1. Get the current official form and instructions
Use the CBP form page and the official instruction link in the sources below. Check that your copy is the version currently provided. Read the form in full before entering information. It concerns unaccompanied articles entering the United States; it should not be used as a substitute for Canadian import documents. Confirm with CBP which requirements apply to your circumstances if the scope is unclear.
2. Gather your own details and the shipment information
Prepare the names, addresses, personal arrival details and shipment information requested by the form. Distinguish your own travel from the arrival of the goods. Keep the current household inventory available and identify any information the transport coordinator must provide. If a field is not yet known, ask how to obtain it rather than inventing a vessel, date or transport reference. Use consistent spelling across the documents.
3. Answer status and goods questions for your circumstances
Use the official instructions to decide how each question applies. Do not copy a previous customer’s answers or choose a status simply because it is common in an online example. Review goods needing separate attention before they are packed with ordinary cartons. If you do not understand a question, ask CBP or the agreed qualified adviser before submission. Completing the document does not itself guarantee free entry or admission of every item.
4. Review, sign and exchange through the agreed process
Before signing, compare the entries with the current shipment record and resolve conflicting names, addresses or dates. Follow the form’s signature requirements and the official instructions; do not sign another person’s declaration without the required authority. Ask the coordinator how the document package is exchanged and who can respond to a question during transit. Keep a dated copy securely available and mark superseded versions clearly. Do not upload identity documents through the public quote form.
Common preparation errors to check
Separate mistakes you can correct from eligibility questions requiring an official answer. Check inconsistent destination details, missing shipment information, an outdated inventory and confusion between the traveller’s date and the shipment’s date. If goods or addresses change after preparation, ask which records need updating. Keep the enquiry, transport confirmation and customs document review as distinct tasks, with an owner for each.