A single entry customs bond guarantees CBP’s duties, taxes, and fees on one specific shipment at one port, while a continuous bond guarantees every entry an importer files at every US port for a full year. Every CBP bond must be written for at least $100 under 19 CFR 113.13, but a continuous bond is normally sized using CBP’s own sufficiency guidelines at roughly 10% of the duties, taxes, and fees an importer paid or expects to pay over a 12-month period, subject to a $50,000 floor. A single entry bond is instead sized to that one shipment: the entered value plus applicable duties, taxes, and fees, or three times the entered value where the goods are subject to certain other-agency requirements such as FDA regulation.
Picking the wrong one is not a paperwork problem, it is a coverage problem: an underbonded entry cannot be released, and an importer running frequent shipments on repeated single entry bonds is buying the same protection over and over at a higher aggregate cost. This guide compares the two bond types under 19 CFR Part 113, how CBP sets the amount for each, who is allowed to underwrite them, and what happens when a shipment shows up with no valid bond on file.
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What a Customs Bond Guarantees Under 19 CFR Part 113
CBP bonds are governed by 19 CFR Part 113. A bond is a three-party contract between the importer (the principal), CBP (the obligee), and a surety, guaranteeing that CBP will collect the duties, taxes, and fees owed on an entry and that the importer will meet other obligations tied to it, including producing documentation on request, redelivering merchandise if CBP demands it, and paying any penalties assessed.
A bond is required for formal entries, which generally means shipments valued above $2,500 as well as certain regulated commodities regardless of value. Below that threshold, an informal entry can usually move without one, though CBP can still require a bond where the merchandise, the importer’s compliance history, or an other-agency requirement calls for it.
The floor set by regulation itself is modest. 19 CFR 113.13 states that the amount of any CBP bond must not be less than $100, with fractional amounts rounded up to the next whole dollar. That figure is a legal minimum, not a working number: real bond amounts are set well above it using CBP’s own monetary sufficiency guidelines, covered below. Our licensed customs brokerage team has that bonding conversation with every new importer before an entry is ever filed.
Single Entry Bond vs Continuous Bond: The Core Difference
A single entry bond, also called a single transaction bond (STB), covers exactly one entry at one port. Its surety number is recorded on the CBP Form 7501 entry summary filed for that shipment, and once the entry liquidates and CBP is satisfied duties and any other requirements were met, the bond’s obligation ends there. Ship again next month and you need a new one.
A continuous bond covers every entry the importer files at every US port of entry for a full year, and renews automatically until the importer or surety cancels it. One bond, one annual premium, unlimited covered entries within the bonded amount, for as long as the bond stays active.
| Feature | Single Entry Bond | Continuous Bond |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | One entry, one port | Every entry, every port, for 12 months |
| Typical importer | One-off or occasional shipper | Regular, repeat importer |
| Minimum amount | Entered value + duties, taxes, fees (3x value for FDA/PGA-regulated goods) | 10% of duties, taxes, fees paid or expected over 12 months, $50,000 floor |
| Renewal | None; expires when that entry liquidates | Automatic annual renewal until cancelled |
| Underwritten by | Treasury-listed corporate surety | Treasury-listed corporate surety |
When a Single Entry Bond Is the Right Choice
A single entry bond fits an importer who genuinely does not know if there will be a second shipment: a one-off equipment purchase, a trade-show sample, a first test order used to validate a new supplier before committing to a regular program. A non-resident importer bringing in a first US shipment while it decides whether to build an ongoing import program is a common real-world case.
The tradeoff is cost and continuity. Buying a fresh STB for every shipment across a year almost always costs more in aggregate than one continuous bond, and it builds no ongoing bonding relationship with a surety, which a growing importer will eventually need anyway. If the second shipment is already on the calendar, it is usually worth pricing a continuous bond instead.
When a Continuous Bond Makes Sense
A continuous bond is the standard choice for any importer shipping more than a handful of times a year, across one port or several. It removes the need to underwrite a new bond for every entry, which matters most for importers running a regular cadence of formal entries as part of an active trade compliance management program, since a lapsed or undersized bond on a recurring importer stalls every entry behind it, not just one.
