CBP-Assigned Number: Importer ID via CBP Form 5106 Explained

Key Points

• A CBP-assigned number is the importer identification number CBP issues to a party that has neither an IRS EIN nor an SSN, most often a foreign non-resident importer.
• The importer or its broker requests the CBP-assigned number on CBP Form 5106, Create/Update Importer Identity Form, before the first formal entry is filed.
• The current format is YYDDPP-NNNNN, where YY is the last two digits of the year assigned and DDPP is the district/port code where it was assigned.
• The old NNNN-NNNNN format expired July 1, 1992, and filing with a retired or never-issued number fails validation and can strand refunds.
• A CBP-assigned number is not an EIN, an entry filer code, a bond number, or a FIRMS code.

On this page

1. At a glance
2. What is a CBP-assigned number and where does it come from?
3. Who requests a CBP-assigned number, and when?
4. How is a CBP-assigned number formatted and reported?
5. Common CBP-assigned number errors and what they cost
6. How the CBP-assigned number relates to other entry identifiers
7. Frequently asked questions
8. What importers and brokers should do
9. Key references

A CBP-assigned number is the importer identification number that U.S. Customs and Border Protection issues, through CBP Form 5106, to an importer or ultimate consignee that has no IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN), which in practice usually means a foreign party. Customs brokers and importers request it before the first formal entry and then report it as the importer or consignee number on the entry and the bond. It is formatted YYDDPP-NNNNN and is distinct from an EIN, an entry filer code, a bond number, and a FIRMS code.

This entry reflects the rules as of November 2026. The links in this article go to the primary documents: the regulation, the CBP form, and the ACE technical specifications themselves. Read the source.

At a glance

• Full name: CBP-assigned number (importer identification number issued by CBP)
• Who prepares or uses it: The importer or its customs broker requests it; the entry filer reports it
• When in the lifecycle: Before the first formal entry, then on every entry and bond for that party
• System or channel: Requested on CBP Form 5106; reported in ACE entry data; confirm the current submission channel with CBP
• Governing authority: 19 CFR 24.5 and the CATAIR Entry Summary Create/Update chapter (September 2025)
• Format: YYDDPP-NNNNN
• Related terms: IOR number, ultimate consignee number, entry number format, FIRMS code, Schedule D port codes

What is a CBP-assigned number and where does it come from?

A CBP-assigned number is one of three accepted ways to identify an importer or consignee to CBP, alongside the IRS EIN and the SSN, and it exists for parties that hold neither. 19 CFR 24.5 sets out the importer identification requirement and the use of CBP Form 5106 to establish an identity record. When the party has no EIN or SSN, CBP issues its own number in response to the Form 5106 submission.

The CBP-assigned number is most common for non-resident importers: foreign sellers, manufacturers, or trading companies that act as importer of record in the United States without a U.S. tax registration. It is also used for an ultimate consignee that lacks an EIN or SSN. For a fuller look at who can serve as importer of record, see Importer of Record: Owner, Purchaser, Broker, or Non-Resident.

Who requests a CBP-assigned number, and when?

The importer or its customs broker requests a CBP-assigned number on CBP Form 5106, Create/Update Importer Identity Form, before the first formal entry is filed for a party that has no IRS EIN or SSN. Because the number must appear on the entry and on the bond, it has to exist before the broker can transmit either one cleanly.

Responsibilities in practice

• Importer: supplies accurate legal name, address, and identity details for the Form 5106 and keeps the record current through the same form's update function.
• Broker: typically prepares and submits the Form 5106, confirms the number CBP actually issued, and loads it into the client profile used for entries.
• Surety and bond preparer: uses the same CBP-assigned number to identify the principal on the bond.

The BRIEF for this entry does not fix a processing time, so confirm current turnaround with your broker or CBP rather than assuming a timeline when planning a first shipment.

How is a CBP-assigned number formatted and reported?

A CBP-assigned number follows the format YYDDPP-NNNNN as documented in the ACE CATAIR Entry Summary Create/Update chapter (September 2025). YY is the last two digits of the year the number was assigned, DDPP is the district/port code where it was assigned, and NNNNN is the serial portion.

Reading the DDPP segment

The DDPP segment uses Schedule D port codes (Census Schedule D customs district and port codes: four-digit codes made up of a two-digit district plus port). For example, a CBP-assigned number issued at port code 5301 (Houston, TX seaport, in customs district 53 Houston-Galveston) would show YY followed by 5301 in its first six characters. The DDPP segment records where the number was assigned, not where the goods enter, so the importer can use the number at any port.

