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CBP notice of seizure — and the two different dates on it

Customs has taken something and intends to keep it. The notice lists the ways to respond and prints a different date for each. Nothing happens on its own, and doing nothing lets the forfeiture complete.

How serious: enforcement closeAlso called: seizure notice, CBP seizure letter, notice of seizure and intent to forfeit, CAFRA notice

The notice states what was seized, when and where, and the law CBP relies on. It comes from the Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures office at the port where the property was taken, and it carries the case number every filing has to quote.

Two different routes run in parallel. A petition asks CBP itself to give the property back or reduce the forfeiture; a claim takes the matter out of CBP's hands and into a court forfeiture case.

They have different dates. The petition is due within 30 days of the date the notice was mailed (19 CFR 171.2); the claim is due by the date the notice sets, which under 18 U.S.C. 983(a)(2)(B) may be no earlier than 35 days after mailing.

Who sends it

U.S. Customs and Border Protection — the Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures (FP&F) office for the port where the property was seized.

Department of Homeland Security and CBP letterhead from an FP&F office; a case number; a description of the seized property with the date and place; the statute cited as the ground; and a numbered list of options — petition, offer in compromise, court claim, abandonment — each with its own date.

The deadline

30 days from the date the notice was mailed to petition; the notice sets the date for a court claim, which may be no earlier than 35 days after mailing

19 CFR 171.2: a petition for relief must be filed within 30 days from the date of mailing of the notice, with the FP&F office whose address the notice gives. A claim that takes the matter to court is due by the date the notice sets, which may be no earlier than 35 days after the letter was mailed (18 U.S.C. 983(a)(2)(B)). Both dates are printed on the notice and they are not the same date.

If you do nothing

With no petition and no claim, the administrative forfeiture runs its course and title to the property passes to the United States. There is no automatic review and no reminder.

Compute your date

The rule above is what the law sets. Put in the dates on your own letter and it becomes a date.

How it escalates

  1. 01Administrative forfeiture completes and the property becomes the property of the United States.
  2. 02Seized currency is not returned, and seized goods are disposed of or destroyed under CBP procedure.
  3. 03The forfeiture is recorded against the person it was taken from and can surface at later border crossings.
  4. 04Where a penalty case sits alongside the seizure, the penalty demand continues on its own track.

Your options, procedurally

  • File a petition for relief with the FP&F office within 30 days of the date of mailing (19 CFR 171.1, 171.2).
  • File a claim by the date the notice sets, taking the matter into a court forfeiture proceeding (18 U.S.C. 983(a)(2)).
  • Make an offer in compromise, where the notice lists it as an option.
  • Abandon the property in writing, which ends the matter without a return.
  • Ask the FP&F officer for more time to petition, which 19 CFR 171.2 permits where the circumstances warrant.

How to respond

Below is the procedure only: what a filing has to contain, where it goes, and which date applies to which route.

Response types

  • Petition, or claim into courtPetition for relief from seizure (remission or mitigation) · 19 CFR 171.1, 171.2 · CBP Form 4609 or a letter — 19 CFR 171.1 requires no particular form
  • Petition, or claim into courtClaim taking the matter to a court forfeiture proceeding · 18 U.S.C. 983(a)(2)
  • Ask for more time to petitionRequest to the FP&F officer for more time to petition · 19 CFR 171.2
  • Abandon the propertyAbandonment of the property in writing

Where and how

  • The CBP ePetition portal, which records the submission date and lets a petition be filed singly rather than in duplicate.
  • Certified mail with return receipt to the FP&F office on the notice, filed in duplicate on paper.
  • A courier with tracking to the FP&F street address.
  • The FP&F telephone number, which confirms details but files nothing.

What to attach

  • Proof of ownership: a title, a receipt, a bank record or a bill of lading.
  • Proof of the lawful source of seized currency, where currency was taken.
  • A copy of the notice.
  • A certified English translation of any document not in English.

What makes it count

A petition counts when the FP&F office named on the notice receives it, within 30 days of the date of mailing. A court claim counts when it reaches the office by the separate date the notice sets. Missing both lets the forfeiture complete.

Common questions

What is the difference between a petition and a claim?

A petition asks CBP to remit or mitigate and keeps the matter inside the agency. A claim requires the government to bring a court forfeiture case or return the property, ordinarily within 90 days of the claim. They have different deadlines, and the notice prints both.

Does a claim cost anything?

18 U.S.C. 983(a)(2)(E) provides that a claim may be made without posting bond, and no filing fee may be required for it. A court case brings its own costs, which is a separate matter.

Can the 30 days be extended?

19 CFR 171.2 empowers the FP&F officer to grant extensions of time to file a petition where the circumstances warrant. The request has to arrive before the 30 days run out, and it does not move the date for a court claim.

Does a petition have to be on a particular form?

19 CFR 171.1 says the petition need not be in any particular form. CBP Form 4609 exists and the ePetition portal accepts filings; a letter setting out what the regulation requires also qualifies.

Sources

Facts verified against the sources below on 10 September 2026.