You can claim duty-free entry for qualifying used household goods, but unaccompanied belongings need , a packing list, and a carefully documented cross-border mover contract.
“I am moving from Ottawa to Boston soon. What is the process for moving my belongings across the border, and what cross-border issues or liabilities should I be aware of when hiring movers?”
Summary
This is manageable if you separate customs classification from the moving contract: inventory first, verify the carrier, choose real valuation protection, and prepare the customs packet before pickup. The only harder branch is newer or restricted property, which must be listed separately and may need duty or advance permission.
Sort your belongings into the following customs branches before you request the final mover quote.
Furniture, books, tableware and other usual household effects used abroad for at least one year and not intended for another person or sale may be claimed free of duty and tax. Use the owner's and attach the packing list (19 CFR 148.52).
If you are emigrating to the United States, professional books and tools of your trade that you owned and used abroad have a separate possible duty-free provision and are also declared on (19 CFR 148.53).
List household goods used for less than one year separately and do not claim them under the one-year exemption. Separately identify every restricted category and obtain any required federal permit before entry; duty and entry treatment depend on the actual item.
The household-effects exemption is not the route for articles intended for another person, for sale, or for commercial use. Do not include them in the duty-free household claim (19 CFR 148.52; CBP Form 3299 Part IV).
The household-effects rule covers residents and nonresidents, but CBP may require proof of the claimed year of foreign use.
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Next steps
These steps put customs eligibility, mover screening, liability protection and delivery evidence in the right order.
Before requesting the final quote
Inventory and classify every item
Match every carton to the packing list and separate qualifying used household effects, professional tools, newer goods, and restricted categories. Do not place a restricted item in the shipment unless the required federal permission is already in place; carry irreplaceable personal valuables with you rather than in the truck.
Requirements
Before paying a deposit
Verify the mover and sign a complete Ontario contract
Use FMCSA's registered-mover search at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move/search-mover to confirm status, business type, complaints and safety information. Request the federal physical survey and written estimate. Your Ontario contract, which must be written when worth more than C$50, should state itemized services and prices, total, dates and payment terms; also write in who presents the customs documents, brokerage/storage charges, delivery window, valuation choice and whether self-packed cartons are covered.
Requirements
Before signing the shipping papers
Choose liability protection in writing
Keep unless its written price and terms do not suit you; it is the automatic federal level. Choose only by signing the specific statement and only if you accept the US$0.60-per-pound-per-article limit. List every extraordinary-value item on the shipping documents and confirm what the mover, subcontractors and your own insurer cover.
Requirements
Before the truck reaches the border
Complete the U.S. customs packet
Download the current form at https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/cbp_form_3299_0.pdf. Complete the importer, arrival, carrier, U.S. address and residency sections; check every applicable eligibility and special-goods box; list special goods separately; attach the packing list; and sign as owner. Give the packet to the carrier or customs broker named in your contract to present with the shipment's entry documentation.
Requirements
At pickup and delivery
Control loading, delivery and any claim
Do not allow loading until you and the carrier have signed the bill of lading; if goods or services changed, sign the revised estimate before loading. For a non-binding estimate, the document must state that no more than 110% is required at delivery, while Ontario bars a charge more than 10% above the estimate unless you agreed to extra supplies or services. At delivery, count and inspect against the inventory, record loss or damage, and send the mover a written claim within nine months; if unresolved, use its required dispute-settlement/arbitration program or other legal remedies because FMCSA does not decide the claim.
Requirements
Legal sources
These facts come from CBP Form 3299, 19 CFR Part 148, 49 U.S.C. 13501, 49 CFR Part 375, FMCSA, and Ontario and Canadian consumer authorities.
19 CFR 148.52
Used household effects can qualify for duty-free entry, but one year of foreign use must be proved and Form 3299 supports the claim.
148.52(a)-(c)
Furniture, carpets, paintings, tableware, books, libraries, and other usual household furnishings and effects actually used abroad for not less than 1 year by resident or nonresidents, and not intended for any other person or for sale may be allowed entry free of duty and tax under subheading 9804.00.05, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. In order to obtain free entry for household effects under this section, the use of the effects abroad for 1 year must be proven to the satisfaction of the port director. When household effects are claimed to be free of duty a declaration of the owner on Customs Form 3299, or its electronic equivalent, shall be required to support the claim for free entry.
19 CFR 148.6
Unaccompanied effects use Form 3299, and CBP may accept carrier documentation as ownership evidence.
148.6(a)
When effects claimed to be free of duty under subheadings 9804.00.10, 9804.00.20, 9804.00.25, 9804.00.35 or 9804.00.45, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) (19 U.S.C. 1202), do not accompany the importer on his arrival in the United States or are forwarded in bond, a declaration of the importer on Customs Form 3299, or its electronic equivalent, shall be required to support the claim for free entry. If the port director is satisfied that an entry would serve no good purpose, none need be required, but evidence of ownership for Customs purposes, such as a carrier's certificate or properly endorsed bill of lading, shall be required with the declaration.
