BIS Export License Requirements

  1. Certain individuals and organizations are prohibited from receiving U.S. exports or may receive only certain licensed goods. If the individual or organization you are shipping to is on BIS’s Denied Parties List or its Entity List, your shipment will require an export license from BIS.
  2. If the individual or organization you are shipping to is on BIS’s Unverified List, a license may not be necessary. However, before sending your package, you will need to file electronic export information via the Census Bureau’s Automated Export System (AES).

    You can check the Denied Persons List, Entity List, and Unverified List at http://export.gov/ecr/eg_main_023148.asp.

  3. If you are shipping to Crimea, Cuba, North Korea, or Syria, please be aware of strict export requirements that may require a license from BIS. (For Crimea, Iran, and Sudan, please see “OFAC License Requirements”.)
  4. For more information, please see “Shipping to Sanctioned Countries and Regions.”

  5. If the item you are shipping is on the Commerce Control List (CCL), it might require an export license, depending on the circumstances and destination of your shipment.
  6. Cross reference the CCL against BIS’s Country Chart to determine if a license might be required.
  7. If a license appears to be required based on the destination country and contents, determine if a License Exception is available before applying for a license.
  8. In any situation where a BIS export license is required, you will need to file electronic export information via AES.

You can check the CCL, BIS’s Country Chart, and License Exceptions at http://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/regulations/export-administration-regulations-ear. For further assistance and information, see www.bis.doc.gov/licensing/exportingbasics.htm.

For more information on how to apply for a BIS export license, please see “Applying for a BIS Export License.” For more information on how to submit electronic export information via AES, please see “Census Filing Requirements — Electronic Export Information.”

BIS Export License flowchart