BajaNomad - Crossing the border with booze

Crossing the border with booze

spikemd - 10-31-2013 at 12:39 PM

This may sound like a lame question, but I haven't found a good answer yet and would like to hear some practical experiences.

I will traveling to Gonzaga Bay for a week leaving Saturday. This will be my first trip across the border in 15 years and I will be loaded with camping equipment.

I plan to bring down a few bottles of beer and a bottle Gentlemen Jack and maybe some scotch. Sounds like I should declare these at the border. We plan on buying all our beer in San Felipe.

When I return, I would like to bring back some tequila. We may tour a few wineries near Ensenada on our way to the border and am wondering if we can bring over a few bottles.

Some posts mention 1 liter of alcohol only per person. Other posts, mention 2 liters. Some folks said they brought back a case of wine without difficulty.

I am hoping my Gentlemen Jack won't be included since I entered Mex with it and don't think we will finish the bottle.

If you could please advise me, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

sancho - 10-31-2013 at 01:09 PM

I personally wouldn't be concerned about going
so. into Mex, there is an Official amount listed
somewhere by Mex Customs, although read recently
of a Gringo going into Mex, who had bought a few to many
cartons of cigarettes, probably at the Duty Free store
in San Ysidro, story goes Mex Customs not only took
the contraband, but impounded the vehicle at a cost
of $600 dlls., that is the way it was posted. Coming back
1 liter has always been the reg, I had 5 beers or so
one time, which I declared before being sent to secondary,
the US Customs guy noted the overage, but didn't
make a stink of it. I wonder how the Ensenada wineries
sell cases to Gringos coming back, I believe all alcohol
is considered in the amount allowed

DENNIS - 10-31-2013 at 01:35 PM

Right-on, Sancho........going in won't be a problem. Don't even mention it at the gate.

By the way....you can buy most items you mentioned....... Scotch etc. at Sams , Walmart and Costco here now.......just in case you run low on supplies.

As to Sancho's question about large quantities crossing north.....vehicles with registration for states other than the one at the Port Of Entry, such as California, are allowed mucho more alcohol than those cars registered in Cal....like, a car registered in Arizona can bring around five cases of wine into California.
If this affects you, ask here for details. Someone will help you out.

Griffin - 10-31-2013 at 02:28 PM

Up to three liters of liquor and six liters of wine (if bringing more than allowed, you must declare it and pay duties).
according to this http://www.mexadventure.com/MexicoTravel/Items_Bring_Mexico.... and here: http://www.bajabound.com/before/permits/customs.php

But I wouldn't stress about it, as no one is likely ask you about it when you cross the border.

spikemd - 10-31-2013 at 02:58 PM

Thanks. I guess I am just being paranoid because I will be loaded with camping equipment and really don't want to unpack everything at the border.

Maybe I should fill my 5-gallon water jug with tequila! :bounce:

msteve1014 - 10-31-2013 at 03:06 PM

As long as the bottle is not open, and in your hand, you will be fine.

Hook - 10-31-2013 at 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

As to Sancho's question about large quantities crossing north.....vehicles with registration for states other than the one at the Port Of Entry, such as California, are allowed mucho more alcohol than those cars registered in Cal....like, a car registered in Arizona can bring around five cases of wine into California.
If this affects you, ask here for details. Someone will help you out.

I had heard that so, as a possessor of South Dakota plates, I asked the US agents at the border about it. He said BS, no way, Jose. One liter. This was crossing into AZ.

DENNIS - 10-31-2013 at 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
I had heard that so, as a possessor of South Dakota plates, I asked the US agents at the border about it. He said BS, no way, Jose. One liter. This was crossing into AZ.

You believe anybody.

Maybe one has to establish residency with a DL, but, none the less, the accommodation is in place.

Maybe Bajadoc will see this and add the details. He did in the past.

rts551 - 10-31-2013 at 04:16 PM

One too many beers confiscated (and pored out in front of me with a lecture) at Tecate. 1 litre was all I was allowed with Arizona plates and license. I did not declare any alcahol (and usually do not) even though you are supposed to.

