I know this subject has been beaten to death, but one more won't hurt. I went to customs today at BWI to get a form for 3 weapons (not guns) one of them my drilling and my 338 and 416 Taylor. I had for the first two but wanted them all on one form as they are the ones I travel with the most often. Now comes the good part. After I had the drilling and two rifles on the form he said I should also enter the scopes two Luepolds and and old old weaver (on drilling) then he said I should also list three soft cases. Oh well, but this topped all. He said the form was good forever and if I sold them the form would go with the items, but if I changed my name the form would no longer be any good. NOT.

quote:

if I sold them the form would go with the items

Never heard this one before and it does not make since. The form is in your name not who you sold it to so it would not do the new owner any good. Those custom agents are allways good for a laugh, unfortunately.

The form 4457 is used to prove your ownership (or at least possession) of merchandise prior to traveling to a foreign destination. It is necessary to list any firearm you take to a foreign destination in order to prove that you are not attempting to "import" the gun on your return. Other items which may be of enough value to trigger import duties should also be listed on the (or "a") 4457 in order to avoid hassles with some customs agent wanting to charge you an import duty on your own (scope, binocular, diamond ring, et. al.) I always list both the gun and the scope mounted on it on the same 4457. Unless the soft cases are particularly valuable or of some exotic leather it would seem pointless to list them (besides, I doubt them having a serial number for positive identification )

The purpose of the 4457 is only as evidence of ownership for purposes of customs. It would be of no use to a subsequent owner.

If the name on your 4457 did not match the name on your passport then it would be of no usefulness. Thus, the 4457 is good "forever", except to the extent that the name on your passport changes.

Man, Customs must have had a run on 4457's today. I also went to get one for my new Davenport .416Hoffman. On another form I placed some newer Zeiss binocs and, get this, my boots ! !

My boots are Courteneys made of elephant. I picked them up in 19xx on a hunt, and haven't had any trouble coming and going since. However, with FWS' new stand on importing elephant parts that can't be positively identified to YOUR elephant, I thought it might be prudent to be able to prove that I had the boots before I left and wasn't trying to import anything. I dunno, might or might not work, but rather be safe. Oh, and did you know they have serial numbers on them?? Yep, right under the tongue (with a Sharpie).

somehow i doubt the average customs dumbass will be able to recognize elephant from ostrich. i hve been wearing a pair of Courtney's made of elephant in and out of the country for 8 years and never had a problem . i have had the soles checked several times for seeds, dirt, etc. with nothing said.

One can list anything on a Form 4457 that has a serial number.

If an item does not have a serial number, one cannot legally list it on the form.

Customs keeps no record of the form.

One can get as many of them as one wants, and even several listing the same items in different combinations.

The forms are good forever. They do not pass to subsequent owners of the items upon sale or transfer.

It would be good practice to get a new form if one were to change his name, or even move to a new address, but it is not necessary to do so.

Do you have to have the item inspected for issuance of the 4457?

yes they check the # that is all

When I did the 4457's prior to my Namibia trip, the Customs guy didn't even want to see my rifle. He said, "No one looks at those forms." Wrong!! Everybody wanted to look at them....at least all the agents in Atlanta did!

Ed,

It's nice to see that the U.S.Customs Dept. is as confused as their African couterparts about their own regs.