Guide
Exam day
The CBLE is open-book, electronic, and taken in person — every examinee sits it at a test facility. The rules below are CBP's own for the October 28, 2026 sitting, checked on cbp.gov on October 15, 2026 and listed at the bottom; where a figure is ours, the page says so.
The last week, and the morning
| About a week before | An admission notice email from CBP's vendor, with your exam location |
| October 26, 8:30 AM Eastern | Last moment to withdraw. A withdrawal cannot be undone — you may not reapply for the same exam |
| October 28, 2026, 8:00 AM local | Arrive. Check-in verifies your identity and your citizenship |
| 8:30 AM | The doors close. CBP: “No exceptions will be made.” |
CBP asks you to add [email protected] and [email protected] to your contacts, so the admission notice does not land in spam.
ID is what stops most people
- One document covers both: a current U.S. passport, or a U.S. Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization. CBP recommends bringing one of these if you have it.
- Otherwise, two: one identification document — a state driver's license or ID card, a U.S. military ID, a federal, state or city government employee ID, or a U.S. territory ID — and one citizenship document: a U.S. birth certificate or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Your first and last name must match on both.
- Originals only — no photocopies, photographs or scans. Unexpired, and the ID must carry a photo. Passports from other countries and Global Entry cards do not count.
What you may bring, and what you may not
- Paper references — the five designated ones, plus any other paper you find useful. The proctor does not check individual pages: as long as nothing is electronic, you may use it.
- One rolling crate or one suitcase, no larger than 16″ high × 18.5″ wide × 15″ deep.
- A shelf or rack to hold them: no wider or deeper than the crate, no more than 42″ high, and not past the edge of your testing space.
- Paper and pencils, a handbag or wallet with your ID, and an analog watch or a small plastic sand timer. The exam software has its own timer too.
Banned: any electronic device — phones, smart watches, smart glasses, tablets, e-readers, laptops, digital timers — plus weapons, and head garments other than religious wear. CBP's pages never mention a calculator, on screen or otherwise; be ready to do the arithmetic on paper.
New this cycle: a physical check at the door — pockets emptied, pant legs rolled to the knee, glasses shown, hair held back from the ears — and metal wanding. Refuse it and you may be turned away, without a refund. You must also sign the CBLE non-disclosure agreement on the day.
The electronic viewer
The five references are on screen in the exam software. The search highlights matches, but it is far more limited than a browser's — and more limited than CBP's own sample exam, which CBP says searches differently. From CBP's “Exam Day Searching Tips”:
- “You will not be able to move from keyword instance to keyword instance like you can with the sample exam. You will have to scroll to look for the next instance of a keyword.”
- “When you move between documents, close the dialogue box every time and reopen it to search in the next document. You can relaunch the search dialog box using CTRL + F.”
- “You cannot copy and paste language from the questions into the search box. You must type your desired search terms in the search box.”
If you cannot find things fast in that viewer — or in your paper copies — the clock beats you. Our 19 CFR navigator carries the same limited search, and the timed mock puts it next to the 4.5-hour clock.
The five references, and what to print
CBP's designated references for October 28, 2026. CBP: using any other version “is at your own risk.”
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) — 2026 Basic Edition
- Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations — 2025 Annual Edition, Parts 1 to End
- ACE Entry Summary Instructions — Version 2.4a
- Right to Make Entry (RTME) Directive — 3530-002A
- ACE Entry Summary Business Rules and Process Document — Version 12, Chapters 1–24, December 2023
CBP recommends bringing your own paper copies as a backup. What earns its place in the crate:
- HTSUS 2026 Basic Edition — tabbed by section and the GRIs
- Title 19 CFR 2025 Annual — tab Parts 111, 141, 142, 152, 159, 163, 171, 181
- ACE Entry Summary Instructions v2.4a
- RTME Directive 3530-002A
- ACE Entry Summary Business Process Document v12 (Ch. 1–24)
- A one-page “where things live” map of 19 CFR + a GRI flowchart
On the clock
80 multiple-choice questions in 4.5 hours; 60 correct (75%) passes. That is about 3 minutes 22 seconds a question (our arithmetic).
Never leave a question blank. If you score 57 or more you may appeal up to four questions, but CBP allows it only on “questions where an answer choice was selected and credit was not received.” A blank can never be appealed. More on that on the results and appeals page.
After the exam
- Download your answer record. On exam day you get an email explaining how. You need it for any appeal, and it is purged from the vendor's system 120 days after the exam — for this sitting, that is February 25, 2027 (our date, from CBP's day count).
- Results by email, in about 21 days — around November 18 (our date) — from [email protected]. Add that address to your contacts now.
- The answer key is posted “as soon as possible.” For the last five sittings it appeared two to five weeks after the exam (our measure, from CBP's posting dates).
- Keep the questions to yourself until after midnight on exam day, when the exam has finished in every time zone — that is what the non-disclosure agreement covers.
- If you pass, you may apply for the license up to three years from the issue date on your passing letter — not from the exam date. See the license application.
Common questions
- What time should I arrive for the Customs Broker License Exam?
- CBP asks you to arrive at 8:00 AM local time, 30 minutes before the exam starts, for check-in. The doors to the exam room close at 8:30 AM and CBP makes no exceptions.
- What ID do I need on CBLE exam day?
- A current U.S. passport or a U.S. Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization covers both identity and citizenship. Without one, bring two documents — one identification document (such as a state driver's license) and one citizenship document (a U.S. birth certificate or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad) — with matching first and last names. Originals only, unexpired, with a photo on the ID. Foreign passports and Global Entry cards do not count.
- How big can the crate for my paper references be?
- One rolling crate or one suitcase, no larger than 16 inches high, 18.5 inches wide and 15 inches deep. A shelf or rack may also come in: no wider or deeper than the crate, and no more than 42 inches high.
- Can I bring a calculator to the CBLE?
- CBP's exam-day pages do not mention a calculator at all, and any electronic device is banned outright. Plan to do the arithmetic with paper and pencil.
- Can I copy and paste into the search box on the exam?
- No. CBP says you cannot copy and paste language from the questions into the search box; you must type your search terms. The search highlights matches but cannot jump from one to the next — you scroll.
- Should I leave a question blank if I am unsure?
- No. CBP allows an appeal only on questions where an answer choice was selected and credit was not received, so a blank question can never be appealed.
Sources
Read on cbp.gov on October 15, 2026. CBP edits these pages between sittings — the date after each is CBP's own “last modified”.
- CBLE Registration Information — June 15, 2026
- Customs Broker License Exam (CBLE) — August 31, 2026
- General CBLE Information — January 27, 2026
- CBLE Appeal Information — January 28, 2026
- Customs Broker Frequently Asked Questions — May 13, 2026
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