Martyman - 10-31-2013 at 04:24 PM

I declared a case of wine from Mexico coming back thru San Ysidro. The border patrol guy said "no problem...you paid taxes in Mexico"
Surprised me but that's what happened.

bajadock - 10-31-2013 at 04:55 PM

Non-California residents crossing the international border in a vehicle that is not a common carrier can bring with them a reasonable quantity of alcoholic beverages (up to five cases or 60 liters) provided the beverages are for personal or household use.

http://www.abc.ca.gov/permits/importing.html

Verified on my May 2, 2012 crossing at Tecate...
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=22754&pag...
Scroll toward bottom of above thread on my experience. Funny thing about that case of wine is that it also crossed at Tecate on April 20, 2012 with a "that's it?" and "bye, bye" from CBP. You never know, but, I now carry a copy of the statute in my Pontiac VIBErator justincase the cavity search is warming up.

Nomads have been asking for my "mule" services since that incident. Pricey!

rts551 - 10-31-2013 at 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Martyman
I declared a case of wine from Mexico coming back thru San Ysidro. The border patrol guy said "no problem...you paid taxes in Mexico"
Surprised me but that's what happened.

I don't understand. Taxes in Mexico make no difference in the US.

THE OFFICIAL RULES FROM THE GOV WEBSITE

U.S. Customs Regulations on Importing Wine
Rules for importing wine into the United States.

The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office controls importation of goods into the country, including wine. CBP sets specific regulations U.S. residents and non-residents must follow when entering the country with wine and other goods. While there are no limits on the amount of goods one can import, there is a limit on the amount of goods one can bring in without paying tax. The tax is mainly meant for retailers, who travel abroad and bring back goods to sell for profit, but applies to all travelers just the same.

Amount of Tax-Free Wine

CBP regulations permit a person to bring one liter of alcohol purchased abroad into the country tax-free. This amounts to just one bottle of wine.
Importation Tax

As of 2010, U.S. residents and nonresidents bringing more than one liter of wine into the country must pay 3 percent duty and Internal Revenue Service tax on those amounts. As of 2008, the IRS tax is 36 cents per liter. The same duty-free allowance also applies to alcohol purchased in duty-free shops located in airports and cruise terminals. Duty-free shops sell goods free of taxes for that country only. You still need to pay duty and Internal Revenue Service tax for wine purchased over the one liter duty-free exemption.

BRYAN'S "RULES OF THUMB" FOR ALCOHOL crossing into the USA

bryanmckenzie - 10-31-2013 at 04:57 PM

NOTE: no photos of the following story --- who would have guessed that the Feds get really peeed of about photos and cell phone use in their secondary inspection area.

I beg to differ with some of my fellow Nomads as I have one HORROR story and a few more quite-so-bad crossing-the-border-with-alcohol stories.

I've tested the crossing with various combinations of quantities of alcohol and received similar responses each time between the 0-4 bottles levels (see end of this post).

I shall focus on the worst one --- about two years ago.

I declared some meds and four liters of Kahlua (sorry, it's my favorite) and a few other trinkets. Not sure why, but I was directed into the secondary checkpoint at the main Tijuana POE. I got the short Filipino N-zi-from-hell border guard! (somewhere in one of my journals, I have his name and details, as I write all border crossing info down each time --- a healthy paranoia).

He made me empty everything out of the car. On the table. On the ground. Pulling out undies and anything he wanted, holding it up for everyone else in secondary to get a good scare (hey, this could be you!). Dogs sniffing. Surfboard scrutinized. Laptop checked and threatened with several hours of checking the hard disk.

I had done nothing wrong until this point. Fast forward 75 minutes in secondary (90-minute lineup) & back on topic:

"FOUR bottles of Kalhua? You're allowed ONE liter!"

"But here's the printout from your Customs website that says ONE is free, the rest must be declared and taxed."

"I don't care what the website says! You are three bottles over."

"I'll be glad to pay the duties."

"No, I'm giving you a choice. We can either spend the next several hours doing lots of paperwork OR you will turn your car around, go back into Mexico and return with ONE bottle of alcohol."

I turned around --- I should have called him on his bluff and made him late going home for his dinner. There is a miraculous and happy footnote to this event, below. Upon my return, the wait was under 60 minutes.

The border guard says "You were just here an hour ago."

I say "Yes, in secondary, too."

He says "I'm sorry but because of the previous incident, I have to send you back to secondary for a re-check to make sure you've complied" with whatever they had entered into the computer about me the first time that was now showing on his computer monitor.

Back to secondary. Fast. Polite. The Filipino was nowhere in sight.

