The DTOPS website lets you place orders and pay online for Annual User Fees (Commercial Vehicles, Private Vessels, and Private Aircraft) and Single Crossing Fees (Commercial Vehicles) associated with crossing the border into the United States. Transponders are used for commercial vehicles while decals are used for private aircraft and private vessels (30 ft+). Single crossing fees apply only to commercial vehicles.
The website can be viewed using desktops, tablets, and smart phones.
We recommend the use of:
If you have a large inventory of commercial vehicles, private aircraft, or private vessels, then you will likely have a better user experience using a desktop or large tablet, due to the tables that are used to display some of the information.
If you will be making an online payment, then you will be accessing a separate CBP website to make the payment. That website is best viewed using:
Click here to open the User Guide (size: 11 MB)
Yes. A corporate / company aircraft or vessel is eligible for a decal and is considered to be a "Private Aircraft" or "Private Vessel" as long as passengers do not pay a fare. The same is true of an aircraft or vessel that is owned by an individual - it is considered to be "private" as long as passengers do not pay a fare.
Please contact the port of entry where you will be entering.
No. Please refer to Code of Federal Regulations 19 24.22c.
Yes. A transponder can be purchased for a company owned or privately owned vehicle used for commercial purposes.
DTOPS User ID and password are required to access your information. Security questions are used to identify you, in case you forget either the User ID or password.
Currently there is no policy of removing DTOPS profile information.
Although it is possible to pay a crossing fee at a U.S. border station, paying for an annual or single crossing fee online decreases the amount of time that an individual needs to spend at the station, expediting their entry into the United States by automating the fee transaction process.
If you own a commercial vehicle that crosses the border at least 40 times a year, it is cost-effective to pay the Annual User Fee rather than pay multiple single crossing fees.
Decals for aircrafts or vessels can and should be purchased until November 30th of the current year if you plan to cross the border before the end of the year. Annual User Fees for commercial vehicles should not be purchased if you will cross less than 40 times between now and December 31st. Paying the single crossing fee will be more cost-effective.
If you cross more than 40 times a year, you will pay a lower amount in fees by purchasing an Annual User Fee than if you purchase only single crossing fees.
If the vehicle currently has a transponder Annual User Fee paid for the current year, you cannot purchase a single crossing fee for that vehicle.
If the vehicle has a transponder Annual User Fee paid only for the next year, or the transponder has expired, you may purchase a single crossing fee now; it will expire on December 31st of the current year.
Note: All single crossing fees purchased on or after December 15th will expire on December 31st of the following year.
No. Single crossing fees are non-refundable.
When the transponder is mounted on the windshield, the number is readable from the driver's position. The transponder number is located on the front of the transponder near the bottom.
Annual User Fees and Single Crossing Fees expire on December 31st of the applicable year. We will stop processing orders for the current year on November 30th of the current year.
The expiration date of a single crossing fee is December 31st of the year in which the fee was paid.
Exception: Single crossing fees purchased on or after December 15th will expire on December 31st of the following year.
No. The single crossing fee applies only to the vehicle for which is was purchased. Also, if the owner of the vehicle changes before the single crossing fee is used to cross into the U.S., then the fee can no longer be used.
No. Each transponder is associated with a specific VIN and is physically attached to that vehicle.
APHIS stands for the "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service" and it receives part of the Annual User Fee and single crossing fee to cover costs associated with inspecting for signs of pests or disease that might potentially harm U.S. crops and livestock.
The transponder, also known as a User Fee, is a sticker that contains a radio-frequency identification chip (RFID technology) that transmits information about a vehicle and border crossing User Fee payment status. The transponder is attached to the windshield of a commercial vehicle and should remain on the vehicle for the life of the transponder (up to 10 years), even if the vehicle is sold. An Annual User Fee expires on December 31st of its issue year, but the Annual User Fee may be renewed every year.
Decals are stickers that are placed on all private aircraft and private vessels (30 feet or more in length) as proof that the User Fee for entry into the U.S. has been paid for the calendar year. Any arriving vessel or aircraft that does not have an annual decal is required to pay a non-refundable per arrival User Fee of 34.83, and complete an application, which will be forwarded to the processing center. The application will be processed, and a decal will be mailed from the processing center. A decal expires on December 31st of its issue year. A new decal is issued whenever the decal is renewed.
