Rule changes since the released exams

Rule Changes Since the Last Released Exam

The released CBLEs tested 19 CFR as of 2023 or January 2024. Since then CBP has changed continuing education, copyright enforcement, EAPA procedure, USMCA container rules, refunds and the de minimis exemption. Know which version your exam's references contain: the October 2026 exam uses the 2025 annual CFR.

Rule changes since the released exams3 min read6 sections

Must-know for the exam

CE: 36 credits per triennial period (111.102(b)); 20 credits for 2024-2027 only, earned from Jan 1, 2025 (89 FR 87387).
Piratical copies: detention up to 30 days; importer notified within 5 business days; importer has 7 business days to respond (133.42, eff. Aug 23, 2024).
New 133.47: devices that circumvent copyright protection measures (DMCA), eff. Aug 23, 2024 (CBP Dec. 24-03).
EAPA: voluntary factual submissions within 200 calendar days of initiation; rebuttal in 10 calendar days (165.23, eff. Apr 17, 2024).
USMCA containers admitted from Canada or Mexico may get an extension beyond 365 days (10.41a(g), eff. Mar 18, 2025).
Refunds are issued electronically under 31 U.S.C. 3332; Form 4811 names a third-party recipient (24.36, eff. Feb 6, 2026).
De minimis ($800) suspended for non-postal shipments (10.151(b)) and for mail (145.31(b)) from June 24, 2026.
New 145.15: informal mail shipments of $2,500 or less need a bond meeting 113.62 before release (June 2026).
Bills and refunds at liquidation still require a difference of $20 or more (159.6(c)).

On this page · 6 sections

Traps that cost marks

Carrying the one-time 20-credit figure into the next triennial period.
Assuming credits could be earned from the start of the triennial period.
Mixing up CBP's five business days with the importer's seven business days.
Counting seven calendar days instead of seven business days.
Assuming the DMCA rule covers trademark counterfeits.
Applying the detention-stage periods to post-seizure disclosure.
Thinking a statement of infringement replaces the bond.
Applying the $800 rule from older references to a shipment entered after June 24, 2026.

Why it matters on the exam

CBP tests the reference editions it names for each sitting. The October 2026 exam uses the 2025 annual 19 CFR (revised as of April 1, 2025), so the 2024 and early-2025 changes below are in it, and the 2026 changes are not. Old study guides, and the released exams themselves, may show the earlier rules.

What changed and when

Rule	Change	Effective	In the 2025 CFR?
111.102 CE	20 credits for 2024-2027 only (notice)	Nov 1, 2024 notice	Rule yes; the 20-credit cut is a notice
133.42-133.48 IPR	Detention, disclosure and sample rules; new DMCA section 133.47	Aug 23, 2024	Yes
Part 165 EAPA	Timelines for submissions, rebuttal, verification, consolidation	Apr 17, 2024	Yes
10.41a containers	Extension beyond 365 days for containers from Canada or Mexico	Mar 18, 2025	Yes

Premium

Every note. Every question. One pass.

4 more sections of this note are part of Premium.

Every section of every study note
1,000+ original questions across every outline topic
Full timed practice exams
A worked explanation on every question
Your full mistake bank and weak-area review

Unlock with Premium

From about US$12.42/mo on the Until-you-pass pass (12 months)

Exam-style questions

← Previous note: Duty Assessment, Fees & Currency All study notes