Executive Summary
Individually licensed brokers with active licenses must complete 20 hours of accredited continuing education by January 31, 2027, to maintain their licenses for the current triennial.
All brokers must file the Triennial Status Report electronically through CBP’s portal during the window running from mid-December 2026 through February 28, 2027.
An active individual licensee’s TSR filing requires certification of CE compliance, payment of the $100 triennial fee and current contact information.
CBP says failure to satisfy the requirements will result in revocation of the customs broker license; brokers must retain CE proof for at least three years.
Broker continuing education must be completed by January 31, 2027, for individually licensed brokers with active licenses. In CSMS # 69990316, issued September 23, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection also sets the Triennial Status Report filing window for all brokers: mid-December 2026 through February 28, 2027.
The CE deadline and the TSR filing window are separate. Active individual licensees must complete and certify their CE, while every broker must file the TSR electronically and pay the triennial fee.
Who Must Complete Broker Continuing Education?
The 20-hour CE requirement applies to individual brokers with active licenses. CBP says those brokers must complete the hours to maintain their licenses for the current triennial. The credit earning period is January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2027, so the deadline is not a requirement to earn all 20 hours during 2027.
The scope is narrower for CE than for the TSR. Only individual brokers with active licenses must complete CE, but all brokers must file the TSR. A broker who is not an active individual licensee still has the TSR filing obligation, even though this bulletin does not require that broker to complete CE.
Which Courses Count Toward the 20 CE Hours?
To count toward the 20-hour total, training must be provided by a CBP-selected accreditor or the federal government. CBP says accredited training will display the CE logo. Brokers can check CBP’s accredited providers and eligible activities before relying on a course for credit.
Brokers must retain proof of completion for at least three years for audit purposes. The bulletin lists certificates, course codes, course names, dates, educators’ names and transcripts as examples of records to keep. Retention is an express requirement, not a substitute for completing the qualifying hours by January 31, 2027.
What Must Brokers Submit With the TSR?
Every broker must file the TSR electronically through CBP’s designated portal. Filing requires the status report and payment of the $100 triennial fee. For an active individual licensee, the filing also requires certification of CE compliance and current contact information for CBP.
The CE certification happens when the active individual broker files the TSR, but the CE must already be complete no later than January 31, 2027. CBP says the filing window runs from mid-December 2026 through February 28, 2027. The precise portal opening date is not yet stated in the bulletin; CBP says it will announce that date through CSMS 5 to 7 days before the portal opens.
When Are the Broker CE and TSR Deadlines?
- January 1, 2025: CE credit period begins. Eligible credits earned during the stated period count toward the 20-hour requirement.
- September 23, 2026: CBP issues CSMS # 69990316. The bulletin announces the CE deadline and TSR filing window.
- Mid-December 2026: TSR filing window expected to open. CBP will announce the precise portal opening date through CSMS 5 to 7 days in advance.
- January 31, 2027: CE completion deadline. Active individual licensees must have completed all 20 hours by this date.
- February 28, 2027: TSR filing window closes. All brokers must submit the TSR by the end of the stated window.
How Should Brokers Prepare for the 2027 TSR?
Confirm license status. Determine whether each individual broker has an active license. Active individual licensees need 20 qualifying hours and must certify compliance in their TSR; all brokers need a TSR filing.
Check course eligibility. Use CBP’s provider and eligible-activity list and confirm the CE logo before counting a course. Complete any remaining hours by January 31, 2027.
Keep completion records. Retain certificates, course codes, course names, dates, educators’ names or transcripts for at least three years for audit purposes.
Prepare the TSR filing. Verify current contact information, arrange payment of the $100 fee and submit electronically within the filing window. Watch for CBP’s CSMS notice of the exact opening date.
What Does CBP Leave Unspecified About Broker CE?
CBP has not announced the precise date the TSR portal will open; it says the date will be announced through CSMS 5 to 7 days beforehand. The bulletin also does not explain whether brokers must upload CE documentation with the TSR or whether retaining it for audit purposes is sufficient. It identifies the certification requirement and record-retention obligation, but does not provide further filing instructions for submitting that proof.
Sources
- CSMS # 69990316 - MANDATORY: Complete Broker Continuing Education Requirements by January 31, 2027, CBP / CSMS
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