The security questions and answers are used to help identify you in the event you forget your User ID or password. You can reset your password after you provide the correct answer to the question. After you have reset your password, you can immediately log in using your new password.
In most cases you can immediately log in to the DTOPS website after you complete the registration process. However, in some cases there may be a delay in processing your registration. The website will send an email notification after your registration has been processed. Otherwise, please try and log in at a later time.
Yes. To change your password, log into the DTOPS website and choose the "Change Password" menu item in the "Welcome" dropdown menu in the banner.
No. Once the system generates the ID for a user, it cannot be changed.
Yes, your password will expire after 90 days from the date of your last password change. After it has expired, you will still be able to log into the DTOPS website. However, you will have to change your password after logging in with the expired password.
If you are a current registered user, you can obtain your DTOPS User ID in one of two ways:
Click the "Forgot Password?" link on the log in screen. When prompted, provide your DTOPS User ID and answer your security question. If the information provided matches our records, you will be prompted to reset your password. Afterwards, you will be able to immediately log in with it.
After three consecutive failed attempts at answering the security questions, your account will be suspended. You will then need to reactivate your account by requesting a password reset. The password reset request screen will automatically appear.
If you are unable to answer the security question your account will be suspended. Please submit a password request form or contact the DTOPS Help Desk by phone at (317) 298-1245, Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm, Eastern Time or by email at decals@cbp.dhs.gov
All DTOPS profile tasks can be accessed from the "Welcome" dropdown menu.
Note: "Update User Information" allows you to update your name and email.
Yes, your password will expire 90 days after your last password change. After it has expired, you will still be able to log into the DTOPS website. However, you will have to change your password after logging in with the expired password.
No. Profile information and purchasing account information are updated separately. Note that some DTOPS users are not the primary or secondary contact for a purchasing account.
No. Your DTOPS User ID is automatically generated when you create your profile.
The messages sent to you are general news or announcements relevant to DTOPS or user fees.
No. If you choose "Messages" from the "Welcome" dropdown menu, you will see all your messages on the Messages from DTOPS page.
The below steps can apply to almost every purchasing account task, including the tasks you could specify on the Home page.
All decal, transponder, and single crossing fee purchase transactions are conducted through a purchasing account. This account contains contact and shipping information, current and past orders, conveyance information, owner information (for vehicles), and order payment and receipt information. Multiple DTOPS users may be given access to a purchasing account.
The User ID is used to log in and access the site. It is a 10 character ID that starts and ends with a letter.
The Account ID is the identifying number for your purchasing account where your order/contact/conveyance information is stored. Your Account ID is 9 characters and starts with a letter.
Multiple purchasing accounts allow you to organize your transactions as you see fit: be it by company, conveyance type (vehicle, aircraft, or vessel) or even context. Brokers are the DTOPS users most likely to have multiple purchasing accounts (so they can have one purchasing account for each client).
If you have access to more than one purchasing account, then the List All page contains a searchable table that lists all those purchasing accounts. The table columns are:
Purchasing Account Name: The purchasing account name is used for identification purposes. It should be the name of a company or individual. It should NOT be a tail number, vessel name, User ID, etc.
Account ID: This is the identification number assigned to a purchasing account, not to be confused with your User ID which the identification number for your DTOPS Profile (that you use to log into the DTOPS website).
Physical Address: This is the street address where the individual or company's office is located. If we have mail that is returned for some reason, we will attempt to reach the customer at their physical address.
Go to Cart: Clicking the icon in this column will take you to the Shopping Cart page for the purchasing account.
Whoever creates the purchasing account will be set up as the Administrator of the online purchasing account. Each purchasing account can have only one Admin, but it is possible for the Admin to reassign the Admin rights to a different person who also has a DTOPS User ID.
Each purchasing account also has one or two contacts associated with it who do not have to have a DTOPS User ID. The contact(s) should be someone that the DTOPS Help Desk can contact about questions, problems, and status updates.
