19 CFR Part 171 · 9 questions
19 CFR 171.2 — Filing a petition.
Past customs broker license exam questions whose answer rests on 19 CFR 171.2. Drawn from 9 released sittings, April 2018 through October 2025. Every question below is a real released question with the answer CBP credited, the authority it rests on, and an explanation of why that answer is right.
Reading the section itself is one tap away inside the simulator, next to the question, which is how the exam works: open book, against a clock.
April 2018, Q69. Petitions for relief from seizures must be filed within _________ from the date of mailing of the notice of seizure.
- A5 days
- B10 days
- C30 days
- D60 days
- E90 days
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is C) 30 days, as 19 CFR 171.2(b)(1) explicitly states that petitions for relief from seizures must be filed within 30 days from the date of mailing the notice. Option D (60 days) applies to penalties, not seizures, as noted in 19 CFR 171.2(b)(2). The other options (A, B, E) are not mentioned in the regulation and thus lack textual support. The authority clearly distinguishes between seizure and penalty timelines, making C the only valid choice for seizures.
April 2019, Q20. The statute of limitations is considered by CBP prior to the issuance of any section 592 penalty notice. If less than 180 days remains before the statute of limitations may be asserted as a defense, a shortened response time may be specified in the notice, but not less than _____ business days from the date of mailing of the notice.
- A5
- B7
- C10
- D20
- E30
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is B) 7 because 19 CFR 171.2(e) explicitly states that when less than 180 days remain before the statute of limitations may be asserted, the response period may be shortened but not less than 7 working days. Options A (5) and C (10) are incorrect because the regulation does not mention these numbers as permissible minimums. Option D (20) and F (30) are irrelevant as the text does not reference these longer periods in this context. The authority directly ties the minimum response time to 7 business days under the specified exception.
April 2022, Q15. Petitions for relief from penalties must be filed within which of the following time period?
- AWithin 60 days from the date of entry
- BWithin 30 days of the time of mailing of the notice of seizure
- CWithin 60 days of the mailing of the notice of penalty incurred
- DWithin 30 days from the date of entry
- EWithin 180 days from the mailing of the notice of penalty incurred
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is C because 19 CFR 171.2(b)(2) explicitly states that petitions for relief from penalties must be filed within 60 days of the mailing of the notice of penalty incurred. Options A and D reference the date of entry, which is not mentioned in the regulation; the timeframe is tied to the notice of penalty, not the entry date. Option B applies to seizures, not penalties, as noted in 19 CFR 171.2(b)(1). Option E refers to an exception in 19 CFR 171.2(e) for cases where less than 180 days remain before the statute of limitations, but this is not the standard timeframe for filing petitions.
October 2018, Q31. Petition for relief on seizure cases must be filed within:
- A10 days from the date of mailing of the Notice of Detention
- B10 days from the date of mailing of the Notice of Seizure
- C30 days from the date of mailing of the Notice of Detention
- D30 days from the date of mailing of the Notice of Seizure
- E60 days from the date of mailing of the Notice of Seizure
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is D because 19 CFR 171.2(b)(1) explicitly states that petitions for relief from seizures must be filed within 30 days from the date of mailing of the notice of seizure. Options A and C reference the "Notice of Detention," which is not mentioned in the regulation; the statute applies to "Notice of Seizure," not detention. Option B is incorrect because it specifies 10 days, which does not align with the 30-day requirement in the cited rule. Option E refers to 60 days, which applies to penalties under 171.2(b)(2), not seizures.
October 2019, Q66. Petitions for relief from seizures must be filed within ____days from the date of mailing of the notice of seizure.
- A5
- B10
- C30
- D60
- E90
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is C) 30 because 19 CFR 171.2(b)(1) explicitly states that petitions for relief from seizures must be filed within 30 days from the date of mailing the notice. Options A) 5 and B) 10 are not mentioned in the text, and D) 60 and E) 90 apply to penalties (19 CFR 171.2(b)(2)), not seizures. The 30-day rule is unambiguous in the cited regulation, while other periods are context-specific or unrelated.
October 2020 (PM), Q38. The Statute of Limitations is considered by CBP prior to the issuance of any section 592 penalty notice. If less than 180 days remain before the statute of limitations may be asserted as a defense, a shortened response time may be specified in the notice, but no less than ___ business days for the filing of a petition for relief.
- A5
- B7
- C10
- D20
- E30
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is B) 7 because 19 CFR 171.2(e) explicitly states that when less than 180 days remain before the statute of limitations may be asserted, the response period cannot be less than 7 working days. Options A (5) and C–E (10–30) are incorrect because they exceed or fall below the minimum specified in the regulation. Other sections of 19 CFR 171.2 (e.g., 171.2(b)) govern general timelines for petitions but do not apply here, as the question specifically references the exception in 171.2(e).
October 2021, Q11. Petitions for relief from seizures must be filed within ____ days from the date of mailing of the notice of seizure.
- A15
- B30
- C45
- D60
- E90
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is B) 30 because 19 CFR 171.2(b)(1) explicitly states that petitions for relief from seizures must be filed within 30 days from the date of mailing the notice of seizure. The tempting option D) 60 refers to penalties, not seizures, as noted in 19 CFR 171.2(b)(2), which applies to penalties, not seizures. The other options (15, 45, 90) are not mentioned in the cited text and thus lack authority.
October 2024, Q13. If a penalty is assessed or a seizure is made and less than 180 days remain before the statute of limitations may be asserted as a defense, the Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures Officer may specify in the seizure or penalty notice a reasonable period of time, but not less than __________, for the filing of a petition for relief.
- A7 working days
- B7 days including weekends
- C10 business days
- D30 working days
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is A) 7 working days because 19 CFR 171.2(e) explicitly states that when less than 180 days remain before the statute of limitations, the officer may specify a period "but not less than 7 working days." Options B and D incorrectly reference "days including weekends" or "working days" without aligning with the regulation’s precise language. Option C refers to "business days," which is not the term used in the cited authority. The regulation defines the minimum period strictly as "working days," excluding weekends and holidays, making A the only accurate choice.
October 2025, Q3. By what date must an initial petition for relief in a seizure and a penalty case be filed?
- AWithin 60 days of the mailing of the notice of seizure or notice of penalty.
- BWithin 30 days from the date of mailing of the notice of seizure or notice of penalty.
- CFor seizure cases, within 60 days of the date of mailing of the notice of seizure, and for penalty cases, within 30 days from the date of mailing of the notice of penalty.
- DFor seizure cases, within 30 days from the date of mailing of the notice of seizure, and for penalty cases, within 60 days of the mailing of the notice of penalty incurred.
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is D because 19 CFR 171.2(b)(1) explicitly requires petitions for seizure relief to be filed within 30 days of the notice of seizure, and 19 CFR 171.2(b)(2) mandates petitions for penalty relief to be filed within 60 days of the notice of penalty. Option A incorrectly applies a 60-day period to both cases, while B and C misassign the timeframes. The authority clearly distinguishes between seizure and penalty deadlines, making D the only option consistent with the cited text.
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