EPILOG

OKAY, now on to the happy ending. No, not that kind of a happy ending. Upon re-entering Mexico, I'm thinking, the Kahlua was cheap. I could just get rid of it. Or I could return with the same 4 bottles. But then again, I could drive it to Rosarito and leave it with someone, but that's dumb using all that gas & lost time. Aha!
I'll stop in at the insurance store immediately past the Tijuana POE (old configuration) and ask them a favor:

"Would you hold these 3 bottles until my next return?"

"Of course, senior."

I'm thinking, okay, those puppies will never be seen again. Salut, amigo. Enjoy.

So I'm returning three weeks later, stop back in at the insurance agency ... and guess what? They're holding my three bottles for me. WOW. He didn't drink them, give them away, sell them. I forget his name (it's also in one of my journals). We chat. I purchased Baja car insurance from him and thanked him for his honesty and integrity.

And upon heading back north, crossed with THREE bottles, declaring only "Kahlua" (no quantity), and had no issue.

BRYAN'S "RULES OF THUMB" FOR ALCOHOL crossing into the USA

1 bottle --- you are allowed, no border agent will argue, even if the federal website says otherwise --- just make sure it's not open and that you're 21+

2 bottles --- they will point out that only one is allowed, please remember that for next time; no biggie

3 bottles --- you're irritating me because technically I should be filling out paperwork, speaking to my supervisor, chastising you and causing me more work, other than processing law-abiding citizens through the POE

4 bottles --- now you've peeed me off and I have no choice; I'm sending you to secondary so I don't have to do paperwork; deal with it!

5 bottles --- this remains untested territory, wine or otherwise

[Edited on 2013-11-1 by bryanmckenzie]

mulegemichael - 10-31-2013 at 10:37 PM

you, i am so sorry, are one in a million, of folks who carry alcohol into mexico....there IS no good answer here.....I take many many cases of wine into mexico every single time we go into mexico.....NOT ONCE in DECADES of taking wine into mexico, have i been questioned about this excess....maybe, ....just maybe....it's time for me to be questioned....OR....maybe not........wanna roll the dice???????.......i do.

Udo - 11-1-2013 at 06:48 AM

Good story, Bryan!

But I'm with Bajadoc on this one, since we have South Dakota plates on the car and SD DLs.

zoesterone - 11-1-2013 at 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
I had heard that so, as a possessor of South Dakota plates, I asked the US agents at the border about it. He said BS, no way, Jose. One liter. This was crossing into AZ.

You believe anybody.

Maybe one has to establish residency with a DL, but, none the less, the accommodation is in place.

Maybe Bajadoc will see this and add the details. He did in the past.

I was told by a Valle winery, that they have a letter they can give you if you live somewhere other than Calif. and can establish that via driver's license, you can bring up to a case of wine with you, but many border agents don't know the law; thus the letter.

55steve - 11-1-2013 at 07:57 AM

So I'm guessing that the Cuban rum I brought back wasn't allowed - never gave it a thought and they didn't do a deep check in secondary.

DENNIS - 11-1-2013 at 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 55steve
So I'm guessing that the Cuban rum I brought back wasn't allowed - never gave it a thought and they didn't do a deep check in secondary.

I hope you've had better luck than I, but I've never found a Cuban Rum down here worth taking back. Puerto Rican rum, Bacardi, in the states is far better IMO.

dasubergeek - 11-1-2013 at 08:56 AM

Bajadock has the right answer.

This past Sunday, three of us crossed with four bottles (three litres, our legal limit). I don't know what happened to the guy at the booth that got him so peeed off and power-trippy, but he started screaming at us about "an excess of alcohol and an excess of cheese" (we had four kilos of cheese). I'm assuming he couldn't tell, or didn't want to tell, the difference between bottles of olive oil and bottles of wine. He clapped a hat on the car and shipped us off to secondary, where we were waved into the agricultural lane and attended to by a very polite, pleasant young man who did a cursory check, typed things into the computer, and told us we were free to go. (I have SENTRI, the driver has Global Entry, the other passenger had a book, we were in the regular lanes.)

The official rule is that Californians can bring back one closed litre of alcohol per over-21 adult. That's not the federal law, that's a state law. The only way around it is to take a LICENSED bus across the border (meaning something like Intercalifornias, not something like the shady vans that park on Ferrocarril near the staircase to the pedestrian line) and go through the bus line in the building. You may still have to argue with the guards.