If you are the company representative and the purchasing account will be used for all conveyances related to the company, you should use the company name.
If you own your own truck and the company you work for will never pay the annual user or single crossing fees for it, then using your name could be appropriate.
If mail is returned to our office, we will attempt to reach the customer at their physical address.
If you pay an Annual User Fee, the decal or transponder will be shipped to you.
The mailing address may also be used to send a letter to the individual or company if any payment-related issues or other questions arise.
If you pay a single crossing fee, nothing is shipped; however, the shipping address may be required at a later time (such as if someone purchases a transponder the next year).
If you have only ordered decals/transponders by paper applications in the past, you may be able to link your new User ID with you old Account ID.
Error: This account is already assigned to you.
This error means that your User ID is already connected to the account. You should be able to access the purchasing account by going to the ‘My Purchasing Account’ menu and choosing to switch purchasing accounts. If the ‘switch purchasing accounts’ option is not available, then you should already be in that purchasing account and can select Quick Start in the menu to get to the main page of the purchasing account.
Error: The account is already assigned to someone else!
Please contact the help desk at 317-298-1245 or decals@cbp.dhs.gov.
An old name for the Purchasing Account ID is Account ID. You should be able to find your old Account ID on any receipts for transponders or decals that were purchased using that account.
The Purchasing Account ID, formally Account ID, can be found on any order receipt. If you are unable to find this information, please contact the help desk at 317-298-1245 or decals@cbp.dhs.gov.
"Conveyance ID" is a generic term used to refer to the primary unique identifier of a commercial vehicle, private aircraft, or private vessel. The identifiers are:
For a vehicle in inventory, you can change the following data:
To update the VIN, manufacturer, model, or model year, please send a copy of your registration along with a written update request by email decals@cbp.dhs.gov or fax 317-290-3219
You should change a vehicle's status to "Deactivated" if:
You should change a vehicle's status to "Active" if:
If a vehicle's status is "Suspended", you will not be able to change it. Please call the DTOPS Help Desk for more information.
You can change the vehicle's status by clicking 'Edit Vehicle' from the table on the Commercial Vehicles tab of the Inventory page.
A vehicle can only be added to the purchasing account when it is part of an order. If you are paying a single crossing fee, paying an Annual User Fee, or transferring a transponder, then enter the VIN of the new vehicle on the Specify Vehicle page.
First, check to make sure you entered the VIN correctly. If you verified the VIN and are still getting the error message, then:
You can find the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on your vehicle's documentation:
You can update/fix the following information online:
To update the VIN, manufacturer, or model year, please send of copy of your registration along with a written update request by email decals@cbp.dhs.gov or fax 317-290-3219.
If you are paying a single crossing fee: To update information, on the Specify Vehicle page find the vehicle in the table of vehicles already added to the purchasing account and click the "Edit" link in that row. Edit the information, then click "Save".
If the vehicle is not part of an open/pending order: You can edit vehicle information from the Commercial Vehicles tab on the Inventory page.
Three categories of information are provided for each vehicle listed in the inventory.
Vehicle Information includes:
Transponder Information includes:
Single Crossing Fee Info includes:
"Conveyance ID" is a generic term used to refer to the primary unique identifier of a commercial vehicle, private aircraft, or private vessel. The identifiers are:
Aircraft details cannot be edited online. If there is incorrect information associated with your aircraft or vessel, please contact the help desk at 317-298-1245 or decals@cbp.dhs.gov
The U.S. Coast Guard ID is the Vessel Identification Number. As defined by the United States Coast Guard, Vessel Identification Numbers are 6 to 8 characters long and may contain all digits, or begin with 1 or 2 letters (A-Z) followed by 6 or 7 digits. It is also known as the documentation number that is provided by the Coast Guard.
The Local Registration Number is usually a number on the license issued by a state or province.
The Hull ID Number or serial number is a unique number assigned to a vessel/boat which may be found on the starboard outboard side within two inches of the top of the transom, gunwale, or hull/deck joint, whichever is lowest. To see other locations where the Hull ID may be located, do an internet search. If your vessel was manufactured or imported on or after November 1, 1972, it must have a Hull ID.
