---
kind: "section"
citation: "19 U.S.C. § 1496"
title: "19"
title_heading: "Customs Duties"
number: "1496"
heading: "Examination of baggage"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/19/1496"
units:
  - "Chapter 4 — Tariff Act of 1930"
  - "Subtitle III — Administrative Provisions"
  - "Part III — Ascertainment, Collection, and Recovery of Duties"
---

# §1496. Examination of baggage


The appropriate customs officer may cause an examination to be made of the baggage of any [person](/usc/19/1683.md?p=8) arriving in the [United States](/usc/19/1683.md?p=9) in order to ascertain what articles are contained therein and whether subject to duty, free of duty, or prohibited notwithstanding a declaration and [entry](/usc/19/1677.md?p=23) therefor has been made.


## Source credit

(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 496, 46 Stat. 727; Pub. L. 91–271, title III, § 301(b), June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 287.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 496, 42 Stat. 964. That section was superseded by section 496 of act June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.

### Amendments

1970—Pub. L. 91–271 substituted reference to appropriate customs officer for reference to collector.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

For effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 91–271, see section 203 of Pub. L. 91–271, set out as a note under section 1500 of this title.