CBP Form 3461, Entry/Immediate Delivery, is used to request release of imported goods from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody. In most commercial workflows, the customs broker transmits the equivalent cargo-release data electronically through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). For a DDP shipment, release depends on accurate importer, bond, shipment, product and partner-government-agency data; the Incoterm does not replace any of those legal requirements.
Form 3461 or its electronic equivalent is the release-stage filing. It tells CBP who is making entry, where the cargo is located, how it arrived, what merchandise is covered and whether the entry has the required bond and supporting information. CBP and any participating government agency can then release the shipment, request documents, order an examination or keep the cargo on hold.
Release is not the end of the entry process. The importer must still ensure that the entry summary, classification, customs value, duties and records are completed correctly. Read the companion guide to CBP Form 7501 and ACE entry summaries for the post-release stage.
Paper Form 3461 remains a recognizable name, but automated entries are normally transmitted as ACE Cargo Release data. The electronic message is not simply a scanned form. It is a structured set of data elements sent through an authorized filing channel, commonly by a licensed customs broker using the Automated Broker Interface.
“Entry” and “immediate delivery” are related but not identical procedures. Immediate delivery is available only in circumstances authorized by law and regulation. Under 19 CFR 142.22, the application is made on Form 3461 or its electronic equivalent and is supported by the required documentation. A DDP seller should not assume that the word “immediate” guarantees instant release or removes the later entry-summary obligation.
DDP allocates contractual delivery costs and responsibilities between seller and buyer, but U.S. customs law determines who may make entry and who is responsible for the accuracy of the declaration. The proposed importer of record must be eligible, identifiable and willing to accept the role. The broker must have authority from that party. The bond, importer record and entry data must refer to the same legal entity.
Before sending instructions, settle the roles described in the guide to importer of record, consignee and customs broker responsibilities. If a foreign seller will be the importer, verify its registration using the CBP Form 5106 importer-identity guide. A freight quotation or DDP label cannot authorize use of a buyer’s importer number.
The current Form 3461 shows the major data families that support a release request. Electronic filings may contain additional conditional elements, agency data and message codes. Use the table as a control map rather than as a substitute for the current ACE technical requirements.
The broker may need the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, arrival information, importer details, bond data, permits and product-specific records. The precise set depends on the entry type, merchandise and government agencies involved. The entry package must describe the same transaction across every document.
Use a controlled invoice rather than a generic export template. The DDP commercial invoice checklist covers party names, product descriptions, quantities, origin, HS codes, values, freight and packing data. For ocean shipments, coordinate release data with the separate ISF 10+2 filing; an accepted ISF is not a cargo-release authorization.
An ACE message may show that data was accepted without establishing that CBP and all relevant agencies released the shipment. Even after government release, a carrier, terminal, container freight station or warehouse may have its own availability conditions, charges or holds. DDP tracking should therefore separate at least four milestones: filing accepted, CBP released, agency released and cargo physically available.
Use the DDP shipment tracking milestones to assign evidence and ownership to each status. This prevents the customer from receiving a premature “customs cleared” message when another release or operational step is still outstanding.
A hold does not by itself prove that the entry is wrong. CBP or another agency may require document review, imaging, sampling or physical examination. The correct response is to identify the issuing authority, message code, affected line or shipment, requested information, response channel and deadline. The broker should explain what is known and what remains uncertain.
Do not change classification, value, importer or origin merely to make a hold disappear. Submit accurate supporting records through the authorized channel. Track examination transport, terminal charges, demurrage, detention and delivery effects separately so the operational team can manage cost without interfering with the legal response.
Yes, the form remains the legal and operational reference for entry or immediate-delivery data, but commercial filers commonly transmit the electronic equivalent through ACE rather than submit a paper form.
No. Acceptance can mean the message passed initial processing. Confirm the actual CBP release, any partner-agency release and the terminal or warehouse availability status before pickup.
No. Form 3461 or ACE Cargo Release data supports the release request. Form 7501 or its electronic equivalent is the entry summary used to finalize classification, value, duties and related entry information.
Only if the seller is legally eligible to be the importer, has the required importer record and bond, and files through an authorized method or appoints a licensed broker. The DDP term alone does not establish those conditions.
Preparation should begin before arrival and early enough to correct identity, bond, classification, document or agency-data problems. Exact transmission timing depends on mode, procedure and current CBP or agency rules.
This guide provides general operational information, not legal or customs advice. Confirm the current ACE data requirements, filing timing, importer eligibility and product-specific agency rules with a licensed U.S. customs broker for each shipment.
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