The following information is provided for each aircraft listed in the inventory:
This is the owner listed on the vehicle's registration. For Canadian registrations, this is the registered plate owner.
Yes, if the company is the owner on the vehicle's registration.
You should list whoever is listed on the registration.
C-TPAT stands for "Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism." This program allows companies to sign an agreement to work with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to protect the supply chain, identify security gaps, and implement specific security measures and best practices. Partners provide CBP with a security profile outlining the specific security measures the company has in place. C-TPAT members are considered low-risk and are therefore less likely to be examined.
FAST is the "Free and Secure Trade for Commercial Vehicles" program. It is a commercial clearance program for known low-risk shipments entering the United States from Canada and Mexico. The program allows expedited processing for commercial carriers who have completed background checks and fulfill certain eligibility requirements.
In order to get C-TPAT FAST benefits, the driver, carrier, and importer all have to be FAST-approved. The C-TPAT Carrier FAST ID is the carrier company's FAST-ID. Learn more on the FAST web site.
Registered owners can be updated in two locations.
Registered owner's information can be updated from the Registered Owners page of the purchasing account.
Registered owners associated with specific vehicles can be changed under Manage Inventory or Create/Edit Orders.
From the Registered Owners page of the purchasing account, find the entry for the owner. Click the "Delete" link for that owner. If that owner is listed as the registered owner for any vehicles associated with the purchasing account, then the owner cannot be deleted until you have changed the owner for all those vehicles.
Yes. Generally this would be done if you or another purchasing account user will be creating an order later with a vehicle that person owns.
If you are creating the purchasing account, you can be either the primary or the secondary contact, but you don't have to be a contact.
If you are a 3rd party broker, you should be the primary contact and the individual or someone from the company you are representing should be the secondary contact.
No. The purchasing account contacts do not need to be DTOPS users (they do not need a DTOPS user profile).
If there is a problem, the DTOPS Administrator may need to contact your client about their order.
The DTOPS user profile email (added when you signed up) is used only for DTOPS access-related email (e.g., sending your DTOPS User ID or confirmation of user profile update) and for payment confirmation of your orders.
The primary and secondary contact emails are used for all notifications related to that purchasing account (e.g., purchasing account created, notification of address update, payment confirmation for an order).
If you are the primary contact for the purchasing account, the DTOPS user email and primary contact email may be the same.
Purchasing account emails are sent to all listed primary and secondary contact email addresses. Payment confirmation emails are sent to all the purchasing account contact emails as well as to the DTOPS user who made the purchase (if that user is not one of the contacts).
Some types of emails sent to the purchasing account contacts include:
Phone and fax numbers are used if there are problems with the order or payment and you need to be contacted.
The following countries also use a country code of 1:
The following US Territories use a country code of 1:
You must be the Admin of the purchasing account in order to change any of the purchasing account contact information. To make changes, click the appropriate "Update" link on the Contact Info page.
A DTOPS user (not the Admin) associated with the purchasing account can:
A DTOPS user cannot:
No. Updating the Administrator on the Purchasing Account will not update the contact information.
No. Only one User ID can be assigned as the Administrator on the Purchasing Account.
On the Users page, the table lists all the users that can access the purchasing account. The columns are:
It is critical that a DTOPS purchasing account be tied to a current, legitimate address. The system will not accept any address that is invalid.
If you have verified that the entered address is correct, then:
An order status of "Payment Initiated" usually occurs if either:
In either case, please check the Orders page in about an hour.
If problems persist, please contact the DTOPS Help Desk.
Check out and pay for the order using a different payment method, a different credit card, or resolve the issue with the payment method you tried to use.
If the order is unpaid, open the order and delete each item in the order. After all items in the order are deleted, the order will be removed. Once an order has been paid, it cannot be deleted.
