Document Image System Instructional Guide for Used Self-Propelled Vehicles

U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to conduct a test to promote paperless processing of vehicle exports in an effort to expedite and modernize compliance review by allowing the submission of vehicle ownership documentation, currently required in 19 CFR 192, through the Document Image System (DIS). This modernization effort is intended to institute risk-based targeting of exports for field inspection and validation of ownership documentation in lieu of paper documentation review for every vehicle presented for export.

CBP will test the use of DIS for the submission of vehicle ownership documentation pursuant to 19 CFR 192 via the Automated Commercial Environment/Automated Export System. Participants will submit a readable PDF copy of documentation by email to CBP. The email will include the following data elements to be used by the system to store, search, and process the documents. Note that CBP reserves the right to request paper copies of the vehicle ownership documentation at any time during the test, at port discretion. For vehicles being exported by land, a copy may be required at the time of export to receive the CBP export processing stamp.

Data Elements in the Email Subject Line

• Category (CBP09 for vehicle ownership documentation)
• Internal Transaction Number
• Action Code (Add, Delete, Replace)
• CAT=GEN; ITN=X12345678910111; ACTION= ADD or REPLACE or DELETE

*Notes: Three identifier elements will go in the subject line as indicated above. Elements should be delimited by a semi-colon (;) and there should be no spaces before and after the ‘equal-to’ signs. Appendix B: General Guidelines for documents submitted to DIS via email lists multiple acceptable email subject lines. The subject line must contain the Internal Transaction Number as the second value. Vehicle title will not be considered submitted to CBP if any value; other than Internal Transaction Number, is entered. I.e., Bill of Lading, admission, or entry number.

Documents E-Mail Address

• The email address to which computer readable PDFs of vehicle titles and other documentation required by 19 CFR 192, should be filed in accordance with current vehicle export filing deadlines (i.e. 72 prior to export; For air and sea environments, DIS submissions are only acceptable after the vehicle has been delivered to the port pending export; and for land environments, the DIS submission is required 72 hours prior to the vehicle arriving at the port to go foreign.) is: docs@cbp.dhs.gov.
  • CBP can receive PDFs up to 10 MB in size.
  • Upon submission of an email containing a .PDF used vehicle title, the above email address will generate an automated response email back to the sender. This response email will serve as the receipt for the filing.
  • The PDF being submitted must have the naming convention, e.g., CBP09-ITN.pdf.

Required Data Elements

• Data required in email to Automated Commercial System/Document Image System:
  • START_DATA
  • TRANSMITTER_NAME=Mandatory (Name of company)
  • PORT_CD = (4-digit port code) Conditional (Required when responding to CEEs)
  • HOUSE_BOL_NBR=Conditional (Required when sending Master BOL in subject line)
  • POC_INFO= Optional (Name and Phone Number)
  • COMMENT=Optional (Any clarification/remark)
  • RETURN_EMAIL_ADDRESS=Optional (if different than sender email address)
  • END_DATA
• Rules of usage for “ADD, REPLACE, or DELETE” function:
  • If the used vehicle title is a first-time submission, then set ACTION=ADD
    • If additional documents are required for the same submission,
    • Send another email with the same Key and set ACTION=ADD
    • If a wrong document is submitted in error, i.e., wrong title, invoice, etc., and needs to replace with a new document.
      • Send an email with Key to be deleted and set ACTION=DELETE
      • Then another email with new PDF with same Key and set ACTION=REPLACE
    • If the documents need to be deleted from a prior submission.
      • Send email for Key to be deleted and set ACTION=DELETE
    • If the submission itself was sent incorrectly (ex. incorrect ITN) in a prior submission, then
      • Send an email with Key to be deleted and set ACTION=DELETE
      • Then send another email with the new Key and set ACTION=ADD
      • Note: the above term Key refers to the Internal Transaction Number.
    • Participation in DIS Pilot:
      • Interested parties should contact their local CBP vehicle export processing office and express their interest and intent to participate in the DIS pilot.
      • Please see the Federal Register Notice for complete pilot details.
      • Complete details on formats and technical specifications necessary to transmit in DIS can be found in the Document Image System Implementation Guide.