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19 USC § 1461 - Inspection of merchandise and baggage 1 

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t19/s1461"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "19 USC § 1461 - Inspection of merchandise and baggage 1"
title_number: 19
title_name: "CUSTOMS DUTIES"
section_number: "1461"
section_name: "Inspection of merchandise and baggage 1"
chapter_number: 4
chapter_name: "TARIFF ACT OF 1930"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "Report, Entry, and Unlading of Vessels and Vehicles"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 461, 46 Stat. 717.)"
---

# 1 Inspection of merchandise and baggage 1

See Codification note below.

All merchandise and baggage imported or brought in from any contiguous country, except as otherwise provided by law or by regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall be unladen in the presence of and be inspected by a customs officer at the first port of entry at which the same shall arrive; and such officer may require the owner, or his agent, or other person having charge or possession of any trunk, traveling bag, sack, valise, or other container, or of any closed vehicle, to open the same for inspection, or to furnish a key or other means for opening the same.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 461, 46 Stat. 717.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

As enacted by act , the catchline for this section was “Same—inspection”, as this section was intended to be read as a continuation of the provisions introduced in . When first enacted,  related to arrival in the United States from a contiguous country but has since been amended by  to relate to arrival more generally.

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in R.S. § 3100, as amended by , , and , , which was superseded by , , and was repealed by section 642 thereof. Section 461 of the 1922 act was superseded by section 461 of act , comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.