Bringing back alcohol to the us
 

I'm 19 years old and I'm sudying abroad in England. I wanted to bring some wine or something back for my girlfriend and I, and possibly my parents. I know if you're over 21 you can bring back 1 litre duty free and then there are taxes after that. But if I tell them that it's a gift for my parents would it be a problem?

Ignorance is bliss. Put the bottle in a sock and bury the sock in your luggage. Or put it in with your dirty laundry. (Make sure there's cushioning on all sides so it doesn't break.) Say nothing, and if they find it big deal. Use the Ronald Reagan method - "I forgot". What are they going to do to you, put you in jail?

Steven: You can either use the Ronald Reagan OR the Bill Clinton approach. If they find the booze, just say "define liquor."

of course it's unlikely someone will check you, but since you asked, according to the State Departments website<BR>http://www.customs.gov/travel/travel.htm<BR>you must be 21 to bring alcohol into the US (or at least bring it in under exemption from duty) even if it is not for your own use

Yeah this all sounds like what I expected. Coming into London they didn't check anything, what's it like coming into the US? And if I put it in my luggage, is there any real chance that they'll search it? Do they even do x-rays on luggage? And if they do find it what can they do to me? Just confiscate it, or more?

Also has anyone underage actually tried to take alcohol into the us, and if so what were their experiences?

Confiscation is the worst thing that'll happen.<BR><BR>My girlfriend once brought back 22 bottles and cans of Belgian beer is her carry-on. The damn thing was like a brick. She breezed right through.<BR><BR>I once brought back at least 15 cans of bitter from the UK, with no problems. Once again, they didn't check.<BR><BR>Just stay cool and seriously, think about mixing it in with your dirty laundry. No self-respecting customs guy is going to want to dig around in that!

So then would you advise putting it in my luggage, or carry on?

Former US Customs Inspector here... Customs will seize the bottle and break it open in front of you. They do that not to cause you anguish at the thought of your money being poured down the drain but rather to avoid being accused of theft.<BR><BR>If you are questioned own up to it immediately and plead ignorance. There is nothing worse than denying you have something to declare and then having the inspector finding it themselves. And yes they will check your dirty socks if they have to. And they won't be happy about and will make you miserable too. If you've been caught in one lie they may assume that you have other things to hide too. It can get ugly.<BR><BR>But of course Customs has a lot more on their mind right now than a bottle of liquor.

Don't be a wimp and cave right away. Say you've had that piece of luggage packed "for days" and forgot it was in there. Like I said before, if they find it what's the worst thing that'll happen? You'll lose the booze and get a tongue lashing from some customs guy you'll never see again. <BR><BR>Put it in whichever piece of luggage "feels right" at the time, depending on the # of pieces you have and what's in them.

"If you are questioned own up to it immediately and plead ignorance. There is nothing worse than denying you have something to declare and then having the inspector finding it themselves."<BR><BR>So if I'm coming in and they say do you have anything to declare, is this when I would have to own up to it to avoid pissing them off? And if so, don't they always ask that? And what's the percentage of people they search?<BR><BR>Also, not that I would exactly expect you to help me, how should I go about bringing some in, if I were really set on it?

"Put it in whichever piece of luggage "feels right" at the time, depending on the # of pieces you have and what's in them. "<BR><BR>Okay, but I don't exactly know what happens to the luggage that they take and put under the plane. What kinds of risks are involved in that?

Steven, Steven, Steven, don't be a wimp like Bennie. Don't declare it. Sneak it in. Say nothing. Make them find it. <BR><BR>If you go up there all nervous and shaking you'll get searched. If you look John Walker or Usama bin Laden you'll get searched. Try to look and dress as much like Barry Manilow as possible.

...my girlfriend and me, not my girlfriend and I...

The worst case if you put it in your luggage is that it'll break. They're not going to xray the luggage, find it, pull you off the plane and beat you on the tarmac. No worries.<BR><BR><BR>Look, technically you're lying, but on the 'lie scale' it's pretty low down there. I mean which is worse, trying to sneak in a bottle of booze or telling the entire country "I did not have sex with that woman - Miss Lewinsky"?<BR>

Okay, I can't stand it anymore. Don't try to bring in a bottle of alcohol into the US when it's illegal. If you want wine in the US, ask your parents for some. Bring them a nice jar of marmalade, or lemon curd, or good tea. It's just not worth all the trouble.

Here's an idea. Why not stop by Neal's Yard Cheese Shop in Covent Garden and bring back a piece or two of some obscure cheese, a nice Stilton or any number of others? They'll pack it up for you and you won't have any problem getting it in. <BR><BR>Yeah, I know. Wrong forum.

Just mail it home if you really want something from overseas.

OK, I'm pleading ignorance here. Why can't he just have it shipped home?<BR><BR>Realistically, I'd say if you bring it, put it in a check through bag with stuff that won't matter if it does break. Keep the quantity to a minimum - appropriate gift quantity - and own up to it. But that's from someone who hasn't had to face the issue.

I think the question is why bring wine from England? It is illegal, it is heavy, and it is breakable, and it is a boring gift that shows you didn't take the time to look for something truly english. There are lots of special things in England that don't involve any risk, or if wine is what your parents truly treasure, have it shipped.

Steven:<BR><BR>Can't tell you what things are like post-9/11, but before, I never had any trouble. Went on a Caribbean cruise in college; came into Port of Miami holding a case of booze . . . just looked the customs agent straight in the eye, and told her that I had nothing to declare.<BR><BR>While Al's idea of food sounds good, in actuality, there are many food items (mainly perishables, like meats and produce) which people are forbidden from bringing into the country. And I've seen stories about specially-trained sniffer dogs which are used by the Agriculture department at airports to detect such items. Frankly, you'd have much better luck bringing in booze.<BR><BR>But I have a question that's kind of along the same thread -- <BR><BR>I have made numerous trips (it's not terribly far for me) to Windsor, Ontario, to hit the duty-free shops. Since I always bring back more than what you're supposed to, I was wondering if anyone has been through the crossing since 9/11 . . . ?<BR><BR>Are things more strict? Are my booze smuggling days over . . . ?<BR><BR>Thanks!

I would advise against bringing in cheese. The Agriculture inspectors have food sniffing dogs and you will be caught. Bringing food into the US is a lot more dangerous (Bacteria, plant diseases) that a bottle of wine. One bottle will not be a real problem. Nobody cares with everything else that's going on. The cheese, however, will get you into real trouble.

Someone had a very good point. To the best of my knowledge, England is not known for its wines. Look for something that is more representative of England. Tea. David Winter cottages. I don't know. Ask one of your friends, or even ask one of their parents.

Yes, it's illegal to bring in cheese from many places, but for some reason I don't think the UK is one of them. Lets put it this way, the people at Neals Yard asked if I would be bringing it back, assured me it was perfectly legal, and packed it up nicely to survive the trip. I had my doubts, but put it in my carry-on, the customs guy saw it, knew it was cheese (it was pretty obvious) and he didn't say a word. So based on that I don't think customs will sic the sniffing beagle on you and if they do I doubt he'll be sniffing for English cheese.<BR><BR>Whatever you decide to do, at least pay them a visit and sample some cheese -- if you like cheese to begin with, that is.

I brought cheese from France (for my parents) on 9/21/01 without any problem. We declared it, they looked at it, and sent us on. It was a blue cheese, like Stilton.