Other states' residents (license plate AND driver license—you can't have a California DL and SD plates and call yourself a South Dakotan) can take the federal limit of five cases or 60 litres through the private-car lines, though they may have to pay duty and they're undoubtedly going to have to argue the point.

And Dennis is right, 99 percent of the Cuban rum in Mexico is Havana Club, which is viewed on the same level as Bacardi in countries that don't have a trade embargo against Cuba. It's not that good... and finding the good stuff is hard to do outside of Cancún, Mexico City and Guadalajara.

spikemd - 11-1-2013 at 11:03 AM

Thanks for the info. I guess we won't test the system and keep our purchases to a minimum.

Martyman - 11-1-2013 at 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mulegemichael
you, i am so sorry, are one in a million, of folks who carry alcohol into mexico....there IS no good answer here.....I take many many cases of wine into mexico every single time we go into mexico.....NOT ONCE in DECADES of taking wine into mexico, have i been questioned about this excess....maybe, ....just maybe....it's time for me to be questioned....OR....maybe not........wanna roll the dice???????.......i do.

You are right. it just depends on which agent you talk to and how they are feeling at the time.
I bring more each time I come back. Last time-4 beers, 2 liters of tequila (1 open) 1 bottle of Mexican wine.

BajaBlanca - 11-1-2013 at 11:12 AM

We also bring lotsof cases of wine nto Mexico. Only once were we questioned as to why 3 cases???

I looked her in the eye and said " because I like it."

No more questions, that was the end of the story.

sancho - 11-1-2013 at 11:40 AM

I have to stop criticizing Mex Immigration and many
of the contradictory regs from the different agencies
in Mex, the US seems to be equally as vague, muddy, there seem to
be 3-4 valid answers here to the OP's question

rts551 - 11-1-2013 at 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sancho
I have to stop criticizing Mex Immigration and many
of the contradictory regs from the different agencies
in Mex, the US seems to be equally as vague, muddy, there seem to
be 3-4 valid answers here to the OP's question

And every one is sure they are right.

DENNIS - 11-1-2013 at 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rts551

Quote:

And every one is sure they are right.

It's their "control freak" game. They know the rules better than anybody. We just have to play with their ball and stay out of arguments with them.

rts551 - 11-1-2013 at 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by rts551

Quote:

And every one is sure they are right.

It's their "control freak" game. They know the rules better than anybody. We just have to play with their ball and stay out of arguments with them.

bryanmckenzie - 11-1-2013 at 01:23 PM

I understand, Udo. At the time I had California license & plates.

Quote:

Originally posted by Udo
Good story, Bryan!

But I'm with Bajadoc on this one, since we have South Dakota plates on the car and SD DLs.

bryanmckenzie - 11-1-2013 at 01:30 PM

Hi Michael ... just to be clear, I was traveling NORTH into Fortress Amerika ... NOT SOUTH. I've never had an incident Southbound with alcohol. The worst thing that ever happened southbound at the border was when I supposedly was 'importing' campfire firewood on the roof of the Suburban and they wanted to charge me an import duty. I raised such a fuss, the officials finally just said (I think), "get out of here, go away, leave us alone."

Quote:

[Edited on 2013-11-1 by bryanmckenzie]

bryanmckenzie - 11-1-2013 at 01:45 PM

Thanks DUG. Very informative post. And I truly appreciate your jumping in here. But it raises several questions:

(1) How does a STATE statute trump FEDERAL customs/immigration laws?

Quote:

The official rule is that Californians can bring back one closed litre of alcohol per over-21 adult. That's not the federal law, that's a state law.

(2) If these border agents are expected to know thousands of regulations (agr, contraband, currency, etc), why do we expect them do differentiate between bottles of alcohol and bottles of olive oil? I've also been sent to secondary inspection for an olive oil 'violation.'

I love the little triangular "hat" clapped onto the hood and being WALKED/escorted by the agent several hundred paces to the inspection area in SLOW MOTION. I've learned to chat with them a bit on the way (driver's window all the way open); just don't drive faster than that particular individual feels like walking that day --- that gets a snarl (and delay in 2ndary?).

(3) Be aware that everything that just occurred in your crossing has been monitored by camera, by microphone, by hand-written notes, by things typed into the computer, probably more (dogs? infrared, etc). All that data will be visible on the computer monitor the next time you cross (or exit the USA). This I can promise you from my own experience, questions asked, games played, and sometimes, actual ease of crossing a subsequent visit.

