CSMS Message: 08-000225

The purpose of this notice is to notify all interested trade partners of the new procedures that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will use in the issuance of user fee decals and transponders.

On April 7, 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Consolidate Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) (P.L. 99-272), which authorizes the U.S. Customs Service to collect user fees for various services. The law initially established processing fees for air and sea passengers, commercial trucks, rail cars, private vessels, dutiable mail packages, and Customs broker permits. The collection of the COBRA fees for Customs services began on July 7, 1986. The User Fee was established to offset inspection costs that were previously funded solely by general taxpayer revenue.

The Decal and Transponder Online Procurement System (DTOPS) project has been created as a CBP public-facing website available for user fee decal and transponder transactions beginning on or about October 24, 2008. It will mirror the main functionality of the current decal and transponder payment system, TradeLinks, a public Internet site developed and maintained by Mellon Bank, Pittsburgh, PA. It will also include some enhancements requested by the U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Revenue Division in Indianapolis, IN, which is the group that works most closely with the users.

With DTOPS, public users with a Web browser and Internet access can purchase, renew, and transfer user fees for the transponder(s) for their vehicle(s) and can purchase and renew user fees for the decal(s) for their aircraft(s) or vessel(s). DTOPS also gives the public users the ability to update their conveyances, company accounts, registered owners, and user access. Using DTOPS, owners can also order a free replacement transponder; perform a user fee transfer for a vehicle, update vehicle information, and pay for the current and following year's renewal fee(s) within a specific timeframe.
Effective September 18, 2008 Tradelinks will not longer be operational and all paper applications must be submitted to the following address for fulfillment:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Attn: DTOPS Program Administrator
6650 Telecom Drive Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46278

Correspondence sent via facsimile must be sent to (317) 290-3219.

Customers will be contacted in the near future with more information about accessing their data in the new DTOPS system. As with all new systems, there may be a gap in on-line service as the new system is brought on-line. CBP will work to ensure any delays are of as minimal of impact as possible to our customers. As such carriers are reminded to ensure that all commercial vehicles in their fleets carry a copy of the CBP receipt that reflects the appropriate transponder.

Referenced By

CSMS #08-000308