The short version: bring a US passport (or one photo ID plus one citizenship document), your registration, your paper reference books in one crate or suitcase no bigger than 16 x 18.5 x 15 inches, paper, pencils, and an analog watch or a small plastic sand timer. Leave every electronic device outside. Arrive by 8:00 am local time; the doors close at 8:30 am and CBP makes no exceptions.
Everything on this page comes from CBP’s Registration Information page and broker FAQ, checked November 15, 2026. CBP updates the page before each sitting, so read it again once registration opens.
ID and proof of citizenship
CBP says ID problems are “the most common reasons for missing the exam on Exam Day”. You must prove who you are and that you are a US citizen.
| Proves identity | Proves citizenship |
|---|---|
| US passport (proves both) | US passport (proves both) |
| US Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship (proves both) | US Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship (proves both) |
| State driver’s license or state ID card | US birth certificate |
| US military ID | Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth |
| Federal, state or city government employee ID | |
| US territory ID (Puerto Rico, Guam) |
- Without a passport or certificate, bring two documents: one from each column. First and last names must match. An original marriage certificate, divorce certificate or court order can bridge a name change.
- Originals only. Unexpired, official and physical: no photocopies, photos or scans. Every ID must have a photo.
- A foreign passport does not count as ID. A Global Entry card counts as neither.
- The names on your ID must match your exam application. To fix a name after you pay, email brokermanagement@cbp.dhs.gov, as the FAQ says; do not withdraw, because you cannot re-register for the same exam.
Reference books
You may bring paper copies of the five CBP references and “any other paper reference materials you may find useful”. The proctor does not check individual pages. Electronic copies of the five references are also inside the exam software, but CBP recommends your own paper set as a backup. See which editions to bring.
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Carrier | One rolling crate or one suitcase, no more than 16 in high, 18.5 in wide and 15 in deep |
| Shelf or rack | Optional. No wider or deeper than the crate (18.5 x 15 in), no higher than 42 in, and it must stay inside your testing space |
Allowed in the room
- Paper and pencils or other writing tools
- Your reference books, carrier and shelf
- A handbag or wallet holding your ID and citizenship documents
- An analog watch and small plastic sand timers. The exam software also shows a timer.
CBP’s list of allowed items does not include a calculator, and its ban on electronics covers every device, so plan to do the arithmetic by hand. Our calculators show every step for that reason.
Not allowed
- Any electronic device: laptops, tablets, e-readers, smartphones, smart glasses, smart watches and digital timers
- Electronic reference materials on any device
- Weapons of any kind, including pocketknives and any tool with a blade
- Head garments, unless religious wear
If you are sent to put a prohibited item away, you must be back before 8:30 am or you lose your seat and the $390 fee.
Check-in
- Arrive at 8:00 am local time, 30 minutes before the start.
- The doors close at 8:30 am. Late arrivals do not test and get no refund.
- After you store prohibited items, the proctor does a no-touch security check: pockets turned out, pant legs rolled to the knee, sleeves rolled, glasses shown, hair held back from the ears, and a metal wand passed at 2 to 4 feet. Refusing the wand can mean no test and no refund.
- You sign a non-disclosure agreement. You may not discuss the questions until after midnight on exam day.
Where you sit the exam
The exam is in person only. CBP’s FAQ says “The remote option is not available.” For October 2026 CBP listed 44 testing cities, from Anchorage to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with about 1,375 seats; the largest were Los Angeles (about 190) and New York (about 145). Seats go first come, first served when the testing vendor’s scheduling email arrives about 4 weeks out. See the 2027 dates.
The night before
- Put your passport, or your two documents, with your admission notice.
- Pack the crate and measure it against the 16 x 18.5 x 15 inch limit.
- Tab your books the way you practised. How to search fast covers what to tab.
- Read the exam-day search tips: the search box in the exam software highlights hits but cannot jump between them.