strgrl

I'm 18 and I just spent 20 wonderful days in Greece. I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go back home to California and I want to bring my father some wine. Will I be able to get through customs? It's perfectly legal here to buy the alcohol, it'll be in a sealed container, and it's a gift so... maybe they'll let me through? Or is this just wishful thinking on my part...

+ (since from the looks of the posts the general concensus seems to be that bringing alcohol back is technically illegal) what are the possible consequences of carrying it? Is it a slap on the wrist and confinscation or something more serious?

Thanks for the help!

fs2k2isfun

You have two options:
1. Declare it
2. Don't declare it.

I am also under 21, and I have done both several times when coming back from overseas and have never had any alcohol confiscated. Even flying as a UM and having Agriculture inspect it, it was not taken. I have brought alcohol back at least 10 times in the last 7 years, and have never had any issues.

While I do believe that US Customs can confiscate alcohol, I have never seen it done.

Redhead

Legal answer - no

Practical answer - yes, just don't declare it. put the box in your luggage surrounded by some dirty clothes in case they decide to open your suitcase

cordelli

From the Know before you Go Brochure:

Alcoholic Beverages
One liter (33.8 fl. oz.) of alcoholic beverages may be
included in your exemption if:
• You are 21 years old.
• It is for your own use or as a gift.
• It does not violate the laws of the state in which
you arrive.


Not saying to do it or not, just saying what the brochure says.

It's a great publication by the way, available here

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/...eforeyougo.pdf

tev9999

Laws will vary by state, but I am going to guess that anywhere in the US you would be considered a minor in posession and therefore breaking the law. As noted already you could declare it and hope the immigration officer does not notice/care that you are 18. You could also not declare it and hope customs does not go through your bag. The negative outcome of each would be they take away your wine. My further guess is that intentionally not declaring it could cause you more problems.

Just make sure it is really worth the risk of losing it, not to mention the hassle of having to haul it half way around the world.

mbreuer

Can you arrive in San Juan, PR?

strgrl

I'd love to but I kinda have to get home...

Mabuk dan gila

I believe, "don't ask don't tell" applies here. My interpretation of the customs form only requires me to list dutiable or restricted items. One liter of booze. Not dutiable, not restricted by customs law AFAIK. Therefore no need to itemize it. Simply include it's dollar value in the value of stuff bringing back box. 95% chance they take your form and send you on your way without ever looking in your bag. 5% chance you get sent to secondary for some reason, where the nice officer explains to you the problem with your logic and you loose you booze with no further consequences. Not even a slap on the wrist. So 95% odds of success and no major consequences if it doesn't go your way. (unless it is very expensive wine). Them's pretty good odds in Vegas.

jjj8

I've never had problems bringing alcohol back as somebody under 21. As long as you don't have a suitcase full of alcohol and it is clearly a gift, I can't imagine you will have a problem. My plan, if alcohol was found in my suitcase, was always to say that it was a gift from somebody in the country I had come from to one of my parents, and my parents would always have backed me up in that case.

Also, and this is a completely far-off worst-case situation, the penalties for minor possession of alcohol are tiny. Maybe you'd get stricter LEOs at an airport, but you'll generally just get cited under a city ordinance.

Of course, only you know your own tolerance for risk.

old_vine_zin

Uh......no, this is not legal. If applying the logic "it's perfectly legal here", we could also bring pot back from Amsterdam, multiple wives back from Saudi, and fighting roosters back from Mexico.

dhuey

If you're 18 and just spent three weeks in Greece, I'd bet that you have much easier, less risky ways of getting your hands on some alcohol stateside than bringing it through Customs undeclared.

yevlesh2

Legally, you are not allowed to bring alcohol in when you are under 21. Not to say that you can't try

I actually got busted doing precisely that 3-4 years ago when I was under 21 - customs selected me for a random inspection. Basically, all that happened is that I had to sign a paper saying that I was voluntarily turning over the alcohol to US Customs. Then, I had to follow them to the airport bathroom where they poured perfectly good gin down the toilet.

In other words, most likely you won't get caught. If you do, the consequences aren't too bad.

mjcewl1284

Last time I checked, TSA people don't card people.


Even with that said, be very careful.

danielonn

How about if an 18 year old carried a closed bottle of alcohol in the trunk of the car for a party and he or she did not appear to be drunk? Same thing here it's a closed bottle so they won't really care since it's only one bottle. I've had alcohol in first class in the USA when I was 16 and they did not ID me. So if this tells you something .If you look older no one will care.

UncleDude

Is it really worth the effort. The Bottle could easily break, this would ruin your clothes and the first get out clause the Insurers or Airline would use is that you were breaking the law.

Buy him something:

A] You can't get in the USA

B] Is Legal

c] Will not easily break

With the new no Carry-on Bottle Rule it's so much more convenient, if you are over 21, or 18 in most sensible countries, to go to the local liquor shop.