Canada Boater Requirements Entering U.S. Waters – Reporting to Customs
Border Patrol reminds Lake St. Clair’s “Gull Island” annual Jobbie Nooner event attendees coming from Canada to report their arrival into the U.S.
DETROIT – As (Lake St. Clair’s) Jobbie Nooner fast approaches, U.S. Border Patrol is reminding boaters to follow reporting requirement to avoid serious consequences for failure to report their arrival to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Operators of small pleasure vessels arriving from a foreign port or place, to include any vessel which has visited a hovering vessel or received merchandise outside territorial waters, are required to report their arrival to CBP immediately upon landing in the U.S. Failing to report to CBP can lead to significant penalties, including fines, seizure, and even imprisonment.
“If you do not follow the reporting requirements and enter the United States illegally, you will be prosecuted, and your vessel will be seized,” said U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector Chief Patrol Agent John R. Morris.
You may find more about when this annual event occurs at lakestclairguide.com/when-where-2025-jobbie-nooner-gull-island/
Gull Island is located at the mouth of the St. Clair River’s “South Channel” entering Lake St. Clair. This island is very close to the Canada border.
Boaters looking for an innovative, faster way to report their arrival may use the CBP ROAM™ mobile application, available for free from the Apple App and Google Play stores. The app allows pleasure boaters to conveniently report their U.S. entry to CBP via their personal smart device or a tablet and qualifies as an Alternative Inspection System that satisfies the boat operator’s legal requirement to report for face-to-face inspection in accordance with 8 CFR 235.1, with some exceptions:
- Travelers who require an I-94.
- Travelers who must pay duties on imported goods; and
- Other circumstances as applicable.
Boaters may also continue to report their arrival to the CBP office nearest to your point of entry via telephone.
Learn more about pleasure boat reporting requirements.
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