[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 19, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 19CFR111.23]

[Page 459-460]
 
                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
  CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
 
PART 111--CUSTOMS BROKERS--Table of Contents
 
        Subpart C--Duties and Responsibilities of Customs Brokers
 
Sec. 111.23  Retention of records.

    (a) Place and period of retention--(1) Place. Records must be 
retained by a broker in accordance with the provisions of this part and 
part 163 of this chapter within the broker district that covers the 
Customs port to which they relate unless the broker chooses to 
consolidate records at one or more other locations, and provides advance 
notice of that consolidation to Customs, in accordance with paragraph 
(b) of this section.
    (2) Period. The records described in paragraph (a)(1) of this 
section, other than powers of attorney, must be retained for at least 5 
years after the

[[Page 460]]

date of entry. Powers of attorney must be retained until revoked, and 
revoked powers of attorney and letters of revocation must be retained 
for 5 years after the date of revocation or for 5 years after the date 
the client ceases to be an ``active client'' as defined in 
Sec. 111.29(b)(2)(ii), whichever period is later. When merchandise is 
withdrawn from a bonded warehouse, records relating to the withdrawal 
must be retained for 5 years from the date of withdrawal of the last 
merchandise withdrawn under the entry.
    (b) Notification of consolidated records--(1) Applicability. Subject 
to the requirements of paragraph (b)(2) of this section and except when 
a restriction applies under Sec. 163.5(b) of this chapter, the option of 
maintaining records on a consolidated system basis is available to 
brokers who have been granted permits to do business in more than one 
district.
    (2) Form and content of notice. If consolidated storage is desired 
by the broker, he must submit a written notice addressed to the 
Director, Regulatory Audit Division, U.S. Customs Service, 909 S.E. 
First Avenue, Miami, Florida 33131. The written notice must include:
    (i) Each address at which the broker intends to maintain the 
consolidated records. Each such location must be within a district where 
the broker has been granted a permit;
    (ii) A detailed statement describing all the records to be 
maintained at each consolidated location, the methodology of record 
maintenance, a description of any automated data processing to be 
applied, and a list of all the broker's customs business activity 
locations; and
    (iii) An agreement that there will be no change in the records, the 
manner of recordkeeping, or the location at which they will be 
maintained, unless the Director, Regulatory Audit Division, in Miami is 
first notified.