[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 19, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 19CFR145.3]

[Page 81-82]
 
                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
  CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
 
PART 145--MAIL IMPORTATIONS--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart A--General Provisions
 
Sec. 145.3  Opening of letter class mail; reading of correspondence prohibited.

    (a) Matter in addition to correspondence. Except as provided in 
paragraph (e), Customs officers and employees may open and examine 
sealed letter class mail subject to Customs examination which appears to 
contain matter in addition to, or other than, correspondence, provided 
they have reasonable cause to suspect the presence of merchandise or 
contraband.

[[Page 82]]

    (b) Only correspondence. No Customs officer or employee shall open 
sealed letter class mail which appears to contain only correspondence 
unless prior to the opening:
    (1) A search warrant authorizing that action has been obtained from 
an appropriate judge of United States magistrate, or
    (2) The sender or the addressee has given written authorization for 
the opening.
    (c) Reading of correspondence. No Customs officer or employee shall 
read, or authorize or allow any other person to read, any correspondence 
contained in any letter class mail, whether or not sealed, unless prior 
to the reading:
    (1) A search warrant authorizing that action has been obtained from 
an appropriate judge or United States magistrate, or
    (2) The sender or the addressee has given written authorization for 
the reading.
    (d) Other types of correspondence. The provisions of paragraph (c) 
shall also apply to correspondence between school children and 
correspondence of the blind which are authorized to be mailed at other 
than the letter rate of postage in international mail.
    (e) Certain Virgin Islands mail. First class mail originating in the 
Customs territory of the United States and arriving in the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, which is to be delivered within the U.S. Virgin Islands, shall 
not be opened unless:
    (1) A search warrant authorizing that action has been obtained from 
an appropriate judge or United States magistrate, or
    (2) The sender or the addressee has been given written authorization 
for the opening.

[T.D. 78-102, 43 FR 14454, Apr. 6, 1978]