IMPORTANT: Firearms Export Alert – Use of Form 4457 for Temporary Firearms Export

[Rem280]

Jacksonville, FL stamps

 

[WAB]

As a 1st time hunter going to Africa next year.....AND a CBP Officer.... we do not put a stamp on the 4457 anymore.. and apparently havent for a long while (down here in San Diego anyway). We dont stamp them at the borders... and I talked with my buddies at the airport - they dont stamp them there either... stopped by our cargo facility who USED to stamp them, but they dont anymore.

So ... now im wondering if a non stamped 4457 is going to cause a problem. Its not a problem coming back into the US... but what about in Africa?!

Edit: June 27,2025 .....this is the current 4457 attached. Im sure the one above could be used just as well as theres no exp date

Had one issued in Birmingham a couple months ago. They stamped it.

 

[Russ16]

LOL again... im saying WE dont do them here at all in San Diego, or the San Diego Airport.. or the 4 southern borders going east of here.

Im not saying its a CBP wide thing as clearly many of you have obtained them. Im just wondering now where I am going to get mine as no one local does them anymore

EDIT: LAX maybe? Ill have to check

This actually raises a question for me. If you don't stamp them in San Diego but someone reenters the country at say Washington DC and they are used to seeing the stamp would this cause a problem? Near as I can tell the stamp is the only thing that makes it look official.

 

[Nefarious]

Great question that I do not have an answer for.

When hunters come in from Mexico... we look at their form... run some checks (depending on the officer)... and up the road. I havent seen stamps on a 4457 in ... honestly I cannot even remember - Im one of the ones that typically get called for those checks when hunters are coming back into the US.

A co-worker and his family run a hunting camp down south. They list ammo on their 4457 and Mexico does check that - along with whatever forms Mexico themselves require. From everything Ive seen on here so far.... we just list our Rifles (with some people also listing their scopes).

I have yet to get ahold of my buddies at LAX... but San Diego has a small international airport that does NOT issue stamps. Ill ask some of the other supervisors tomorrow.

Edit: Heck Ive even signed 4457 for hunters in the past- but again this is for going into Mexico and at that time I had never seen ammo listed on there. Its possible Africa requirements are different.. and I NEED to get that figured out lol... since again we dont stamp down here

 

[JimP]

You'd get a lot better answer by contacting Henry at Rifle Permits and ask him about stamp or no stamp.

All of my 4457's have been stamped here in Colorado at two different offices

 

[Nefarious]

You'd get a lot better answer by contacting Henry at Rifle Permits and ask him about stamp or no stamp.

All of my 4457's have been stamped here in Colorado at two different offices

Direct from his site...
So again.. still at a loss. If a hunter came to me with their form.. id just sign it. If he/she asked for a stamp...I would say im sorry we dont have any.

3. US Customs CBP4457:

• • Download CBP4457
  • The latest CBP4457 Customs form can be downloaded here. You must take your firearms to your nearest customs office in the USA to get the form issued, signed, and stamped by US customs, please ensure all the firearm details and the serial number reflects on the form. Must be certified as true copies by a notary or your local sheriff

 

[Ridge Runner]

My 4457 were stamped at Tri Cities Airport in Blountville, TN.

The question then is: We are talking about other countries and especially Africa. The SAPS people are so accustomed to seeing official stamps on forms. I can only suspect the problems that could arise both trying to import weapons and scopes and then trying to export those same items and travelers trying to prove the 4457 items especially firearms are their own legally owned property and their unstamped CBP 4457 is/are legal documentation.

Remember the fiasco with SAPS and the form printed dates being expiration dates.

 

[Russ16]

I went to Canada a few years ago on a duck hunt they wanted ammo listed on the form.

I guess my question is why don’t you have stamps since it seems you’re the outlier. I wonder if you could ask for them from HQ or whatever. Even if you don’t regularly use them you could if asked and could have coworker stamp yours.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Direct from his site...
So again.. still at a loss. If a hunter came to me with their form.. id just sign it. If he/she asked for a stamp...I would say im sorry we dont have any.

3. US Customs CBP4457:

• • Download CBP4457
  • The latest CBP4457 Customs form can be downloaded here. You must take your firearms to your nearest customs office in the USA to get the form issued, signed, and stamped by US customs, please ensure all the firearm details and the serial number reflects on the form. Must be certified as true copies by a notary or your local sheriff

Aahh....ok...ugh....so how does a notary or sheriff deputy know that the CBP Officer's signature is real, forged, or fictious?

Or

How does the CBP officer know the sheriff deputy's or notary's stamp is real, forged, or fictious?

Or

That someone hasn't laser printed blank forms with real, forged, or fictious signatures are being used to import questionable items into the US from other countries as being previously "legally" exported?

 

[Nefarious]

I went to Canada a few years ago on a duck hunt they wanted ammo listed on the form.

I guess my question is why don’t you have stamps since it seems you’re the outlier. I wonder if you could ask for them from HQ or whatever. Even if you don’t regularly use them you could if asked and could have coworker stamp yours.

So Canada and Mexico want ammo listed on the form... but as far as ive read on here... for Africa thats not an issue.

I did ask why we dont stamp them. I was basically told that its not needed for us at the southern border -

 

[Nefarious]

Aahh....ok...ugh....so how does a notary or sheriff deputy know that the CBP Officer's signature is real, forged, or fictious?

