The 2027 customs broker permit user fee is due January 29, 2027, creating a firm compliance deadline for every licensed broker holding a national permit. At $190.88 per permit, the payment is modest, but the consequence of missing it is significant: revocation of the permit by operation of law.
Understanding the 2027 Permit Fee
The annual customs broker permit user fee for calendar year 2027 is $190.88 for each permit held. The deadline applies to licensed customs brokers organized as individuals, partnerships, associations, or corporations. It is separate from other broker obligations, including license-related reporting, continuing education, and transaction-specific customs fees.
The fee supports CBP administration of the customs broker permit system. It is assessed per permit rather than per license, employee, importer account, or customs transaction. Broker organizations should therefore verify the number of active permits under their control before initiating payment.
Who Must Pay the Fee
Any licensed customs broker holding a national permit generally must pay the annual fee. A corporate brokerage with one national permit ordinarily owes one fee, while an organization responsible for multiple applicable permits should confirm the amount due for each permit.
The obligation is tied to permit status. It does not depend on shipment volume, entry count, revenue, or whether the broker actively conducted customs business during every month of the year. A permit that remains active generally creates a payment obligation even when transaction activity has been limited.
Broker compliance teams should reconcile internal license and permit records against the information available through CBP systems. This review can identify inactive entities, outdated contacts, ownership changes, or access problems that could complicate payment.
Why the Amount Increased
The $190.88 amount reflects an inflation adjustment to customs user fees. It increased from the previous amount of $185.38 and took effect October 1, 2026. The adjusted amount applies to applicable new permits issued on or after that date and to annual permit fee payments for 2027.
Because user fees may be adjusted over time, broker procedures should not rely on a permanently fixed amount. Annual compliance checklists should require verification of both the current fee and the applicable deadline before payment is authorized.
Why the January 29 Deadline Requires Attention
Payment must be completed no later than January 29, 2027. Brokers should treat that date as a final legal deadline, not as a target for beginning the payment process. Internal approval delays, staff absences, Login.gov problems, and eCBP portal access issues can all create avoidable last-minute risk.
The timing is especially important because the deadline falls shortly after the year-end holiday period. Personnel responsible for payment may also be managing annual reporting, client renewals, bond matters, tariff changes, and other calendar-year compliance work.
Consequences of Nonpayment
If the annual customs broker permit user fee is not paid by the deadline, the national permit is revoked by operation of law. This is more serious than a routine late fee or administrative reminder. A broker without an effective permit may lose the legal authority needed to conduct customs business under that permit.
Permit disruption can also affect importer clients, entry operations, power of attorney administration, staffing, and contractual commitments. The operational cost of a missed deadline can greatly exceed the $190.88 payment itself.
Broker leadership should assign clear ownership for payment and establish an escalation path if completion cannot be confirmed. Responsibility should not remain with an unmonitored shared inbox or an employee who may be unavailable near the deadline.
Payment Confirmation Is Part of the Control
A payment request, internal approval, or portal login does not by itself establish completion. The broker should retain the final payment confirmation, record the date paid, identify the permit covered, and document the person who completed the transaction.
That evidence should be stored in a controlled compliance repository where it can be retrieved independently of an individual employee's email account. For organizations with more than one permit or related brokerage entity, each confirmation should be matched to the correct legal entity and permit record.
Building a Reliable Broker Compliance Process
CBP strongly encourages electronic payment through the eCBP portal. First-time users generally need a Login.gov account before they can access the portal. Payment may also be accepted through the designated processing center, but electronic payment is typically the most direct option for maintaining an accessible confirmation trail.
Brokerages should test access well before January 29. Login credentials, multifactor authentication, employee turnover, and changes to account permissions can delay access even when the organization has used the portal previously.
A Practical Payment Workflow
A controlled process can reduce both deadline risk and duplicate payment risk. Broker compliance teams should consider the following steps:
- Confirm every active national permit held by the organization.
- Identify the responsible legal entity and authorized payer for each permit.
- Verify that designated personnel can access Login.gov and the eCBP portal.
- Obtain internal payment approval before the holiday period when possible.
- Submit $190.88 for each applicable permit before January 29, 2027.
- Save the payment confirmation and reconcile it to the correct permit.
- Obtain secondary review showing that every permit was covered.
A tracker should distinguish between scheduled, approved, submitted, and confirmed payments. Marking a task complete before confirmation is received creates an unnecessary control gap.