19 CFR 148.53
Owned-and-used professional books and tools have a separate possible duty-free route for an emigrant.
148.53(a)-(b)
Professional books, implements, instruments, or tools of trade, occupation or employment, may be allowed entry free of duty and tax under the provisions of subheading 9804.00.15, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (19 U.S.C. 1202), for such articles owned and used abroad by any person emigrating to the United States, or subheading 9804.00.10 for such articles taken abroad by or for the account of any person arriving in the United States. A declaration of the emigrant or returning individual on Customs Form 3299, or its electronic equivalent, shall be required to support the claim of free entry.
CBP Form 3299
The form requires a packing list and separate declaration of categories that may trigger duty or other requirements.
Parts II and IV, pages 1-2
I the undersigned further declare that ("X" all applicable items and submit packing list) : Certain articles may be subject to duty and/or other requirements and must be specifically declared herein. Please check all applicable items and list them separately in item D on the reverse.)
CBP Prohibited and Restricted Items
CBP explains the difference between prohibited and restricted items and gives categories relevant to a household move.
Prohibited means the item is forbidden by law to enter the United States. Restricted means that special licenses or permits are required from a federal agency before the item is allowed to enter the United States. Examples of restricted items include firearms, certain fruits and vegetables, animal products, animal by products, and some animals.
49 U.S.C. 13501
Federal motor-carrier jurisdiction covers the U.S. portion of a U.S.-foreign-country move.
13501(1)(E)
(1)(E) the United States and a place in a foreign country to the extent the transportation is in the United States;
49 CFR Part 375
Part 375 requires a survey-based written estimate, limits collection on a non-binding estimate at delivery, and requires a signed bill of lading before loading.
375.401, 375.405 and 375.505
You must conduct a physical survey of the household goods to be transported and provide the prospective individual shipper with a written estimate, based on the physical survey, of the charges for the transportation and all related services. The estimate must clearly state that the shipper will not be required to pay more than 110 percent of the non-binding estimate at the time of delivery. Before you receive a shipment of household goods you will transport for an individual shipper, you must prepare and issue a bill of lading. You and the individual shipper must sign the bill of lading prior to the shipment being loaded.
FMCSA Search for a Registered Mover
FMCSA's lookup confirms registration and shows whether a business is a carrier, broker, or freight forwarder, along with complaints and safety information.
Interstate movers must be registered with the Federal government and have a U.S. DOT number. Use our search tool to confirm your mover is registered. Information you can review includes: The location of the moving company's headquarters Contact information Registration status Type of moving business (e.g., carrier, broker, freight forwarder, etc.) Complaint information Safety information
FMCSA Liability & Protection
FMCSA states the two federal valuation choices, the automatic default, and the very low released-value limit.
Under Full Value Protection, your mover is responsible for the replacement value of lost or damaged goods in your entire shipment. Unless you choose the Released Value option, described below, your mover will automatically move your belongings under this level of liability. Under this option, the mover is responsible for no more than 60 cents per pound per article. If you choose this option, you must sign a specific statement on the bill of lading or contract agreeing to it.
FMCSA What if There Are Problems?
A written claim goes to the mover within nine months; FMCSA itself does not resolve the loss claim.
If your goods are damaged or missing at delivery, request a company claim form from the mover. You must file a written claim with the mover within 9 months of delivery. Your claim must be in writing but does not have to be submitted on a mover's claim form. FMCSA does not have the authority to resolve claims against a moving company.
Ontario Consumer Protection Act mover guidance
Ontario requires the moving contract to be written and caps an increase above the estimate unless the customer agrees to added supplies or services.
Consumer contracts for moving services must: be in writing if they are worth more than $50; clearly show the terms of your agreement with the business. All consumer contracts for moving services must include: the mover’s name, address and contact information; a description of the service(s) and an itemized list of prices; the total amount that you will have to pay; start and end dates for the service; the terms of payment. by law, the mover cannot charge you more than 10% above the estimate in your contract unless you need additional supplies or services and agree to an increase.
Canada Office of Consumer Affairs Moving Advice
Canada's Office of Consumer Affairs recommends confirming transit coverage, replacement-value options, and subcontractor coverage before the move.
A combination of your household insurance and the mover's insurance may cover you if there is damage to, or loss of, your belongings. Contact your insurance provider to clarify your overall coverage for your goods while in transit. If you purchase the mover's replacement value protection, it will cover your goods for loss or damage. Make sure that the mover and any subcontractors have workers' compensation coverage.
These are the official rules and government guidance as published or current on the cited dates; rules can change.
This is general information about official processes, not legal advice, and SettleKit is not a law firm.
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