Revising a Lacey Act Declaration | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

What should I do if I need to revise my declaration after I submit it?

If you submitted the declaration in ACE, you may correct it in ACE within the allowable time frame. For further information on ACE time frames, please contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or visit CBP’s website.

If you are past the allowable time frame for making corrections in ACE, contact APHIS by emailing us at Lacey.Act.Declaration@usda.gov. If you submitted the declaration in LAWGS, contact the LAWGS help desk. If you submitted a paper declaration, you must resubmit on paper with correction noted at the top of form.

What should I do if I signed the declaration but I’m not the Importer of Record or the authorized agent for the Importer of Record?

You should notify the Importer of Record for the associated shipment and advise them that it is their responsibility to file the Lacey Act declaration. You may help them by providing the information for the declaration that they may not possess. If you signed a paper PPQ form 505 and submitted it to APHIS, advise the Importer of Record that they must submit the PPQ Form 505 and indicate “Corrected” at the top. If you filed the declaration in the LAWGS data system, contact APHIS to discuss next steps.

What will happen to my shipment if all of the information required by the declaration was not provided, or is found to be incorrect after I filed the declaration?

If your paper declaration (PPQ Form 505) is not complete, U.S. Customs and Border Protection or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reviewing officials may hold your shipment at the port pending inquiries to you, your agent, and/or APHIS. Make the corrections as soon as possible to ensure your shipment is not detained. If you or your agent file the declaration in the LAWGS data system or ACE, the systems will prompt you to ensure all of the necessary fields are completed prior to submission.

If you discover that the declaration contains incorrect information before or after the shipment is released, follow the guidance in the above panel entitled, "What should I do if I need to revise my declaration after I submit it?"

Please make the corrections as soon as possible to avoid additional questioning from APHIS.