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Reporting RequirementsNotice
to all Boaters on Lake Ontario.
When you return to the United States by boat you are required to report your arrival to U.S. Customs by calling the 1-800-827-2851 telephone reporting system. This number will connect you to a U.S. Customs officer who will either tell you that you are cleared or to wait in your boat for a Customs Inspector to arrive at your location to clear you and your boat. Only the Captain of the boat may leave the boat and go to the nearest telephone to report the arrival to Customs. When Customs clears the boat then all persons may leave the boat. If your boat is 30 feet
or larger you must have a 2007 Customs Decal affixed to the boat. Decals can
be purchased from Customs for $25.00 ($27.50 after 4/01/07) per year. They may be purchased at
any Customs office or via the
Internet at
When you return to the United States by boat you are also required to report your arrival to INS. This may be accomplished in one of three different ways. Method #1 - Use of I-68 You may obtain an I-68 immigration document in advance of your trip. All persons on board over 14 years of age must have an I-68 form. The I-68 form can be obtained from the Immigration office in Buffalo, NY or Alexandria Bay. They are sold at the land border bridges at each location. There is no Immigration office in the Rochester area that issues I-68's. You must apply in person and provide 3 forms of identification. You will be fingerprinted and your photo will be affixed to the I-68. The cost is $16.00 per form with a maximum of $32.00 for a family. The I-68's are valid for one year. If you and every other person on board your boat have an I-68, you may bypass reporting to Immigration any time you enter the U.S. via boat on Lake Ontario. However, remember you still have an obligation to report your arrival to Customs. Having an I-68 for Immigration does not exempt persons from reporting to Customs. Further
information about I-68's may be obtained from the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Internet site at Method # 2 - Use of OARS Videophones You do not need the I-68 form if your first port of entry has a videophone. Have your documents ready and answer questions as though you were driving across the border. Local Videophone Locations:
To use an OARS Videophone, simply open the doors and the phone will ring at the appropriate INS office. An officer will be able to see you, your passengers and your documents. It is quite easy to use. To report an inoperable videophone or ask a question, call the appropriate INS POE: St. Lawrence River through Oswego, NY (315-393-0770); Olcott, NY through Buffalo, NY (716-282-3141); All Pennsylvania (412-472-0703); All Ohio (216-522-2265); Mackinac Island, MI (906-632-8822). Locations and telephone numbers are subject to change. Further information about OARS Videophones may be obtained from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Internet site at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/pleasure_boats/boats/oars.xml Method # 3 - Use the new NEXUS identification card The NEXUS alternative inspection program allows pre-screened, low-risk travelers to be processed with little or no delay by United States and Canadian border officials. Approved applicants are issued photo-identification and a proximity card. Participants cross the border in a dedicated lane, where they present their membership identification and proximity card, and make a declaration. They are then released, unless chosen for a selective or random secondary referral. The U.S. Customs Service (USCS), the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (USINS), the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA), and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) are cooperating in this venture to simplify border crossings for pre-approved, low-risk travelers This new program is now open to pleasure boaters on Lake Ontario. The identification card is good for 5-years and may be used border crossing into the U.S. or Canada, by car or boat. The fee is $50 USD or $80 Canadian. Press release for on-line application for the NEXUS card. Click here. Information and application forms are available at
http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/travel/nexus/marine-maritime-e.html NEXUS border program expanded The NEXUS program is now the best way to
frequently cross borders by recreational boat - as well as by car and plane.
NEXUS is a joint program of Canada Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that facilitates fast, secure entry into
either country for pre-approved, low-risk travellers. Since the NEXUS Air,
Highway and Marine programs were combined in December, Canadians can cross the
border at participating locations by car, using special lanes, at airports,
using self-serve kiosks, and by boat, reporting by phone from 30 minutes to 4
hours prior to expected arrival. All on board must have NEXUS cards in order for
the boat to take advantage of NEXUS reporting procedures. You might also check this site that has
the New Your regulations. There have been many stories and rumors concerning the Homeland Security level alerts and how they affect boaters crossing Lake Ontario. During the first Code Orange, all I-68 forms were suspended, both in sales and in use. Also, all OARS videophones were turned off. The only acceptable method to cross into the U.S. was at Alexandria Bay and report to the U.S. Customs office in person.
The rules have been changing as time goes
on. You should now be allowed to buy and use the I-68 form, even during a Code
Orange. Please note that you should ALWAYS call the border site before driving
to it to confirm sales of the I-68 Form. I believe that the videophones will
also remain turned on even during a Code Orange. When in doubt, visit the DHS
web site at
The Department of Homeland Security office for New York is: NEXUS, IS IT FOR YOU? NEXUS is a joint customs and immigration program for frequent travelers that both the Canadian and American governments have implemented. The NEXUS program is designed to simplify border crossings for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Supposedly, your NEXUS ID card would take the place of the I-68 Form, presently used to help speed your entry into the United States if you come by pleasure boat. This 5-year card cost $80CA or $50 USD. An application is found on the Internet, and you must either mail or fax it to Niagara Falls, Canada when you apply. Don't forget to include a photocopy of your birth certificate or passport. The security investigation process takes 8 to 10 weeks, and you must drive to Canada to finalize the process and collect your ID card. If you send an international money order or certified check, you may save some money over using a credit card (see reference below). I picked up my NEXUS card at Ft. Erie, Ontario. Neither the Canadian nor the U.S. Customs officials I talked with knew of the plan to replace the I-68 with NEXUS. They claimed the card is to be used for entry to the U.S. or Canada by automobile only. This contradicts what I was told last year by the Customs officer at the Rochester Airport. This same officer addressed the Genesee Yacht Club as a guest speaker last year, mentioning that NEXUS was the new way to go. My research reveals that only the New York Sea Grant at State University of New York - Oswego, mention NEXUS as an I-68 substitute. And get this... for U.S. citizens only. My guess is that this new program, as powerful as it is, will take some time before it can be used as a security tool for pleasure boaters going to and from our borders. I can say with certainty that it works very well crossing the border by car. We might still be sitting in line at the Peace Bridge if it weren't for NEXUS. During our many border crossings on cruising Lake Ontario and Lake Erie in 2006, I found that mentioning that I had a Nexus card when phoning in helped. I was not asked why I was calling in on a cell phone, but was asked the normal border crossing questions. Once I used a video phone and was told later that I could have used my cell phone instead. We were boarded once while entering Port Dover, Ontario. We pulled into the marina, and I immediately called 1-800-canpass as I usually do. The officer on the phone asked the usual questions, then told me to stay at my boat and wait for immigration officers. Three officers were at the marina and must have been called by radio. One officer went aboard to poke around while the other two "chatted me up". Everything was OK and they issued me the number to place in a window. References:
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