Or

How does the CBP officer know the sheriff deputy's or notary's stamp is real, forged, or fictious?

Or

That someone hasn't laser printed blank forms with real, forged, or fictious signatures are being used to import questionable items into the US from other countries as being previously "legally" exported?

I dont understand what our local Sheriff has to do with our forms? Not trying to be an ass but that form is for us to check when hunters return.... after they leave the port of entry.. dont see why anyone else "locally" would need to see it

as a CBP Officer... im not looking for a sheriff signature or notary signature... maybe its different for other states.

questionable items? Ive only seen hunting rifles listed on 4457's with serials here - which again depending on the officer and the conversation you have with the hunter... he/she will go to a computer and do their checks. Cant speak about what other states see or do on theirs

 

[Nefarious]

LMAO look everyone.....Respectfully
Im not trying to argure the fact that I/we need a stamp on the form. Im simply saying we dont have that down here at the southern border(s). If we do ... I dont recall seeing one in a loooong timeit... and Ive been asking many other officers and supervisors... no one knows where a stamp is. Some say we dont have it... others we do.. but no one has seen it.

If a hunter comes in with their form... we do our "checks: ... up the road. Easy as that. They dont need to check in with anyone else.

So mabye ill have to check the Los Angeles airport and see if I can get the form stamped. I have read others on her having to travel hours to do the same

 

[JimP]

Direct from his site...
So again.. still at a loss. If a hunter came to me with their form.. id just sign it. If he/she asked for a stamp...I would say im sorry we dont have any.

3. US Customs CBP4457:

• • Download CBP4457
  • The latest CBP4457 Customs form can be downloaded here. You must take your firearms to your nearest customs office in the USA to get the form issued, signed, and stamped by US customs, please ensure all the firearm details and the serial number reflects on the form. Must be certified as true copies by a notary or your local sheriff

It appears that you didn't read enough. Under Proof Of Ownership you'll find this.

 

[Nefarious]

It appears that you didn't read enough. Under Proof Of Ownership you'll find this.

Brother I did read that. I get it stays stamped.
What im saying is that WE at the SOUTHERN BORDER dont care if its stamped.

 

[JimP]

Brother I did read that. I get it stays stamped.
What im saying is that WE at the SOUTHERN BORDER dont care if its stamped.

That's the Southern boarders problem, or your problem if you try to import a firearm into South Africa without a stamp on the 4457

 

[Nefarious]

That's the Southern boarders problem, or your problem if you try to import a firearm into South Africa without a stamp on the 4457

Never said I was trying to do that.

Ill figure it out... thanks guys

 

[bohannon]

You'd get a lot better answer by contacting Henry at Rifle Permits and ask him about stamp or no stamp.

All of my 4457's have been stamped here in Colorado at two different offices

100% this! Also, use RiflePermits to get the SAPS paperwork approved before you arrive, that way you have time to deal with any issues that may arise. But honestly, I've never had anyone look very closely at my 4457s in SA, Zim, or returning to the US. As long as the serial numbers match, that's all anyone seems to care about.

 

[JimP]

100% this! Also, use RiflePermits to get the SAPS paperwork approved before you arrive, that way you have time to deal with any issues that may arise. But honestly, I've never had anyone look very closely at my 4457s in SA, Zim, or returning to the US. As long as the serial numbers match, that's all anyone seems to care about.

That may be because in South Africa you have already submitted the 4457 to the SAP'S office to get your permit approved and all they needed to do was to verify the SN on the rifle matches what was on the 520 form.

 

[WAB]

You'd get a lot better answer by contacting Henry at Rifle Permits and ask him about stamp or no stamp.

All of my 4457's have been stamped here in Colorado at two different offices

I think you could run into trouble without a stamp. Many countries do not understand what a 4457 is. They consider it, and treat it, like it is a permit to possess a firearm. As such, they will expect a stamp.

 

[Sabre]

Not trying to be an ass but that form is for us to check when hunters return.... after they leave the port of entry.. dont see why anyone else "locally" would need to see it

The reason why others "need" to see it is because that form has become the DeFacto "gun permit" other countries often demand of traveling hunters. Yes, technically/legally it is just for CBP to check when people come back from their hunt. However, in reality and in practice, it has become something other countries have us get in order to bring our guns over and hunt as a gun permit. Or sometimes to bring to show we are allowed to handle guns in our country, and therefore to borrow guns in theirs.

I am sure that people have made it through their travels without having a stamp. However, I have been asked specifically to make sure it has the stamp in the past. I would rather make sure it had a stamp before I left than to deal with someone on the other side who decided that day a stamp was required.

You keep saying that at the southern border you don't require a stamp. However, it is somewhat meaningless. You aren't traveling through the southern border, and it isn't to appease the US side. It is to appease a different country's agents. Even if their rules are arbitrary, it won't matter to them what you require as a CBP agent when hunters cross the southern border.

You stating you don't require the stamp sort of shows the flaw in the system and why everyone tries to cover their bases so well when they travel with guns. Things aren't standardized well even within a single country. You don't stamp the paperwork at your port, many other places do. So when you go to another country, maybe the port you go through won't require a stamp, or, maybe it will.