The order status is found in the table entry for each order.
| Order Status | Tab Order is On | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Order Unpaid | Shopping Cart | These orders have been created but have not yet been paid. The order still needs to be Checked Out. You can check out the order either from the Shopping Cart tab (click the 'Checkout' link for the appropriate row in the table) or from the Order Details tab (click the "Check Out Order" button below the table with the order details). |
| Payment Complete | Order History | Your payment has been submitted. No further action is required. |
| Payment Initiated | Shopping Cart | The payment was started but may not have been successful. Please allow 1 hour for the system to reset to "Order Unpaid" (order will be on the Shopping Cart tab) or "Fulfillment Initiated" (order will be on the Orders History tab). |
| Payment Denied | Shopping Cart | The payment was denied. Please try a different from of payment. |
| Fulfillment Initiated | Order History | Your order is currently being processed. |
| Fulfillment Complete | Order History | Your order is finished being processed and your decal or transponder has been mailed (if requested). The receipt is available to print (click the 'Print Receipt' link from the table row). |
Yes, but it is not recommended for transponder orders. Transponder orders that require a new transponder will go through in-house processing which could take up to 8 weeks during renewal season. Transponder orders not requiring a new transponder will be processed by the system and the order will be completed within 24 hours. If the order contains vehicles needing a new transponder and renewals that do not require a new transponder the order will not be completed until all new transponders are assigned thus increasing processing time for the entire order.
Yes. Multiple conveyance types (e.g. Commercial Vehicles, Private Aircraft, Private Vessels) can be included within a single order. Create the order with an item for one conveyance type and then 'add another item to the order' to add an item for the next conveyance type.
Unpaid orders are available for three months.
At that time, they will be either deleted (if they do not contain any items) or archived.
If archived, you will need to call the DTOPS Help Desk in order to proceed with the order.
The only restriction on order size is the total cost of the order if you will be paying by credit card.
The maximum credit card payment that will be accepted in one day is $24,999.99.
If you need to make a purchase higher than $24,999.99:
All paid orders are kept on the Order History page.
Yes. You can purchase single crossing fees for more than one vehicle during a single payment transaction.
If all the vehicles are already associated with the purchasing account, you can select them all at the same time (from the same page). If you are purchasing single crossing fees for new vehicles, those will need to be added to the order one crossing fee at a time (click "Add Another VIN to this Order" after you have added each one to your cart.)
No. Each order contains either:
Yes. From the Item Successfully Added to Cart page, click the "View Order Details" button. Then from the Shopping Cart, select the orders you want to merge and click the "Merge Checked Orders" button.
More detailed instructions can be found in the 'Need Help?' section on the Shopping Cart tab of the Orders page.
Yes.
Single Crossing Fees and Annual User Fees cannot be ordered together. Note: if you will be paying by credit card, the cost of the combined order must be less than the maximum allowed credit card payment (which is $24,999.99 as of June 1, 2015)
Yes. Each time you finish adding an item to your shopping cart, you have the option to either "Add Another VIN to this Order" or "Add Another Item to this Order", depending on which button is present on the page.
Note: if you will be paying by credit card, the total cost of the order must be less than the maximum allowed credit card payment (which is $24,999.99 as of June 1, 2015)
If you view the order in the shopping cart, you can see the total cost of the order.
The processing time starts after you check out your order and see the payment confirmation screen (even when the amount due is zero).
After an order has been paid, you can look for the order on the Order History tab of the Orders page. If the status is "Fulfillment Initiated", then your order is being processed.
The Order Details page contains a table with the details for an order that is listed on either the Shopping Cart or the Order History tab. The main columns of the table are:
Item: The item that will be/was purchased, e.g., Single Crossing Fee, Annual Crossing Fee, Replacement Transponder. The Orders page contains a list of item descriptions, accessed by clicking the "Item Details & Prices" button.
For: The type of conveyance associated with the item.
Conveyance ID: This is a generic term used to refer to the primary unique identifier of a commercial vehicle, private aircraft, or private vessel. The identifiers are:
Reason: This gives the reason why a replacement transponder is/was needed. Replacement reasons are: Broken Windshield, Transponder Not Functioning, Transponder Not Received, and Other with an explanation.
Cost: The cost of that item.
The length of time it takes to process the order depends on the processing time and the shipping time.
