parcel, sign and date Box 13 and send the notice back to the port in Box 2. Do not sign it if you want the parcel.
Box 14
Notes
- What it shows
- CBP's standard notes: parcels cannot be picked up; what the duty depends on; duty collection by the USPS at delivery; the Box 3 number on all correspondence; the 30 days; extensions case by case.
- Mail parcels once cleared by CBP cannot be picked up. All shipments once cleared by CBP will be returned to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for delivery to the addressee.
- Shipments may be subject to customs duty based on, but not limited to: determined mail exemption, declared or fair market value, commodity duty rate, country of origin.
- Customs duties and fees will be collected on behalf of CBP by the USPS Postmaster upon delivery of the parcel(s) to the above address (Box 1).
- Please annotate the local reference number (Box 3) on all correspondence and supporting documentation submitted to CBP.
- If no response is provided or requirements are not met within 30 days, the shipment will be considered refused and returned to the USPS for redelivery to the sender. Extensions may be granted on a case by case basis.
- What to do
- Read them once. The note on duty collected at delivery does not apply when we file a formal entry: the duty is paid to CBP on the entry. Do not pay it a second time at the door.
Bottom of the form
CBP official, signature and date
- What it shows
- The name and the signature of the CBP official who issued the notice, and the date.
- What to do
- Nothing. Keep the original notice. You need it if you return the parcel.
Box 11
Box 11 reasons, one by one
- Formal entry
“Formal Entry required. Commercial shipment valued over $2,500”
- What it means
- The value is over $2,500. Mail over $2,500 needs a formal entry (19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(i)).
- What we file
- A formal entry, entry type 01, as a non-AMS mail entry at the port in Box 4.
- What we need from you
- The notice, the invoice or receipt, the CN22 or CN23 if you have it, and the signed power of attorney. The quote lists the ID numbers we need.
- Formal entry
“Formal Entry required. Commercial shipment regardless of value”
- What it means
- CBP requires a formal entry at any value. CBP can do this for any mail shipment to protect the revenue (19 CFR 145.12(a)(1)). The rules also require it for some goods (19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)). A sub-box gives the reason.
- What we file
- A formal entry, entry type 01. The sub-box tells us what else the entry needs.
- What we need from you
- The same documents as for a parcel over $2,500, plus what the sub-box asks for.
- Sub-boxUnder: Commercial shipment regardless of value
“Goods not legally marked”
- What it means
- CBP found that the goods do not have a marking that the law requires.
- What we file
- A formal entry. We tell you if the goods need a marking before CBP releases them.
- What we need from you
- Photos of the goods and their labels, and the invoice.
- Sub-boxUnder: Commercial shipment regardless of value
“No country of origin”
- What it means
- The parcel or its documents do not show where the goods were made.
- What we file
- A formal entry, with the country of origin that your documents prove.
- What we need from you
- A document from the seller that states the country of origin, for example the invoice.
- Sub-boxUnder: Commercial shipment regardless of value
“Other government agency requirement(s)”
- What it means
- Another agency regulates the goods, for example FDA or USDA. Mail with other-agency requirements needs a formal entry (19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v)).
- What we file
- A formal entry, with the data that the agency needs.
- What we need from you
- The manufacturer and a full product description. For food, the FDA prior notice confirmation number from the CN22 or CN23.
- Sub-boxUnder: Commercial shipment regardless of value
“Other”
- What it means
- Another reason. Read the officer's note on the form, for example in Box 12.
- What we file
- The entry that the note asks for. We read the note and tell you what the entry needs.
- What we need from you
- The notice, with Box 11 and Box 12 easy to read.
- Documents only
“Shipment value verification”
- What it means
- CBP asks for documents that prove the value or the origin: bills of lading, invoices, receipts and other supporting documents, in English, sent with a copy of the notice and a contact phone number to the address in Box 2. This box does not ask for a formal entry.
- What we file
- Nothing at first. Call us before you send anything. We check the documents and tell you if the value means a formal entry.
- What we need from you
- The invoice or receipt, and the proof of payment.
- Call first
“Value unknown”
- What it means
- CBP could not find the value of the goods. The addressee can initial this box to ask for a formal appraisement.
- What we file
- Nothing at first. Call us before you initial the box. If you have an invoice or a receipt, we look at it with you first.
- What we need from you
- Any document that shows what you paid.
CBP can require a formal entry for any parcel
CBP may require a formal entry for any mail shipment, at any value, to protect the revenue (19 CFR 145.12(a)(1)). Entry type 13 does not change this. When the notice requires a formal entry, you need the formal entry.
Box 13
Box 13: return the parcel instead
How to return the parcel
- Sign and date Box 13 of the original notice.
- Send the notice back to the port address in Box 2.
- Keep a copy of the signed notice for your records.
At JFK, the facility letter gives one more method. Write “Return to Sender” across the front of the original notice, with your signature, and send it back. What the JFK letter says.
If you do nothing
After 30 days with no response, CBP treats the parcel as refused and returns it to the sender (19 CFR 132.25). CBP can grant an extension case by case.
Do not sign Box 13 if you want the parcel
Box 13 is only for a return. To receive the parcel, upload the notice and we file the entry.
Questions
CBP Form 3509: common questions
What is CBP Form 3509?
CBP Form 3509 is the Notice to Addressee of Arrival of Mail Shipment. CBP sends it to the addressee when a mail parcel needs a formal entry or documents about its value (19 CFR 145.12(a)(4)). The notices we see are the 02/13 edition.
When does the 30-day period start?
It starts on the Date of Notice at the top right of the form. The notice travels by mail, so part of the 30 days can pass before it reaches you. After 30 days with no response, CBP treats the parcel as refused and returns it to the sender (19 CFR 132.25).
What is the local reference number in Box 3?
It is CBP's control number for your parcel. At JFK it has the format K26-1234: K, the 2-digit year, a dash and a number. Write it on all correspondence with CBP. A formal entry uses it in place of a bill of lading.
Is the notice a bill?
No. The notice tells you that the parcel needs an entry or documents before CBP releases it. Box 14 says only that the shipment may be subject to duty. The duty is paid to CBP through the entry.
Do I send documents to CBP?
Only when CBP asks for them. A checked "Shipment value verification" box in Box 11 is such a request. The JFK facility letter says not to send documents to CBP unless CBP requests them. For a formal entry, the broker files the data electronically.
What does "Value unknown" mean?
CBP could not find the value of the goods. The addressee can initial the box to ask CBP for a formal appraisement. Call us before you initial it. If you have an invoice or a receipt, we look at it with you first.
Can I get more time than 30 days?
CBP can grant an extension case by case, as Box 14 of the notice says. Ask before the 30 days end, and write the Box 3 number on your request.
Where is my parcel while I wait?
At the CBP mail facility in Box 2. It stays there until CBP releases it or returns it to the sender. After release, CBP gives it to USPS for delivery.
Ready to answer your notice?
Call (908) 291-8001 or email mail@alliedchb.com
Last reviewed September 24, 2026. This page explains customs rules in general terms. It is not legal advice. Duty rates and CBP procedures change often, and we confirm the figures for your shipment in writing before you commit.