Originally Posted by
Colin
the only exception is when the flight has been precleared.
Or, for certain airports, if the passenger is making an international-to-international connection -- so be careful if trying to do HCT on a ticket through to another country.
Also, there was a pilot program operating this summer at IAD that sent connecting bags from certain flights through customs without having them reclaimed first. It's not currently operating, but it could be reintroduced at any time.