Because a continuous bond‘s amount is tied to actual duty, tax, and fee volume, it also needs periodic review. An importer whose import volume or tariff exposure grows meaningfully during the year can outgrow the bond amount CBP originally approved, which is the scenario the sufficiency review described below exists to catch.
How CBP Sets the Bond Amount
For a single entry bond, the working formula is the total entered value of the shipment plus all duties, taxes, and fees that apply to it. Where the merchandise is subject to certain other-agency requirements, and a failure to redeliver it could pose a threat to public health or safety, including all FDA-regulated merchandise, CBP requires the bond to run at three times the total entered value instead.
For a continuous bond, CBP’s monetary guidelines (CBP Directive 3510-004, “Monetary Guidelines for Setting Bond Amounts”) generally set the amount at 10% of the duties, taxes, and fees an importer paid or is expected to pay CBP over a 12-month period, subject to a $50,000 minimum.
Neither formula is static. 19 CFR 113.13 lets CBP review bond sufficiency at any time, weighing the importer’s payment history, its compliance record with CBP demands, the value and nature of the merchandise, the degree of supervision the entries require, and its history of honoring past bond commitments. Where a bond is found insufficient, CBP will generally give the principal 15 days’ written notice to fix it, or demand additional security immediately if it believes the shortfall could jeopardize revenue or hamper enforcement.
Who Underwrites a Customs Bond
CBP will only accept a bond from a corporate surety listed in Treasury Department Circular 570, the Treasury’s published list of companies authorized to write federal surety bonds, and the amount each one may underwrite, under 19 CFR Part 113 Subpart D. Importers do not deal with CBP directly on the bond itself; a surety or a licensed customs broker with surety access places it.
The bond instrument itself is CBP Form 301, executed as either a single transaction bond or a continuous bond, never both on the same form. A broker who already holds your customs power of attorney and importer information can usually place either type without the importer dealing with the surety directly.
What Happens If You Ship Without a Valid Bond
A formal entry cannot be released without an approved bond on file, so merchandise sits, storage and demurrage charges accrue, and time-sensitive freight arrives late through no fault of the carrier. A broker also cannot complete the entry, bonded or not, without a valid power of attorney on file for that importer, which is why the two requirements get collected together during onboarding.
A continuous bond that has lapsed, been cancelled by the surety, or become insufficient for current volume creates the same stoppage, just for every entry behind it instead of one. Checking bond status before shipment volume grows, rather than after a hold at the port, is the cheaper way to find out the bond needs updating; the customs clearance process has no workaround for a missing or inadequate bond.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum amount for a single entry customs bond?
CBP sets no separate fixed dollar minimum for a single entry bond beyond the general $100 floor in 19 CFR 113.13. In practice the bond is written for the entered value of the shipment plus the duties, taxes, and fees that apply, or three times the entered value when the goods are subject to certain other-agency requirements such as FDA regulation.
How much does a continuous customs bond cost?
The bond amount, not the premium, is generally set at 10% of the duties, taxes, and fees an importer paid or expects to pay CBP over a 12-month period, with a $50,000 minimum under CBP’s monetary guidelines (CBP Directive 3510-004). The premium a surety charges is a separate, much smaller annual cost that varies with the importer’s risk profile.
Can I use a single entry bond for repeat shipments?
Yes, but each entry needs its own single entry bond, so the cost and paperwork repeat every time. For an importer shipping more than a few times a year, a continuous bond covering every entry for 12 months is usually cheaper in aggregate and removes the need to arrange a new bond before each shipment.
Who is allowed to issue a customs bond?
Only a corporate surety listed in Treasury Department Circular 570, under 19 CFR Part 113 Subpart D, may underwrite a CBP bond. The bond itself is executed on CBP Form 301 as either a single transaction bond or a continuous bond.
What happens if my customs bond amount becomes insufficient?
CBP can review bond sufficiency at any time under 19 CFR 113.13 and generally gives the principal 15 days’ written notice to increase it, though CBP can demand additional security immediately if it believes the shortfall could jeopardize revenue or enforcement. An insufficient bond can hold up release of merchandise until it is corrected.
Do I need a customs bond for an informal entry?
Generally no. Shipments valued at $2,500 or less usually qualify for informal entry, which does not require a bond in most cases, though CBP can still require one for certain regulated commodities regardless of value.