Coordinating Overlapping 2027 Obligations
The permit fee is not the only major broker compliance item near the start of 2027. The triennial status report filing window extends from mid-December 2026 through February 28, 2027, and generally includes a separate $100 fee. Licensed brokers also face a 20-hour continuing education requirement due by January 31, 2027.
These obligations should remain separate in the compliance calendar. Paying the annual permit user fee does not complete the triennial status report or satisfy continuing education requirements. Likewise, progress on those obligations does not replace the permit fee payment.
A consolidated calendar can still provide executive visibility. It should list each obligation, affected license or permit, owner, deadline, supporting evidence, and final review status. This approach gives brokerage leadership a clear view of readiness without combining legally distinct requirements.
- CBP published Federal Register notice FR Doc. 2026-21853 on October 27, 2026 (public inspection October 26), setting January 29, 2027 as the due date for the $190.88 annual customs broker permit user fee for calendar year 2027.* The fee applies per national permit held by individual, partnership, association, or corporate brokers. Nonpayment results in revocation of the permit by operation of law. CBP strongly encourages electronic payment via the eCBP portal (first-time users need a Login.gov account); payments are also accepted at the designated processing center. Contact Hannah Arnold, Chief, Broker Administration Branch, at (202) 744-1170.
- The $190.88 fee (up from $185.38) took effect October 1, 2026, following CBP Decision 26-14 (91 FR 48398, July 31, 2026) and FAST Act inflation adjustment of COBRA user fees. It applies to all new permits issued on or after that date and to all 2027 annual payments. CBP's fees webpage (last updated September 28, 2026) and User Fee Table confirm the amount.
- On September 21, 2026, CBP issued CSMS #69847323 reminding brokers of the fee increase and stating the 2027 due date would appear in a later Federal Register notice (at least 60 days in advance). Industry outlets including GHY International (October 1, 2026 update) and NCBFAA (October 7, 2026 member briefing) covered the change and noted the pending deadline announcement.
- Related overlapping deadlines for licensed brokers include the triennial status report and $100 fee (filing window mid-December 2026 to February 28, 2027) plus 20 hours of continuing education due by January 31, 2027. CBP posted an October 13, 2026 reminder on X urging timely compliance to avoid license revocation. The eCBP portal remains closed for 2026 fees and will reopen for 2027 submissions. No significant practitioner discussions on X about the permit fee deadline were identified in recent searches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the 2027 Customs Broker Permit User Fee?
The annual fee is $190.88 for each applicable customs broker permit. It applies to national permits held by licensed individual, partnership, association, and corporate brokers. The amount is generally not based on entry volume, client count, or brokerage revenue.
When Is the 2027 Customs Broker Fee Due?
The payment deadline is January 29, 2027. Brokers should complete payment early enough to resolve access, authorization, or processing problems before the deadline. Internal submission of a payment request does not necessarily establish that CBP received the fee.
What Happens If a Broker Misses the Deadline?
Failure to pay by the deadline results in revocation of the national permit by operation of law. Because permit status is fundamental to conducting customs business, nonpayment can create immediate legal and operational consequences for the brokerage and its importer clients.
How Can a Broker Pay the Fee?
Electronic payment through the eCBP portal is strongly encouraged. A first-time user generally must create a Login.gov account before accessing eCBP. Payment is also accepted at the designated processing center, although brokerages should allow additional time when using a nonelectronic process.
What Records Should the Brokerage Retain?
The brokerage should retain the payment confirmation, payment date, amount, permit identifier, legal entity, and name of the person who completed the transaction. A second reviewer should confirm that all permits are represented and that the documentation is stored in the brokerage's compliance records.
Is the Permit Fee the Same as the Triennial Report Fee?
No. The annual permit user fee and the triennial status report fee are separate obligations with different deadlines and compliance purposes. Brokers should track them independently, even when the same employee or department manages both payments.
How Stable Software Can Help
Supporting Broker-Controlled Customs Operations
Stable Software builds technology for customs brokers that want to strengthen client service while retaining control of their customs operations. DrawbackAI for customs brokers is flat-license duty drawback software that brokers can white-label for importer clients and use to file claims under their own filer code.
Stable Software charges a flat software license and never takes a percentage of the refund. This model allows brokerages to build a duty drawback service without surrendering filer control or sharing a portion of client recoveries. Brokers evaluating technology investments alongside their 2027 compliance planning can explore how DrawbackAI fits their service strategy.
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