19 USC § 1602 - Seizure; report to customs officer

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t19/s1602"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "19 USC § 1602 - Seizure; report to customs officer"
title_number: 19
title_name: "CUSTOMS DUTIES"
section_number: "1602"
section_name: "Seizure; report to customs officer"
chapter_number: 4
chapter_name: "TARIFF ACT OF 1930"
part_number: "V"
part_name: "Enforcement Provisions"
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, § 602, 46 Stat. 754; Pub. L. 91–271, title III, § 301(z), June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 290; Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 321, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2056; Pub. L. 98–573, title II, § 213(a)(1), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2984.)"
---


# § 1602. Seizure; report to customs officer

It shall be the duty of any officer, agent, or other person authorized by law to make seizures of merchandise or baggage subject to seizure for violation of the customs laws, to report every such seizure immediately to the appropriate customs officer for the district in which such violation occurred, and to turn over and deliver to such customs officer any vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage seized by him, and to report immediately to such customs officer every violation of the customs laws.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 602, 46 Stat. 754; Pub. L. 91–271, title III, § 301(z), June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 290; Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 321, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2056; Pub. L. 98–573, title II, § 213(a)(1), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2984.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in , . That section was superseded by section 602 of act , comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.

Prior provisions requiring officers or persons employed in the customs revenue service, upon detection of any violation of the customs laws, to make complaint to the collector, were contained in , , prior to repeal by , .

### Amendments

1984— and  inserted reference to aircraft.

1970— substituted references to appropriate customs officer or such customs officer for references to collector wherever appearing.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

For effective date of amendment by , see , set out as a note under .