The processing time starts after you check out your order and see the payment confirmation screen (even when the amount due is zero).
Shipping time depends on your shipping address.
The renewal function only works for decals that are ordered in consecutive years. If a decal was not ordered for the conveyance in the previous year, please place an order for a “New User Fee.”
Transfer: A transfer allows a VIN with a current paid transponder to be moved from one company to another.
Exchange: Within 30 days of purchase, a transponder issued to a VIN can be exchanged for a new transponder issued to a new VIN. An exchange requests requires:
No. Decals are not transferable.
If the checkbox under the year is grayed out, this conveyance has already been paid for that year.
Yes. For instance, if the vehicle had a paid decal for 2014, then the table could show renewal eligibility for both 2015 and 2016.
In that case, you could select only 2015, only 2016, or both 2015 and 2016.
An order receipt will include all conveyances purchased in an order.
Individual conveyance receipts can be found in the account inventory. Individual receipts will include only one conveyance and will include all updates made after purchase.
Some payment confirmation information is also provided in two places:
If there are items in the order, then you need to click the Make Payment button, even if the total order cost is $0.
If the order cost is $0, after you click the Make Payment button, you should get a confirmation page. Your request is not submitted until you have gotten the confirmation page.
The quickest way to pay a new Annual User Fee for a commercial vehicle is to pick your action on the Home page, and then you will be guided to the start of most of the next steps.
The quickest way to pay a single crossing fee for a commercial vehicle is to pick your action on the Home page, and then you will be guided to the start of most of the next steps.
An Annual User Fee can be renewed if it was previously purchased in the Purchasing Account and is in ‘active’ status. The quickest way to renew an Annual User Fee for a commercial vehicle is to pick your action on the Home page, and then you will be guided to the start of most of the next steps.
Tip: Place all renewals that require a new transponder into one order and all renewals that don't require a new transponder into a second order. This will expedite the fulfillment of the second order.
If the Annual User Fee for the vehicle has not been paid for the current year, then you should complete a new order (click "Pay Annual User Fee" from the Home or Quick Start page, or "Annual User Fee (Vehicle Transponder)" from the Shop page). If the fee actually has been paid, the system will provide a message that a transfer request should be completed.
For the question, 'Does the vehicle currently have a transponder?', answer 'yes' only If the vehicle physically has a transponder. If you answer 'no', a new transponder will be sent.
Yes, if the Annual User Fee for the vehicle is already paid for the current year (and/or the next year, if applicable). Answer 'No' to the question "Does this vehicle currently have a transponder?"
The quickest way to pay a new Annual User Fee for a private aircraft or private vessel is to pick your action on the Home page, and then you will be guided to the start of most of the next steps.
A decal can be renewed only if the previous year's Annual User Fee was paid for the aircraft or vessel. The quickest way to renew a decal (renew an Annual User Fee) for a private aircraft or private vessel is to pick your action on the Home page, and then you will be guided to the start of most of the next steps.
You have several options for creating a new order:
The Quick Start and Shop pages provide a complete list of order types. The Home page lets you start only some of the most common tasks.
Modifying an existing order is done from the Shopping Cart tab.
First, there are several ways you can get to the Shopping Cart tab:
Once you are on the Shopping Cart tab, find the order you want to modify. Options are:
If you are the Admin for the purchasing account, click the "Update address" link. If you are not the Admin, you should ask the Admin to update the address or, if appropriate, make you the purchasing account Admin.
If you are having a decal or transponder shipped to you, please do not proceed with an incorrect address.
Your shipping tracking number will be available upon the completion of your order. After you have received an email stating that your order is complete, you may contact the DTOPS Help Desk to request the tracking number assigned to the shipment.
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice: An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information collection and a person is not required to respond to this information request unless it displays a current valid OMB control number and an expiration date. The control number for this collection is 1651-0052. The estimated average time to complete this application is 20 minutes for vehicles and 16 minutes for aircraft and vessels. If you have any comments regarding the burden estimate you can write to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Regulations and Rulings, 799 9th Street NW, Washington DC 20229. Expiration 07-31-2024