Telling it apart from EIN and SSN

• IRS EIN: NN-NNNNNNNXX, where the trailing two characters are an optional suffix.
• SSN: NNN-NN-NNNN.
• CBP-assigned number: YYDDPP-NNNNN.
• Retired CBP format: NNNN-NNNNN, which expired July 1, 1992.

On the entry, the filer reports the CBP-assigned number in the importer number field when the party is the importer of record, and in the consignee field when the party is the ultimate consignee. Field positions and qualifiers are defined in the CATAIR; confirm them there rather than relying on software defaults.

Common CBP-assigned number errors and what they cost

The most damaging CBP-assigned number errors involve transmitting a number CBP never issued or a number in the retired pre-1992 format, both of which fail validation. A failed importer or consignee identifier stops the entry, and because refunds are tied to the importer identity on file, a bad number can also strand refunds owed to the importer.

• Self-constructed numbers: building a plausible YYDDPP-NNNNN string instead of waiting for CBP to issue one.
• Legacy format: reusing an NNNN-NNNNN number from old records.
• Identifier confusion: keying the broker's entry filer code, the bond number, or a FIRMS code into the importer field.
• Stale identity records: leaving name or address changes unfiled, so the Form 5106 record no longer matches the party importing.

Do not assume a CBP-assigned number lapses after a period of inactivity; that claim is unverified. If a number appears to be rejected, confirm its status with CBP or through your broker.

How the CBP-assigned number relates to other entry identifiers

The CBP-assigned number is one possible value of the IOR number (importer of record number: the IRS EIN, optionally suffixed, SSN, or CBP-assigned number identifying the party liable for duties on a CBP entry). It can equally serve as the ultimate consignee number (the EIN, SSN, or CBP-assigned number of the party on whose account goods are shipped, reported with the importer number on the entry). See IOR Number: Importer of Record Number Explained.

The CBP-assigned number is unrelated to the entry number format (the 11-character entry number made of a three-character filer code, seven-digit filer-assigned sequence number, and one check digit); the filer code there identifies the broker, not the importer. Details are in Entry Number Format: How the 11-Character CBP Entry Number Works. It is also distinct from the FIRMS code (Facilities Information and Resources Management System code, the four-character identifier of a bonded facility) and the SCAC code (Standard Carrier Alpha Code, the two-to-four-letter carrier identifier issued by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association).

The CBP-assigned number is reported the same way regardless of entry type: on an entry type 01 (Consumption, Free and Dutiable), an entry type 03 (Consumption, AD/CVD), or an entry type 06 (Foreign Trade Zone consumption entry, not the zone admission type 26).

Frequently asked questions

Can a U.S. company with an EIN get a CBP-assigned number?

A CBP-assigned number is intended for parties that lack an IRS EIN or SSN. A party that has an EIN reports the EIN, so confirm with CBP before requesting a CBP-assigned number for any party that holds one.

Does a CBP-assigned number only work at the port where it was issued?

No. The DDPP segment of a CBP-assigned number records where it was assigned, not where it may be used, so the number identifies the importer on entries at any port.

Is a CBP-assigned number the same as a filer code?

No. A CBP-assigned number identifies the importer or consignee, while the filer code is the three-character prefix of the entry number identifying the entry filer.

What if an old record shows a CBP-assigned number in NNNN-NNNNN format?

That CBP-assigned number format expired July 1, 1992. Do not transmit it; confirm the party's current identifier through CBP Form 5106 or with CBP.

What importers and brokers should do

1. Submit CBP Form 5106 for any non-resident importer or ultimate consignee without an EIN or SSN before the first formal entry, and record only the number CBP actually issues.
2. Validate every stored CBP-assigned number against the YYDDPP-NNNNN format and purge any NNNN-NNNNN legacy values from client profiles.
3. Check that the same identifier appears on the entry and the bond, and that no filer code, bond number, or FIRMS code sits in the importer or consignee field.
4. File Form 5106 updates when the party's name or address changes so refunds and notices reach the right party.

Key references

• 19 CFR 24.5: the regulation on importer identification and CBP Form 5106.
• CBP forms library: source for CBP Form 5106, Create/Update Importer Identity Form.
• ACE CATAIR: technical specifications, including the Entry Summary Create/Update chapter (September 2025) defining the YYDDPP-NNNNN format.
• Harmonized Tariff Schedule: the official tariff schedule used on the entries that carry the importer number.