CF5106 Information

  1. General
  2. Valid formats for importer number
  3. U.S. importers
  4. Foreign importers
  5. Canadian Province codes

General info

5106 data is entered as part of the customer record.

U.S. citizens should be identified by Social Security numbers and U.S. corporations should be identified by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) numbers. Customs assigned numbers are usually only assigned to foreign nationals and companies without an IRS or Social Security number.

Note: CF5106 data must be on file with Customs in order to avoid an error message during entry validation.

5106 data is sent to CBP from the 2nd screen of customer data.
Leave the IRS field blank to request a Customs Assigned Number for a foreign importer.
You can also request an existing Customs Assigned Number (answer N to the 1st question).
If a response to a 5106 request was previously received, you can send an update.
(Action code U instead of A.)

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Valid formats for the Importer of Record Number are:

  • NN-NNNNNNNXX - IRS Number
  • NNN-NN-NNNN - Social Security Number
  • YYDDPP-NNNNN - Customs Assigned Number
Note: In these codes, N = number and X = alphanumeric, YY = the last two digits of the calendar year when the number is assigned, and DDPP = the district/port code where the number is assigned.

Note: If the importer number is in IRS format, the last two-position suffix (XX) cannot be the letters O, I and/or Z.

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U.S. Importers:
An importer type code is required for all U.S. importers. Valid Importer type codes are:

  • C - Corporation
  • P - Partnership
  • I - Individual
  • S - Sole Proprietor

The state is validated against the first 3 digits of the zip code.
If the country field is left blank US is assumed.

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Foreign Importers:
To request a Customs assigned number, leave the IRS field blank then respond Y to the system question generated prior to the upload.

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Canada

If the country is Canada (CA), the zip code must be in the following format: ANANAN (where A = alphabetic; N = numeric).

  • For Canada the province code is entered in the state field.
      Valid province codes are:
    • AB Alberta
    • NB New Brunswick
    • BC British Columbia
    • MB Manitoba
    • NS Nova Scotia
    • ON Ontario
    • PE Prince Edward Island
    • PQ Quebec
    • SK Saskatchewan
    • NT Northwest Territories
    • NF Newfoundland
    • YT Yukon Territory

    For all other foreign addresses, the state code is FN (foreign) and combinations of up to 9 position alphanumeric codes are allowed in the zip code field.

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