Welcome to FORTRESS AMERIKA!

Quote:

Originally posted by dasubergeek
Bajadock has the right answer.

This past Sunday, three of us crossed with four bottles (three litres, our legal limit). I don't know what happened to the guy at the booth that got him so peeed off and power-trippy, but he started screaming at us about "an excess of alcohol and an excess of cheese" (we had four kilos of cheese). I'm assuming he couldn't tell, or didn't want to tell, the difference between bottles of olive oil and bottles of wine. He clapped a hat on the car and shipped us off to secondary, where we were waved into the agricultural lane and attended to by a very polite, pleasant young man who did a cursory check, typed things into the computer, and told us we were free to go. (I have SENTRI, the driver has Global Entry, the other passenger had a book, we were in the regular lanes.)

The official rule is that Californians can bring back one closed litre of alcohol per over-21 adult. That's not the federal law, that's a state law. The only way around it is to take a LICENSED bus across the border (meaning something like Intercalifornias, not something like the shady vans that park on Ferrocarril near the staircase to the pedestrian line) and go through the bus line in the building. You may still have to argue with the guards.

Other states' residents (license plate AND driver license—you can't have a California DL and SD plates and call yourself a South Dakotan) can take the federal limit of five cases or 60 litres through the private-car lines, though they may have to pay duty and they're undoubtedly going to have to argue the point.

And Dennis is right, 99 percent of the Cuban rum in Mexico is Havana Club, which is viewed on the same level as Bacardi in countries that don't have a trade embargo against Cuba. It's not that good... and finding the good stuff is hard to do outside of Cancún, Mexico City and Guadalajara.

[Edited on 2013-11-1 by bryanmckenzie]

gorv - 11-1-2013 at 07:51 PM

Crossed at Tecate this past Sunday morning heading south; got the green light but we were stopped for inspection. And we were asked about beer and wine. Told the agent we had 12 bottles of beer and 5 bottles of wine between the 2 of us. After checking the trailer, he asked me where the alcohol was, so back into the trailer we went and I showed him the bottles. Got the OK and off we went. This is the first time we have ever been asked about beer or wine heading in to Mexico.

StuckSucks - 11-2-2013 at 02:43 PM

About five years ago, I bought Coors Light to take with us to Baja. I still had lots of cans left when coming back into the US. The border agent said that I'd need a receipt to prove that I didn't buy the beer in Mexico, otherwise it would be confiscated. They sent me to secondary, I got read the riot act, then they sent us on our way with all our beer.

bajaguy - 11-2-2013 at 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by StuckSucks
About five years ago, I bought Coors Light to take with us to Baja. I still had lots of cans left when coming back into the US. The border agent said that I'd need a receipt to prove that I didn't buy the beer in Mexico, otherwise it would be confiscated. They sent me to secondary, I got read the riot act, then they sent us on our way with all our beer.

You got a free pass out of secondary because they didn't think Coors Light was real beer.

Kgryfon - 11-2-2013 at 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy

Quote:

Ha ha! Sorry, you made me laugh. Don't mean to pile on...

You got a free pass out of secondary because they didn't think Coors Light was real beer.

dasubergeek - 11-3-2013 at 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bryanmckenzie
Thanks DUG. Very informative post. And I truly appreciate your jumping in here. But it raises several questions:

(1) How does a STATE statute trump FEDERAL customs/immigration laws?

Quote:

The official rule is that Californians can bring back one closed litre of alcohol per over-21 adult. That's not the federal law, that's a state law.

Quote:

[Edited on 2013-11-1 by bryanmckenzie]

I don't know the answer to your question, Bryan, except to point to the state law in question: http://www.abc.ca.gov/permits/importing.html

I think it's ridiculous. I can buy California wine in Baja, why can't I bring Baja wine back up here since it's damn near impossible—with the exception of the Whole Foods in Hillcrest—to buy it here? But I assume notes were made, and so when I go down on Sunday I'll come up dry, stupid 31-day rule.

We didn't grumble or pee and moan while in secondary, and we didn't confront anyone. We just got someone who was either having a bad day or felt like he needed to protect the fragile California agricultural system from imported Mexican cheese. Maybe he didn't like my friend or his Mazda wagon. I have no idea. I almost always go through SENTRI and they're far politer, with the exception of that one person at Otay.